Criteria The Navy Good Conduct Medal (NGCM) is a decoration presented by the United States Navy to recognize members who have completed three years of honorable service. Medals awarded before January 1, 1996 r... The Navy Good Conduct Medal (NGCM) is a decoration presented by the United States Navy to recognize members who have completed three years of honorable service. Medals awarded before January 1, 1996 required four years of service. MoreHide
Worst Moment
He said heâ??ll also never forget what happened when he went aboard the heavy cruiser USS Des Moines in 1950 as a young chief petty officer. Thatâ??s a bad memory.
When he reported aboard, his belongings were supposed to be taken to the chiefâ??s quarters, but he found them in a passageway. Williams rushed back to the quarterdeck and asked the messenger, "Sailor, where did you put my gear?"
"In the chiefâ??s quarters," the messenger answered.
Bypassing the officer of the deck, Williams complained to the executive officer, who told him, "Weâ??re not having any trouble on this ship, so weâ??re going to give you a billet in officerâ??s country."
"I told him, 'Iâ??m not an officer,' and asked to see the commanding officer," Williams said. "The captain called all the chiefs together and asked, 'Who set Chief Williamsâ?? gear out in the passageway?'
"A chief bosun's mate from South Carolina yelled, 'I did, cap'n. I havenâ??t slept with them all these years and Iâ??m not going to sleep with them now.'
"No one else said anything," Williams recalled. "The captain told the chief, â??You take your gear and go down to the first class quarters.â??"
Later, the chief made the mistake of picking a fight with the former pugilist.
"I did a pretty good job on him," Williams said. "He told everybody he fell down a hatch. About a month later, he came to talk to me and turned out to be my best friend. He said he thought all black people didnâ??t do a damn thing in South Carolina but get drunk on Saturdays. That was the impression he had of me.
Criteria The Navy Good Conduct Medal (NGCM) is a decoration presented by the United States Navy to recognize members who have completed three years of honorable service. Medals awarded before January 1, 1996 r... The Navy Good Conduct Medal (NGCM) is a decoration presented by the United States Navy to recognize members who have completed three years of honorable service. Medals awarded before January 1, 1996 required four years of service. MoreHide
Criteria The National Defense Service Medal is awarded for honorable active service as a member of the Armed Forces during the Korean War, Vietnam War, the war against Iraq in the Persian Gulf, and for service... The National Defense Service Medal is awarded for honorable active service as a member of the Armed Forces during the Korean War, Vietnam War, the war against Iraq in the Persian Gulf, and for service during the current War on Terrorism. In addition, all members of the National Guard and Reserve who were part of the Selected Reserve in good standing between August 2, 1990, to November 30, 1995, are eligible for the National Defense Service Medal. In the case of Navy personnel, Midshipment attending the Naval Academy during the qualifying periods are eligible for this award, and Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) Midshipmen ae only eligible if they participated in a summer cruise that was in an area which qualified for a campaign medal. MoreHide
Criteria The Navy Good Conduct Medal (NGCM) is a decoration presented by the United States Navy to recognize members who have completed three years of honorable service. Medals awarded before January 1, 1996 r... The Navy Good Conduct Medal (NGCM) is a decoration presented by the United States Navy to recognize members who have completed three years of honorable service. Medals awarded before January 1, 1996 required four years of service. MoreHide
Criteria The Navy Good Conduct Medal (NGCM) is a decoration presented by the United States Navy to recognize members who have completed three years of honorable service. Medals awarded before January 1, 1996 r... The Navy Good Conduct Medal (NGCM) is a decoration presented by the United States Navy to recognize members who have completed three years of honorable service. Medals awarded before January 1, 1996 required four years of service. MoreHide
Criteria The Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal was awarded for for qualifying service within the Asiatic-Pacific Theater of Operations between December 7, 1941, and March 2, 1946, under any of the following condi... The Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal was awarded for for qualifying service within the Asiatic-Pacific Theater of Operations between December 7, 1941, and March 2, 1946, under any of the following conditions: On permanent assignment within the Asiatic-Pacific Theater; or, For service in a passenger status or on temporary duty for 30 consecutive days or 60 non-consecutive days; or, For service in active combat in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater of Operations against the enemy and awarded a combat decoration or furnished a certificate by the commanding general of a corps, higher unit, or independent force that the individual actually participated in combat. MoreHide
Criteria
The World War II Victory Medal commemorates military service during the Second World War.
Description Williams said he was involved in many battles, including the Battle of Midway aboard the Enterprise, but the only time he was wounded was when enemy rounds slammed into the USS Salamonie. He suffered ... Williams said he was involved in many battles, including the Battle of Midway aboard the Enterprise, but the only time he was wounded was when enemy rounds slammed into the USS Salamonie. He suffered shrapnel wounds, but refused treatment because "there were people laying on the deck."
"I didnâ??t get a Purple Heart because I didnâ??t ask for one -- the medal didnâ??t matter to me," he noted. MoreHide
Description The plan of the Pacific subseries was determined by the geography, strategy, and the military organization of a theater largely oceanic. Two independent, coordinate commands, one in the Southwest PaciThe plan of the Pacific subseries was determined by the geography, strategy, and the military organization of a theater largely oceanic. Two independent, coordinate commands, one in the Southwest Pacific under General of the Army Douglas MacArthur and the other in the Central, South, and North Pacific (Pacific Ocean Areas) under Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, were created early in the war. Except in the South and Southwest Pacific, each conducted its own operations with its own ground, air, and naval forces in widely separated areas. These operations required at first only a relatively small number of troops whose efforts often yielded strategic gains which cannot be measured by the size of the forces involved. Indeed, the nature of the objectivesùsmall islands, coral atolls, and jungle-bound harbors and airstrips, made the employment of large ground forces impossible and highlighted the importance of air and naval operations. Thus, until 1945, the war in the Pacific progressed by a double series of amphibious operations each of which fitted into a strategic pattern developed in Washington.... More
Criteria The Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal was awarded for for qualifying service within the Asiatic-Pacific Theater of Operations between December 7, 1941, and March 2, 1946, under any of the following condi... The Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal was awarded for for qualifying service within the Asiatic-Pacific Theater of Operations between December 7, 1941, and March 2, 1946, under any of the following conditions: On permanent assignment within the Asiatic-Pacific Theater; or, For service in a passenger status or on temporary duty for 30 consecutive days or 60 non-consecutive days; or, For service in active combat in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater of Operations against the enemy and awarded a combat decoration or furnished a certificate by the commanding general of a corps, higher unit, or independent force that the individual actually participated in combat. MoreHide
Criteria The Navy Good Conduct Medal (NGCM) is a decoration presented by the United States Navy to recognize members who have completed three years of honorable service. Medals awarded before January 1, 1996 r... The Navy Good Conduct Medal (NGCM) is a decoration presented by the United States Navy to recognize members who have completed three years of honorable service. Medals awarded before January 1, 1996 required four years of service. MoreHide
Criteria The American Campaign Medal was awarded for For thirty days service outside the Continental United States but within the American Theater of Operations between December 7, 1941, and March 2, 1946; or,... The American Campaign Medal was awarded for For thirty days service outside the Continental United States but within the American Theater of Operations between December 7, 1941, and March 2, 1946; or, an aggregate service of one year within the Continental United States during the same period under the following circumstances: On permanent assignment outside the continental limits of the United States; or, On permanent assignment as a member of a crew of a vessel sailing ocean waters for a period of 30 consecutive days or 60 non-consecutive days; or, For service outside the continental limits of the United States in a passenger status or on temporary duty for 30 consecutive days or 60 non consecutive days; or, For service in active combat against the enemy and awarded a combat decoration or furnished a certificate by the commanding general of a corps, higher unit, or independent force that the individual actually participated in combat; or, For service within the continental limits of the United States for an aggregate period of one year. MoreHide
Best Moment
During World War II, Williams was a steward aboard the USS Enterprise, which he calls one of the greatest ships in the Navy at that time. When fighting erupted, he said, his battle station was "pyrotechnic engineer" -- "fuzing bombs and making smoke." "The only other thing I did was work as a storekeeper," he said. "They forgot about you being a steward in those days." The only thing that mattered, he said, was whether you could do the job -- whatever was needed at the time. Williams still treasures his service aboard the Enterprise as his best career memories. "I�??ll never forget how the guys cooperated -- no color line or any of that stuff," he said. "You went to your battle station, no matter what your special duties were. Discipline was hard."
Other Memories
Williams said he was involved in many battles, including the Battle of Midway aboard the Enterprise. Williams served with Fighting Squadron Six aboard the carrier USS Enterprise.
Criteria The American Defense Service Medal was awarded for service in the Armed Forces between September 8, 1939, and December 7, 1941. Army members had to serve 12 months to be eligible, but Navy and Marine ... The American Defense Service Medal was awarded for service in the Armed Forces between September 8, 1939, and December 7, 1941. Army members had to serve 12 months to be eligible, but Navy and Marine Corps members were eligible based on any length of service. MoreHide
Criteria The Navy Good Conduct Medal (NGCM) is a decoration presented by the United States Navy to recognize members who have completed three years of honorable service. Medals awarded before January 1, 1996 r... The Navy Good Conduct Medal (NGCM) is a decoration presented by the United States Navy to recognize members who have completed three years of honorable service. Medals awarded before January 1, 1996 required four years of service. MoreHide
He said heâ??ll also never forget what happened when he went aboard the heavy cruiser USS Des Moines in 1950 as a young chief petty officer. Thatâ??s a bad memory.
When he reported aboard, his belongings were supposed to be taken to the chiefâ??s quarters, but he found them in a passageway. Williams rushed back to the quarterdeck and asked the messenger, "Sailor, where did you put my gear?"
"In the chiefâ??s quarters," the messenger answered.
Bypassing the officer of the deck, Williams complained to the executive officer, who told him, "Weâ??re not having any trouble on this ship, so weâ??re going to give you a billet in officerâ??s country."
"I told him, 'Iâ??m not an officer,' and asked to see the commanding officer," Williams said. "The captain called all the chiefs together and asked, 'Who set Chief Williamsâ?? gear out in the passageway?'
"A chief bosun's mate from South Carolina yelled, 'I did, cap'n. I havenâ??t slept with them all these years and Iâ??m not going to sleep with them now.'
"No one else said anything," Williams recalled. "The captain told the chief, â??You take your gear and go down to the first class quarters.â??"
Later, the chief made the mistake of picking a fight with the former pugilist.
"I did a pretty good job on him," Williams said. "He told everybody he fell down a hatch. About a month later, he came to talk to me and turned out to be my best friend. He said he thought all black people didnâ??t do a damn thing in South Carolina but get drunk on Saturdays. That was the impression he had of me.