Together with the support and assistance of Masonic Brothers of his father, Herbert and his younger sister were able to complete the Erskine College in Due West, South Carolina.

He graduated in June 1941 with Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Mathematics and accepted a job as an inspector for the Retail Credit Company in Columbia and Charleston, South Carolina.

Wilkerson sailed in that capacity to Pacific area at the end of March 1942 and was then stationed in Apia, British Samoa and subsequently went ashore on Guadalcanal in September of that year.

Following the relieving of Webb on 20 September 1942, Wilkerson was transferred to the regiment's 1st Battalion under famous Lieutenant Colonel Chesty Puller and participated as a rifleman in the actions along the Matanikau River.

He returned to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina in July 1944, where he was promoted to the rank of platoon sergeant and received Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal for his enlisted service.

After five months of screening, Wilkerson was ordered to the Platoon Leaders Course at Marine Corps Schools, Quantico, Virginia, which he completed on 25 April 1945, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Reserves.

[4] Following the start of the Korean War, Wilkerson was attached to the 5th Marine Regiment under Colonel Raymond Murray and embarked for overseas service.

He departed Camp Lejeune in 1957 and traveled back to Korea, where he served as the intelligence and operations advisor to the commandant of the Korean Marine Corps.

[citation needed] In August 1961, Wilkerson was ordered to the academic staff of Duke University and served as the Marine officer instructor with the Naval ROTC unit until his promotion to lieutenant colonel on 1 July 1962.

He succeeded Colonel Charles S. Robertson during the ongoing Operation Pipestone Canyon with main goal to clear the Go Noi Island in Quảng Nam Province.

[1][7][8] Upon his return to the United States, Wilkerson was ordered again to Camp Lejeune, where he assumed duty as Base Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel under Major General Rathvon M. Tompkins.

[4] Wilkerson reported the situation to the Commandant of the Marine Corps, Robert E. Cushman Jr., and following the investigation, he issued the order to place Beacham out of bounds to all military personnel not already living there.

They were all ready to comply and Wilkerson established a set of monitoring conditions for Beacham to demonstrate good faith before the off limits could be lifted.

[4][9] Lloyd Wilkerson was subsequently ordered to the Headquarters Marine Corps in Washington, D.C., for duty as deputy chief of staff for research, development and studies.

[1] He was ordered back to the United States in July 1976 and assumed his final assignment as director, Personnel Management Division/assistant deputy chief of staff for manpower.

[3] Wilkerson married Jeanne Coffin on 25 April 1945, at the Post Chapel, Marine Corps Schools, Quantico, Virginia, on the day of his commissioning.