World War II Honoree

William T. Williams

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Coffeeville, Kansas

Honored By

Sandy Williams Stein

Relationship

Daughter

LIEUTENANT COMMANDER; UNIT: TORPEDO BOMBING SQUADRON 47 (VT-47); AWARDED ON: JUNE 29TH, 1946; ACTION: FOR EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM AS PILOT OF A TORPEDO-BOMBER IN TORPEDO SQUADRON FORTY SEVEN, ATTACHED TO THE USS BATAAN, IN ACTION AGAINST ENEMY JAPANESE FORCES OF THE JAPANESE HOME ISLAND OF KYUSHU, ON APRIL 7, 1945. LEADING HIS DIVISION IN A DARING STRIKE AGAINST MAJOR UNITS OF THE JAPANESE FLEET IN THE EAST CHINA SEA, HE PRESSED HOME REPEATED ATTACKS IN THE FACE OF INTENSE ANTI-AIRCRAFT FIRE AND GUNFIRE FROM ENEMY’S MAIN BATTERY SCORING A DIRECT HIT ON A HOSTILE BATTLESHIP, YAMATO, AND CONTRIBUTING TO ITS SUBSEQUENT SINKING. BY HIS EXPERT AIRMANSHIP, COURAGE AND DEVOTION TO DUTY THROUGHOUT THIS HAZARDOUS OPERATION, HE UPHELD THE HIGHEST TRADITIONS OF THE UNITED STATES NAVAL SERVICE.