The 2nd Corps, 3rd Division, 3rd Brigade was also known as Willard’s Brigade. During the battle of Gettysburg, it served as a member of Hays’ Division in the Second Corps, Army of the Potomac. The unit was commanded by Colonel George Lamb Willard (August 15, 1827 – July 2, 1863), who was an officer in the Union Army and who commanded a New York regiment and, briefly, a brigade in the American Civil War. He lost his life leading the brigade in the II Corps at the Battle of Gettysburg. Colonel Willard's entire brigade lost between 600 and 700 men out of a total of about 2,000. Willard was buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Troy, New York. This small monument—dedicated in 1893—stands on the Gettysburg battlefield near where Willard fell.
Willard was a very popular and well-loved man. There is a tremendous amount of information available about the man, some of it first hand eyewitness accounts of his service. One biography reads: "George Lamb Willard was born in New York City, August 15, 1827. His great-grandfather, Gen. John Lamb, served with distinction in the Revolutionary War, and his grandfather, Gen. Anthony Lamb, served with marked ability in the War of 1812. Colonel Willard's military ardor was, therefore, somewhat of an inheritance. He early manifested an ardent desire for an appointment as a cadet to the Military Academy at West Point; but his friends looked with disfavor upon his purpose, and he was sent to a relative in Ohio to become a practical business man. Soon afterwards the Mexican War broke out, and he enlisted in the Fifteenth Ohio Volunteers, under Col. George Morgan, and was made first sergeant of his company...His commission to the 125th Regiment bears the date of August 15, 1862." Final Report on the Battlefield of Gettysburg Vol. II., 1900, p. 888.
"For his part in the war, he was made a second lieutenant in the 8th U.S. Infantry. Willard remained in the regular service until the outbreak of the Civil War, rising to the rank of captain in the 8th Infantry. At the outbreak of the war, Willard was unwilling to give up his regular commission—by then a major in the 19th U. S. Infantry, and so he missed for a time any chance to command a regiment of volunteers." It seems one could not be an officer in the regular army while simultaneously commanding a volunteer regiment. So, being proud of his stature in the American Army, he declined. Eventually, this policy had to change as the volunteers were badly in need of experienced leadership, thus enters Willard. "Willard became colonel of the 125th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment. In this case Willard was allowed to retain his commission in the regular army." SOURCE
Within the same book is an excellent narrative which describes firsthand Willard's demise: "As night settled down upon the scene, our regiment was returned to its position on Cemetery Hill. But he returned not with us who had led us gallantly, cooly - as this writer was witness - down into that fiery vortex; and not all those came back who had gone forth. WIth over 100 of our regiment cut down in the brief space of a half hour, had fallen our brave, skilled, loved colonel. Willard was dead. He was struck just after the brigade had, by orders, fallen back east of the swale through which it had just charged and driven the Rebels. A piece of shell carried away a part of his face and head, and he fell from his horse instantly killed. His body was taken to the Fry House, the ground and barn of which were used as a hospital, as were many of the houses in near vicinity of the field. ....The body was carefully wrapped in linen cloth and was last seen by the writer as it was lying on the ground ready for faithful and loving hands to hear it homeward to an afflicted wife and kindred." Final Report on the Battlefield of Gettysburg Vol. II., 1900, page 886.
The Willard Brigade Monument is located on the right or east side of Sickles Avenue if traveling north along the road. Emmitsburg meets this road further north 567 feet away at a low, 25°. This area is 417 feet northwest of the near the 
Klingle House. There is also another War Department monument for this brigade located on the east side of North Hancock Avenue in Ziegler’s Grove (if traveling south) near the Brian buildings @ Cemetery Ridge. 
Parking is available at small, cutout shoulders along the road, some wide, some narrow. Be sure to stay off the grass or you will be ticketed by park police. I visited the interpretive on Thursday, July 5, 2012 @ 4:00 PM, EDT & @ an altitude of 611 feet, ASL. I used a Canon PowerShot 14.1 Megapixel, SX210 IS digital camera for the photos.
The Draw the Sword site helped out by the NPS narrative offers a brief description: Single part smooth cut monolithic shaft with sloped face. Bronze trefoil Corps symbol bottom, bronze inscription tablet in slope face. 5 feet 6 inches in height. I can also say from my experience, this is a singular and very unique monument, especially for a brigade. Also, the entire whitish monument rests upon a gray slap of granite, roughly hewn on the sides, about ½ foot high and rectangular, longer in front, shorter on the ides.
The monument was dedicated on July 2, 1893. The monument work was (most likely to probable says this waymarker) completed under the direction of the Gettysburg National Park Commission (established by the United States Department of War), after they took over the administration of the park from the Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association (whose funds had expired) on March 3, 1893, and whose stewardship was then transferred to the National Park Service in 1933) The monument is composed entirely of granite (save the bronze relief plaque). I could not recover the name of the sculptor or any other artisans who worked on the project. I'd bet real money Emmor Cope had a hand in the creation of this monument. The inscription on the front reads:
The 3rd. Brigade of the 3rd. Division, 2nd. Corps was conducted by General Hancock at seven o'clock P.M., July 2nd. 1863, from near Ziegler's Grove to the rear of a bushy swale along Plum Run; the 39th N.Y. commanded by Major Hugo Hildebrand, faced left to guard against a flank and rear attack, the 125the N.Y. commanded by Col. Levin Crandall, took position on the left, the 126th N.Y., commanded by Col. C.D. MacDougall, on the right, and charged the 13th. 17th. and 18th Miss. regiments of Barksdale's Brigade in line in the thicket and drove them through the swale and up the slope toward the Emmitsburg Road to within 317 Yards, due east from this position when the enemy artillery fire became very severe and the Brigade retired to the swale where Col. George L. Willard commanding the Brigade was killed. After being relieved at dark the Brigade returned to near its former position on Cemetery Ridge.
The Willard's Brigade Marker is a contributing feature to the Gettysburg National Military Park Historic District which is nationally significant under NR Criteria A, B, C & D. Areas of Significance: Military, Politics/Government, Landscape Architecture, Conservation, Archeology-Historic. Period of Significance: 1863-1938. The original National Register Nomination was approved by the Keeper March 19, 1975. An update to this nomination was approved by the Keeper on January 23, 2004. The monument is identified as structure number MN641.
From the Nomination Form:
1 of 90 Civil War Monuments erected to New York of the War Dept. Era (1895-1927). Indicates advance position attained by brigade July 2, 1863, until forced back by severe artillery fire. Located on the North Sickles Ave, east of the Klingel Farm buildings.
Short Physical Description:
Mn base 5'x3' rough cut. Single part smooth cut monolithic shaft w/sloped face. Bronze trefoil Corps symbol bottom, bronze inscription tablet in slope face. All 5'6"H.
Long Physical Description:
N/A
My Sources
1.
NRHP Nomination Form
2.
Stone Sentinels
3.
Virtual Gettysburg
4.
Draw the Sword
5.
Historical Marker Database
6.
Geni
7.
Final Report on the Battlefield of Gettysburg Vol. II.