WILLIAMS, JAMES WESLEY

Name: James Wesley Williams
Rank/Branch: United States Air Force/03
Unit: 432nd Reconnaissance Wing at Udorn AFB
Date of Birth: 31 August 1944 Memphis TN
Home City of Record: Memphis TN
Date of Loss: 20 May 1972
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 205700 North 1051100 East
Status (in 1973): Returnee
Category:
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: F4D
Missions: 228
Other Personnel in Incident:
Refno:

Source: Compiled by P.O.W. NETWORK from one or more of the following: raw
data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA
families, published sources, interviews.

REMARKS: 730328 RELEASED BY DRV

SOURCE: WE CAME HOME copyright 1977
Captain and Mrs. Frederic A Wyatt (USNR Ret), Barbara Powers Wyatt, Editor
P.O.W. Publications, 10250 Moorpark St., Toluca Lake, CA 91602
Text is reproduced as found in the original publication (including date and
spelling errors).

JAMES W. WILLIAMS
Captain - United States Air Force
Shot Down: May 20, 1972
Released: March 28, 1973

I was born in Memphis, Tennessee on August 31, 1944 to Mr. and Mrs. Isaac T.
Williams. I have three sisters and one brother. I am a 1962 graduate of
Douglas High School and a 1967 graduate of Tennessee A & I State University,
Nashville. I was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the USAF on April 30,
1967.

I was stationed at the following bases: Travis AFB, California from December
1967 to January 1968; Laughlin AFB, Texas from January 1969 to December
1969; Mather AFB, California from February 1970 to November 1970. From
December 1970 to June 1971 I was stationed at George AFB, California for
upgrading in the F-4D Phantom. Upon graduating I was awarded the Outstanding
Navigator Award.

June 29, 1971 I was assigned to the 432nd Reconnaissance Wing at Udorn AFB,
Thailand where I flew an F-4D Phantom with the Triple Nickel Squadron. May
20, 1972 I was flying my 228th combat mission when I was shot down over
North Vietnam. I was a POW in the "Hanoi Hilton" for ten months and seven
days.

Two of the happiest days of my life were March 28,1973 when I boarded
"freedom bird," the C141 that flew us home and when I saw my beautiful wife,
Beatrice, and my eight year old son, James Jr., both of whom I had not heard
from during the entire period of my captivity.

December 1996
James Williams retired from the United States Air Force in 1995 as
a Lt. Colonel. He and Beatrice reside in Georgia.

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