Sergeant Major William D. DeWar United States Marine Corps Retired, passed away peacefully at Wathena Nursing Home on 13 December 2022 at the age of 72.
Sergeant Major William D. DeWar was born on 15 June 1950 in St. Joseph Missouri to Harlen and Norma DeWar. He attended Central High School, where loved to play Football and he graduated in June 1968. Upon graduation, he worked at Meade Paper Company in Saint Joseph Missouri.
Upon enlistment into the United States Marine Corps on 08 October 1969 Sergeant Major DeWar attended recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, California. In May 1970 he was then assigned to Fox Company, 2d Battalion, 7th Marines in the Republic of Vietnam, where he served as a rifleman. In June 1971, Sergeant Major DeWar was transferred to Marine Barracks, United States Naval Base, Subic Bay, Philippines where he met his wife Teresita P. Lodronio and they and they were married on 15 November 1972.
Returning to the United States in July 1973, Sergeant Major DeWar was assigned to Weapons Training Battalion, Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Camp Pendleton, California as a Primary Marksmanship Instructor. On 27 February 1974, Sergeant Major William DeWar and Teresita DeWar had their first Son, William D. DeWar II. In August 1975, he was assigned to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan where he served as a Military Police Desk Sergeant and Platoon Commander. On 10 February 1976, Sergeant Major DeWar and Teresita DeWar had their second Son, Anthony D. DeWar. In March 1980, he joined Headquarters and Service Battalion, Marine Corps Logistics Base, Barstow, California for duties as a Operations Chief, Military Police Office. In July 1982 he was ordered to 2d Military Police Company, Pittsburg, PA. After completing this tour in Aug 1985, he was transfer to Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, NC.
In October 1987, Sergeant Major DeWar was ordered to Headquarters and Service Battery, 1 Light Antiaircraft Missile Battalion for duty, where he served until October 1988 and subsequently transferred to the Naval Aviation Depot, Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, NC. He served there until June of 1991, when he transferred to the Inspector Instructor Staff, Company E, 2d Battalion, 24th Marines, Des Moines, Iowa to serve as the First Sergeant. In September of 1992 he returned to Marine Corps Air station, Cherry Point, NC. He served as the Squadron Sergeant Major of VMAQ-2, 2d Marine Aircraft Wing. He was later transferred to Marine Aviation LS-14, Marine Corps Air Station, Cherry Point, NC where he served as the Squadron Sergeant Major until his retirement on 31 July 1997.
After retiring from the Marine Corps Sergeant Major William DeWar, returned to Saint Joseph, MO where he continued his public service by joining the Missouri Department of Corrections in June 1999. He worked as a Corrections Officer, Sergeant and Lieutenant at the Western Missouri Correctional Center, Cameron Missouri until his transfer to the Western Reception Diagnostic Correctional Center, Saint Joseph where he served as Lieutenant and shift supervisor until his retirement on 10 August 2014.
His Military Decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, the Combat Action Ribbon, the Good Conduct Medal, The Vietnam Meritorious Unit Citation, the Republic of Vietnam Meritourious Unit Citation and the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation.
He is survived by his wife, Teresita P. DeWar, his two sons, William D. DeWar II and Anthony D. DeWar, his two Daughter in-laws, Terri DeWar and Monique DeWar, and his seven Grandchildren, Christopher Martin, Katherine DeWar, Lauren DeWar, Alexander DeWar, Andrew DeWar, Joshua DeWar and Arianna DeWar.
Memorial Service; 4:00 PM, Staurday, January 7, 2023 at the Heaton-Bowman-Smith & Sidenfaden Chapel where the family will receive friends on hour prior to the service.
