William Frank Williams – Colonel, United States Army

From a contemporary press report:

William Frank “Bill” Williams, 72, a retired Army colonel and former Arlington resident who also was an executive with a national nonprofit agency that promotes job training for people with severe disabilities, died of cancer May 30, 2000 at his home in Garland, Texas.

Colonel Williams’s 33-year military career included combat duty in the Korean War as an infantry platoon and company commander. A former paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division who also piloted fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, he served in the Vietnam War as an aviation company commander and commander of the 210th Combat Aviation Battalion.

Other assignments included tours with the Army Development Readiness Command in Alexandria and as deputy project manager in a program to modernize Saudi Arabia’s national guard.

Upon retiring from active duty in 1981, he joined National Industries for the Severely Handicapped in Vienna as assistant vice president for development and technical support. He retired from there in 1992 and moved to Texas six years later.

Colonel Williams, who lived in Arlington from 1966 to 1998, was born in Carmichael, Miss. He was a history graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi and received a master’s degree in contract and procurement management from the Florida Institute of Technology. He also attended the Command and General Staff College and the Industrial College of Armed Forces.

Survivors include his wife of 49 years, Donna Williams of Garland; six children, Grace Williams of Arlington, Diana Stewart of Charlottesville, Va., Janet Hillenbrand of Portsmouth, R.I., Carol Williams of Colorado Springs, David Williams of Reston and Robert Williams of Garland; two brothers; two sisters; 12 grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

WILLIAMS, WILLIAM F. ”Bill” (Age 72)
Colonel, United States Army (Ret.)

On Tuesday May 30, 2000, of Garland, TX, formerly of Arlington, VA, beloved husband of 49 years to Donna Williams; loving father of Grace L. Williams of Arlington, VA, Diana Stewart of Charlottesville, VA, Janet Hillenbrand of Portsmouth, RI, Carol Williams of Colorado Springs, CO, David L. Williams of Reston, VA and Robert F. Williams of Garland, TX; grandfather of 12, great-grandfather of six. Also surviving are his siblings, Raynard Williams of Novato, CA, and Algie Williams, Doris Gipson and Dorothy Lafferty, all of Quipman, MS.  Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at the Ft. Myer Old Post Chapel on Thursday, June 15, 10:45 a.m. Interment with Full Military Honors, Arlington National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in his memory to The International Myeloma Foundation, 12650 Riverside Dr., #206, North Hollywood, CA 91607.

Michael Robert Patterson

Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.

Reviewed by: Michael Howard