SGT. WILLIAM JAMES WILLIAMS

      Willard James Williams served as a Sergeant in the 304th Combat Engineers 79th Division, Europe. 

     "On June 2, 1942, my brother and I accepted Uncle Sam's invitation to join him.  We were taken to Jefferson Barracks for our physicals, shots and given our uniforms.

     "We got to go home for seven days and returned to Jefferson Barracks where we were assigned to the 79th Division.  I was assigned to the 304th Combat Engineers Battalion.  My brother was in the 312th Field Artillery. 

     "After intensive training, we were shipped to Boston to board ship for Europe.  Three other fellows and I went on as advanced guards on ship April 1, 1944 (1943?).  Seven days later they put M.P. band on my arm and I was to tell other soldiers where to go as they came on ship.  Imagine my surprise when I looked up and there was my brother.  We were happy to see each other. 

     "While on ship, we were together as much as possible.  When we landed in England, we saw each other occasionally while we were waiting for the D Day invasion.  Our advanced unit went in on Utah Beach six days after D Day.  They were still shelling and bombing there. 

     "We would see each other at times on our trip through France, Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg, Germany, Czechoslovakia and Austria.  I feel like this was really something for us to run into each other during the thick of battles. 

     "We both survived the war.  I came home in September of 1945 and my brother came home a month later.  Home sure looked good to us."