About Louis H. Schilt
Louis H. Schilt was a veteran of the United States Marine Corps, 21st Marines, Third Division. During the Second World War, Lou served in the Pacific theater from August 1942 and was discharged in late 1946.
Lou saw action in many islands in the Pacific. By July 20, 1944, when he landed in Guam, he was a seasoned marine corporal, and the squad leader of a rifle platoon.
Lou's initial orders in Guam were to move to an outpost position with a small group of twelve marines. On July 21st, his small, advanced group encountered the enemy. Fifty yards in advance of the front line, a fierce and seemingly endless battle ensued. The platoon was vastly outnumbered, but retreat was not an option. After the smoke cleared, eleven members of the platoon lay dead, and only Lou was left alive, unconscious and severely wounded.
When he regained consciousness, Lou realized the severity of his wounds and his situation—not only was he alone and near death, but he was unable to see. Two machine gun bullets had entered Lou's facial region, causing the loss of both eyes. Without vision, not knowing where he was, Lou had to find his way back to the front line. Lou began a journey of darkness and fright and by the grace of God, Lou found his way back.
After eleven operations, countless hours of reconstructive and plastic surgery, and 18 months of rehabilitation, Lou finally returned home to his wife Elizabeth in New York. Lou had survived War in the Pacific and his many operations, but what began now was a lifelong struggle against ever-present psychological enemies: darkness, loneliness, and self-pity.
Lou entered the Marines, gifted both intellectually and athletically. Lou returned from service determined to transform his life in a productive and spiritual way. With his intense faith in God, and his desire to live life to the fullest, in spite of his incredible infliction, Lou lived until March 2, 2007, leaving three children and his wife of 60+ years. His struggle was never easy but he always gave freely of his time to counsel wounded veterans, inspiring them to continue in life, however changed it had become. His family and friends called him "LLL," which stood for "love life Louie." That says it all.
In Lou H. Schilt's honor, Sessions Online ® hopes that the scholarship that bears his name will help our returning U.S service members and their families through their times of darkness and despair. By offering scholarship recipients the opportunity for creative expression and career development, Sessions honors their service to our country.
May they gain strength from Lou's life, and may they love life as Lou did!!
