Samuel Tankersley Williams
Encyclopedia
Samuel Tankersley Williams was a United States Army
Lieutenant General
. Williams became prominent in Army history for being reduced in rank from brigadier general
to colonel
, and then resuscitating his career to again advance to general officer rank. He also commanded the 25th Infantry Division during the Korean War
and served as commander of Military Assistance and Advisory Group – Vietnam, the predecessor to Military Assistance Command – Vietnam
.
. In May, 1916 he enlisted as a private
in the Texas National Guard
and took part in the expedition
against Pancho Villa
. In August, 1917 Williams completed the officers training course at Camp Bullis
, Leon Springs, Texas
and received his commission as a second lieutenant in the Officer Reserve Corps
.
. He took part in offensives including St. Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne, and Toul Sector
, receiving a serious wound while commanding a company.
He continued to serve in positions of increasing rank and responsibility during the 1920s and 1930s, including assignments with the 21st Infantry Regiment
in Hawaii
and the 29th Infantry Regiment at Fort Benning, Georgia. Williams was also an avid polo
player, and was a member of the Army team that won international championships in the 1920s.
Williams completed the Infantry Company Officers Course at Fort Benning
in 1926, and the Infantry Officer Advanced Course in 1931.
He graduated from the Army Command and General Staff College in 1936 and the Army War College in 1938.
.
Williams was then named assistant division commander of the 90th Infantry Division and took part in the D-Day
invasion, landing at Utah Beach
.
invasion, VII Corps commander Major General
Lawton Collins decided that the 90th Infantry Division was not performing satisfactorily in combat. As a result, he relieved division commander Brigadier General
Jay W. MacKelvie and two regimental commanders. MacKelvie’s successor, Eugene M. Landrum, was shortly afterwards involved in an altercation with Williams and requested his reduction in rank from brigadier general
to colonel
and reassignment to a staff position. Corps Commander Troy Middleton concurred, and the action was carried out.
After his reduction in rank Williams was named Training and Operations officer, G-3 for XXII Corps, planning and overseeing execution of missions in the European Theater of Operations
.
, also serving as acting commander of the of the 1st Infantry Division.
From 1950 to 1952 Williams served in the Operations and Training Office of the Army Field Forces
, at Fort Monroe, Virginia. In 1951 he was promoted again to Brigadier General
.
, earning the Distinguished Service Cross
and receiving promotion to Major General
.
in Japan
from 1953 to 1954.
From 1954 to 1955 Williams was commander of the IX Corps and deputy commander of the Eighth United States Army in South Korea
.
From January to September, 1955 Williams was commander of the Fourth United States Army at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, receiving promotion to Lieutenant General
.
, multiple awards of the Distinguished Service Medal
, the Soldiers Medal, the Bronze Star, and two awards of the Purple Heart
.
General Orders: Headquarters, Eighth U.S. Army, Korea Order: General Orders No. 710, (July 30, 1953) Action Date: July 15, 1953 Service: Army Rank: Major General Division: Commanding General, 25th Infantry Division
during his retirement. He died there on April 26, 1984 and was buried at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery
, Section Ai, site 646.
Hoover Institution
.
Samuel T. Williams was the subject of a biography, 1990’s Hanging Sam: a Military Biography of General Samuel T. Williams from Pancho Villa to Vietnam, by Harold J. Meyer.
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General (United States)
In the United States Army, the United States Air Force and the United States Marine Corps, lieutenant general is a three-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-9. Lieutenant general ranks above major general and below general...
. Williams became prominent in Army history for being reduced in rank from brigadier general
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
to colonel
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
, and then resuscitating his career to again advance to general officer rank. He also commanded the 25th Infantry Division during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
and served as commander of Military Assistance and Advisory Group – Vietnam, the predecessor to Military Assistance Command – Vietnam
Military Assistance Command, Vietnam
The U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, MACV, , was the United States' unified command structure for all of its military forces in South Vietnam during the Vietnam War.-History:...
.
Early life
Williams was born on August 25, 1897 in Denton, TexasDenton, Texas
The city of Denton is the county seat of Denton County, Texas in the United States. Its population was 119,454 according to the 2010 U.S. Census, making it the eleventh largest city in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex...
. In May, 1916 he enlisted as a private
Private (rank)
A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career...
in the Texas National Guard
Texas National Guard
The Texas National Guard consists of the Texas Army National Guard and the Texas Air National Guard. The Guard is administered by the adjutant general, an appointee of the governor of Texas. The Constitution of the United States specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal and state...
and took part in the expedition
Pancho Villa Expedition
The Pancho Villa Expedition—officially known in the United States as the Mexican Expedition and sometimes colloquially referred to as the Punitive Expedition—was a military operation conducted by the United States Army against the paramilitary forces of Mexican insurgent Francisco "Pancho" Villa...
against Pancho Villa
Pancho Villa
José Doroteo Arango Arámbula – better known by his pseudonym Francisco Villa or its hypocorism Pancho Villa – was one of the most prominent Mexican Revolutionary generals....
. In August, 1917 Williams completed the officers training course at Camp Bullis
Camp Bullis
Camp Bullis Military Training Reservation is a U.S. Army training camp located in Bexar County, Texas, just northwest of San Antonio, USA. The camp is named for Brigadier General John Lapham Bullis ,...
, Leon Springs, Texas
Leon Springs, Texas
Leon Springs is an unincorporated community in Bexar County, Texas, now partially within the limits of San Antonio.The region was settled in the mid-nineteenth century by German immigrants, most notably Johannes von Meusebach, George von Plehve, and Max Aue. Aue founded an inn which became the...
and received his commission as a second lieutenant in the Officer Reserve Corps
United States Army Reserve
The United States Army Reserve is the federal reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the reserve components of the United States Army....
.
World War I
From 1917 to 1919 Williams served with the 359th Infantry Regiment in FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. He took part in offensives including St. Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne, and Toul Sector
Toul
Toul is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France.It is a sub-prefecture of the department.-Geography:Toul is located between Commercy and Nancy, and situated between the Moselle River and the Canal de la Marne au Rhin....
, receiving a serious wound while commanding a company.
Post World War I
Williams was commissioned as a first lieutenant in the regular Army in 1920.He continued to serve in positions of increasing rank and responsibility during the 1920s and 1930s, including assignments with the 21st Infantry Regiment
21st Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 21st Infantry Regiment is a United States Army infantry regiment.-Lineage:*Constituted 3 May 1861 in the Regular Army as the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry*Organized 20 May 1862 at Fort Hamilton, New York...
in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
and the 29th Infantry Regiment at Fort Benning, Georgia. Williams was also an avid polo
Polo
Polo is a team sport played on horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Sometimes called, "The Sport of Kings", it was highly popularized by the British. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a...
player, and was a member of the Army team that won international championships in the 1920s.
Williams completed the Infantry Company Officers Course at Fort Benning
Fort Benning
Fort Benning is a United States Army post located southeast of the city of Columbus in Muscogee and Chattahoochee counties in Georgia and Russell County, Alabama...
in 1926, and the Infantry Officer Advanced Course in 1931.
He graduated from the Army Command and General Staff College in 1936 and the Army War College in 1938.
World War II
In 1943 Williams commanded the 378th Infantry Regiment and was promoted to brigadier generalBrigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
.
Williams was then named assistant division commander of the 90th Infantry Division and took part in the D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
invasion, landing at Utah Beach
Utah Beach
Utah Beach was the code name for the right flank, or westernmost, of the Allied landing beaches during the D-Day invasion of Normandy, as part of Operation Overlord on 6 June 1944...
.
Demotion
Shortly after the D-dayD-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
invasion, VII Corps commander Major General
Major general (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
Lawton Collins decided that the 90th Infantry Division was not performing satisfactorily in combat. As a result, he relieved division commander Brigadier General
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
Jay W. MacKelvie and two regimental commanders. MacKelvie’s successor, Eugene M. Landrum, was shortly afterwards involved in an altercation with Williams and requested his reduction in rank from brigadier general
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
to colonel
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
and reassignment to a staff position. Corps Commander Troy Middleton concurred, and the action was carried out.
After his reduction in rank Williams was named Training and Operations officer, G-3 for XXII Corps, planning and overseeing execution of missions in the European Theater of Operations
European Theater of Operations
The European Theater of Operations, United States Army was a United States Army formation which directed U.S. Army operations in parts of Europe from 1942 to 1945. It referred to Army Ground Forces, United States Army Air Forces, and Army Service Forces operations north of Italy and the...
.
Post World War II
In 1946 Williams was appointed commander of the 26th Infantry Regiment in West GermanyWest Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
, also serving as acting commander of the of the 1st Infantry Division.
From 1950 to 1952 Williams served in the Operations and Training Office of the Army Field Forces
Army Ground Forces
The Army Ground Forces were one of the three autonomous components of the Army of the United States during World War II, the others being the Army Air Forces and Army Service Forces. Throughout their existence, Army Ground Forces were the largest training organization ever established in the United...
, at Fort Monroe, Virginia. In 1951 he was promoted again to Brigadier General
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
.
Korean War
From 1952 to 1953 Williams commanded the 25th Infantry Division in KoreaKorea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
, earning the Distinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Service Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Army, for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. Actions that merit the Distinguished Service Cross must be of such a high degree...
and receiving promotion to Major General
Major general (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
.
Post Korean War
Williams commanded the XVI CorpsXVI Corps
XVI Corps can refer to:*XVI Corps , active in the First and Second World Wars*XVI Corps *XVI Corps *XVI Corps , a field corps of the Indian Army...
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
from 1953 to 1954.
From 1954 to 1955 Williams was commander of the IX Corps and deputy commander of the Eighth United States Army in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
.
From January to September, 1955 Williams was commander of the Fourth United States Army at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, receiving promotion to Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General (United States)
In the United States Army, the United States Air Force and the United States Marine Corps, lieutenant general is a three-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-9. Lieutenant general ranks above major general and below general...
.
Service in Vietnam
From 1955 until his 1960 retirement Williams commanded Military Assistance and Advisory Group – Vietnam, the first officer assigned to this position.Awards and decorations
General Williams received the Distinguished Service CrossDistinguished Service Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Army, for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. Actions that merit the Distinguished Service Cross must be of such a high degree...
, multiple awards of the Distinguished Service Medal
Distinguished Service Medal (Army)
The Distinguished Service Medal is a military award of the United States Army that is presented to any person who, while serving in any capacity with the United States military, has distinguished himself or herself by exceptionally meritorious service to the Government in a duty of great...
, the Soldiers Medal, the Bronze Star, and two awards of the Purple Heart
Purple Heart
The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York...
.
Citation for Distinguished Service Cross
The President of the United States of America, under the provisions of the Act of Congress approved July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Major General Samuel T. Williams, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the United Nations while serving as Commanding General of the 25th Infantry Division. Major General Williams distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action against enemy aggressor forces in the vicinity of Chu-Dong, Korea, on the morning of 15 July 1953. On that date, General Williams was advised of a large-scale enemy attack consisting of six hostile divisions and extending the width of the corps front. He immediately contacted all available sources of information in an effort to coordinate the defense. The reports he received were confused because of the scope of the battle, and General Williams realized that only through personal observation would he be able to secure the data he needed. Consequently, he flew in a helicopter to the scene of the battle. Dipping repeatedly to within a few feet of the hostile positions, General Williams noted the disposition of the foe without regard for the heavy fire directed against his craft. At one point, a bullet ripped through the plastic canopy of the helicopter, narrowly missing him. However, even this did not cause him to turn back. Instead, he passed again and again over the battle area until satisfied that he had gathered sufficient information upon which to base an effective defense. Only then did he return to his command post to plan and coordinate a counter operation which substantially reduced the fighting potential of the hostile force through the tremendous casualties they suffered.General Orders: Headquarters, Eighth U.S. Army, Korea Order: General Orders No. 710, (July 30, 1953) Action Date: July 15, 1953 Service: Army Rank: Major General Division: Commanding General, 25th Infantry Division
Retirement and death
General Williams lived in San Antonio, TexasSan Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
during his retirement. He died there on April 26, 1984 and was buried at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery
Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery
Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery in the city of San Antonio in Bexar County, Texas. It encompasses , and as of the end of 2008, had 120,982 interments.- History :...
, Section Ai, site 646.
Other
Williams’ papers are stored at Stanford University’sStanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
Hoover Institution
Hoover Institution
The Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace is a public policy think tank and library founded in 1919 by then future U.S. president, Herbert Hoover, an early alumnus of Stanford....
.
Samuel T. Williams was the subject of a biography, 1990’s Hanging Sam: a Military Biography of General Samuel T. Williams from Pancho Villa to Vietnam, by Harold J. Meyer.