World War II Honoree

Andrew Leroy Williams, Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Jackson, Tennessee

Honored By

Andrew L. Williams III & Carolyn Williams Woodard

Relationship

Son & Daughter

RECEIVED HIS DRAFT NOTICE ON NOVEMBER 2, 1942, WHILE WORKING IN HASTINGS, NEBRASKA BUILDING AMMUNITION PLANTS. ENTERED ACTIVE MILITARY SERVICE WITH THE U.S. ARMY ON NOVEMBER 4, 1942. SERVED IN THE AMERICAN THEATER DURING THE WAR, AND PARTICIPATED IN THE AMERICAN CAMPAIGN. SENT TO FORT OGLETHORPE NEAR CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE FOR INDUCTION PROCESSING AND CLASSIFICATION. APPLIED, AND WAS SELECTED FOR AIRCREW TRAINING IN THE AVIATION CADET PROGRAM AS A PILOT. TRANSFERRED TO JEFFERSON BARRACKS AT BARNHART, MISSOURI FOR SOME 12 WEEKS AT THE BASIC MILITARY COURSE. THEN, WAS SENT TO THE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY AT LEXINGTON, WHERE HE TAUGHT SURVEYING AND PARTICIPATED IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ADVANCED LANDING FIELDS FOR LIGHT AIRPLANES. RETURNED TO JEFFERSON BARRACKS BEFORE BEING REASSIGNED TO MORNINGSIDE COLLEGE IN SIOUX CITY, IOWA FOR PREFLIGHT NON-FLYING CIVILIAN SCHOOLING. WHILE THERE, HE MADE HIS FIRST FLIGHT IN A PIPER L-4 (CIVILIAN J-3) ‘GRASSHOPPER’ LIGHT OBSERVATION AIRPLANE. UPON COMPLETION OF CIVILIAN SCHOOLING, REASSIGNED TO THE WESTERN TRAINING COMMAND AT SANTA ANA ARMY AIR BASE AT SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA. TOOK HIS PRIMARY FLYING SCHOOL TRAINING AT RYAN AERONAUTICAL FLIGHT SCHOOL NEAR HEMET, CALIFORNIA, WHERE HE SOLOED IN A FAIRCHILD PT-19 PRIMARY TRAINER MONOPLANE, AND ALSO FLEW THE RYAN PT-22 ‘RECRUIT’ TRAINER MONOPLANE. AFTER COMPLETION OF SOME 10 WEEKS OF GROUND AND FLYING TRAINING, WAS SENT TO MINTER FIELD AT BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA FOR BASIC FLYING SCHOOL. THERE, HE WAS CLASSIFIED FOR 2-ENGINE TRAINING AND FLEW CESSNA UC-78 (AT-17) ‘BOBCAT’ TWIN ENGINE ADVANCED TRAINER AIRCRAFT. UPON COMPLETION OF SOME 10 WEEKS OF BASIC GROUND AND FLYING TRAINING, HE WAS REASSIGNED TO LA JUNTA ARMY AIR FIELD AT LA JUNTA, COLORADO FOR ADVANCED FLYING TRAINING IN TWO-ENGINE TRAINER AIRCRAFT. WHILE ENGAGED IN TRAINING, HE WAS TEMPORARILY REMOVED FROM TRAINING AND DETAILED TO ACCOMPANY THE BODY OF A FELLOW AVIATION CADET TO MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE FOR BURIAL. UPON HIS RETURN TO LA JUNTA, BASED ON A REDUCED NEED FOR PILOTS, HE AND HALF OF HIS FLIGHT CLASS WERE INVOLUNTARILY REMOVED FROM FURTHER PILOT TRAINING. HE WAS REASSIGNED TO LOWRY FIELD AT DENVER, COLORADO FOR ENLISTED SPECIALTY AIRCREW TRAINING AS AN AIRPLANE ARMORER-GUNNER. THERE, HE SPENT SOME 20 WEEKS LEARNING THE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF AIRPLANE ARMAMENTS. THEN, TRANSFERRED TO HARLINGEN ARMY AIR FIELD AT HARLINGEN, TEXAS FOR AERIAL GUNNERY SCHOOL. THERE, HE FLEW ABOARD CONSOLIDATED B-24 ‘LIBERATOR’ HEAVY BOMBER AIRCRAFT DURING TRAINING. AS AN AIRCRAFT ARMORER-GUNNER, HE MAINTAINED AND REPAIRED ARMAMENT, INCLUDING GUNS, GUNSIGHTS, TURRETS, AND BOMB RACKS. ALSO MANNED A MACHINE GUN POSITION IN FLIGHT WHEN THERE WAS A THREAT FROM ENEMY AIRCRAFT. REASSIGNED TO HENDRICKS FIELD AT SEBRING, FLORIDA WHERE HE GUARDED HEAVY BOMBER AIRCRAFT, INCLUDING BOEING B-17 ‘FLYING FORTRESS’ HEAVY BOMBERS UNTIL PRESIDENT TRUMAN PROCLAIMED VICTORY OVER JAPAN (V-J) DAY ON SEPTEMBER 2, 1945. FOLLOWING THE END OF THE WAR, HE WAS REASSIGNED TO THE U.S. ARMY FINANCE SCHOOL AT FORT BENJAMIN HARRISON AT INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, AND THEN TO RANDOLPH FIELD AT SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS WHERE HE PERFORMED DUTIES AS A FLIGHT ENGINEER. AS AN AERIAL ENGINEER, HE CHECKED THE AIRCRAFT BEFORE FLIGHT, MADE REPAIRS AND ADJUSTMENTS IN FLIGHT TO CORRECT MECHANICAL PROBLEMS, AND ASSISTED IN THE OPERATION OF FLIGHT CONTROLS, POWER PLANT COMPONENTS AND OTHER EQUIPMENT. AWARDED THE GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. ALSO AWARDED ENLISTED AIRCREW MEMBER WINGS AND THE TECHNICIAN QUALIFICATION BADGE WITH ‘AIRPLANE ARMORER’ QUALIFICATION BAR. HONORABLY DISCHARGED AT FORT MCPHERSON AT ATLANTA, GEORGIA ON FEBRUARY 18, 1946, WITH THE RANK OF SERGEANT AND ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON. TRAVELLED TO HIS HOMETOWN OF JACKSON, TENNESSEE BY TRAIN AFTER HIS DISCHARGE TO A JOYOUS REUNION WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS.