We are pleased to have Lt. Colonel James W. Williams as our guest speaker. He was just minutes from rescue after spending almost six hours on the ground avoiding capture after he and his F-4 Phantom co-pilot were shot down 25 miles from Hanoi, North Vietnam. When he popped smoke for his rescuers on May 20, 1972, the North Vietnamese militia got to him before his rescuers could drop down for his pickup.

Injured and marched for two days through North Vietnamese towns and country side, Lt. Colonel Williams ended up in the Hanoi Hilton prison camp. He lost 45 pounds in captivity, spending his first 40 days in solitary confinement. Listed as missing in action for the time that he was held as prisoner, Lt. Col. Williams was released as a POW on March 28, 1973, during Operation Homecoming.

Lt. Colonel Williams is a command fighter pilot with 3,100 flying hours in a variety of aircraft, such as the F-15 Eagle and KC-135 Tanker. He was on his 229th combat mission when he was taken prisoner.......

Born in Memphis, Tenn., the son of Isaac and Shirley Williams, Lt. Colonel Williams attended Douglas High School in Memphis and graduated from Tennessee State University with a Bachelor’s degree and a commission as a 2nd Lt. through the Air Force Reserve Officers Training Corps. program. He also has obtained two Master’s degrees in the human resources field from Pepperdine University and Central Michigan University.

Among his military decorations, Lt. Colonel Williams has earned four Distinguished Flying Cross Medals, a Bronze Star with the Valor device, two Purple Hearts, four Meritorious Service Medals, 15 Air Medals, an Army Commendation Medal and the Prisoner of War Medal. Lt. Colonel Williams retired from active duty in June 1995.

Today, Lt. Colonel Williams works for the DeKalb County, Georgia, school system as a senior aerospace science instructor, teaching Air Force Jr. ROTC at Tucker High School. He joined the school system after his military retirement. Lt. Colonel Williams is an active member in the community. He’s served in numerous positions with the Optimist Club at the national and local levels.

Lt. Colonel Williams has four grown children including; James W. Williams, Jr., twin daughters, LaRhonda and LaShonda, and his youngest son, Brandon.