America lost a great patriot and proud Marine veteran over the weekend. America lost Dr. Sidney “Sid” Phillips, Jr..

It’s with heavy hearts that this blog reports that the Alabama native passed away at his home in Mobile at the age of 91.

More from AL.com:

As one of Mobile’s beloved veterans, Phillips was well known for his profiles in Ken Burns’ “The War” and Steven Spielberg’s HBO series “The Pacific.”

He was honored by the state of Alabama in 2010 for his contributions during World War II and his outstanding bravery.

“Those World War II vets, they never went to be a hero. They went because their country asked them to,” then-Governor Bob Riley said. “Thank you for being the role models for my generation and the next, and thank you for those sacrifices.”

Watch Phillips tell the hilarious story of how he ended up joining the Marines at the age of 17 in 1941 after intending to sign on with the Navy (from the classic Kevin Burns documentary THE WAR):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2mgDchRcd4

The Alabaman and accomplished physician fought in the Guadalcanal Campaign, the Battle of Tenaru and the Battle of Cape Gloucester — all of which took place in the Pacific theater of World War II between the Japanese and the Allied forces.