“About Uncle Purl Willis”

By Charles Collett 4 Oct 1966

An interesting story about a Lawrence Countian comes to us from his nephew, Brady Willis, of Forest Dale, the old schoolmaster…..It concerns PURL WILLIS, 87 of 130 Lathrop Lane, El Cajon, California, who left Lawrence County in 1910, lured by the Golden West…He was a Spanish-American War veteran and was captain of Company I in Ironton…A story in the San Diego newspaper adds another chapter to Capt. Willis’ story.

He became interested in Indian affairs while deputy treasurer of San Diego County in 1925.  Hunting in in the Laguna Mountains, 65 miles east of San Diego, he came upon some starving Indians, and on returning to San Diego, he started a drive for food and clothing.  He visited the mountains each weekend, to dispense the items to the Indians.

Purl gained their confidence and later imitated legislative action to help their plight.  He was responsible for the state of California for granting old age pensions to the Indians, and proving they were citizens and not wards of the state.

Capt. Willis retiring national commander of the United Indian War Veterans has led four other aging veterans in their batter to right the wrongs which have plagued the Indians since the wars of the Old West…The son of the late Rev. and Mrs. J.H. Willis said, since 1931, he has appeared before Congress 100 times and currently is aiding the 46 Indian bands of California to establish their rights under a Supreme Court decision of November 1941.

The Lawrence County native and his comrades are among the known seven survivors of an organization that once included 38 camps and 6,900 members.  Their main speaker during their last convention in San Francisco was an Indian.

Rupert Costo of San Francisco, chief of the Cahuilla Indian band and now president of the American Indian Historical Society, told the veterans:

“I suppose you expect me to rub into you that we beat you at the Little Big Horn.”  “Well, I won’t do it.  I’ll simply mention it and snicker,” the assistant highway engineer said.  He concluded: “You have ended your war.  We Indians hold no grudge against any individuals, soldiers, or civilians.  And so, I say to you old soldiers, go in peace.:  “But remember the bravery of my people.  Remember our cause in human decency and justice.”

So, the Lawrence Countian, and his compatriots’ sounded taps for the last time.