Many world renowned athletes have come from Appalachia, from NFL players Thomas and Julius Jones to gymnast Mary Lou Retton, just to name a few. Today we tell the story of a runner born in Nickelsville, Virginia, who won the gold medal in the 4 x 400 meter relay in the 1964 Olympics.
You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, IHeart Radio, Spotify, Amazon Music and more.
Thanks for listening…
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
Hey guys- have you ever thought about a story of Admiral Willis Lee? He was born in Virginia and is supposed to be related to Robert E Lee. Willis went to the Naval Academy and went to the 1920 Olympics as a rifle shooter, earning 5 gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze. In WWII, now an admiral, he was aboard the battleship USS Washington at Guadalcanal. He was an expert in gunnery and radar, which was new. At night using radar Lee engaged the IJN battlecruiser Kirishima and its escorting destroyers and cruisers, sinking the Kirishima which ended Japanese dominance at Guadalcanal. Fascinating guy.
Sounds like an interesting story, indeed! We’ll do a little research and put a show together about the admiral…