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William
Williams
Williams
SSG · Skull · 11B40 · Infantryman
KIA
In-Country Service
1968-08-31 –
Home of Record
Horton, Pontotoc County, MS
Character of Service
Honorable
Archive Status
Active
Service timeline not yet compiled. If you served with or knew William Williams, please use the contribute form to share what you remember.
1968-08-31
Arrived
Arrived in Vietnam — August 31, 1968
SSG William Williams began his tour with D Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry (Airmobile), 1st Cavalry Division, Republic of Vietnam.
1968-11-07
Casualty record
Tay Ninh, Binh Long, and Phuoc Long Provinces, III Corps, RVN — Cambodian border / War Zone C, the Fishhook, and the Song Be corridor
1968-12-04
KIA
Killed in action — December 4, 1968
SSG Williams was killed in ground combat during Operation Sheridan Sabre, Binh Long Province, III Corps. He was 22 years old. Per his company commander CPT Henry Colavita's memoir, D Company was closing in on a group of NVA that Charlie Company believed wanted to surrender (Chieu Hoi) near a captured enemy cache, in an area the men had just nicknamed "Chicken Valley." The NVA had no intention of surrendering and ambushed the approaching White Skull platoon soldiers, killing Williams alongside SP4 Willie Gerald Jones and SP4 Donald Stoltz before the ambushing NVA group was itself wiped out. Colavita, reflecting on the day's losses, wrote: "Sergeant Williams, for example, was the squared away squad leader who asked me about being reassigned to the rear. He was the one with a wife, a son and a college degree and a bright future. His wife was now a widow, his son was fatherless, his college degree was worthless and his bright future was no longer a possibility." See the <a href="/events/operation-sheridan-sabre-1968-12-04/">event page</a> and the <a href="/documents/colavita-henry/colavita-henry-verbal-account-dec4-1968/">commander's full account</a> for detail.
1968-12-04
Casualty record
Binh Long Province, III Corps, RVN — War Zone C (Fishhook area / Saigon River corridor)
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