A LOOK BACK: KAPPA HISTORY
before he was captured. He said he was marched through the jungle and villages nude, and held in captivity for 313 days in one of the North Vietnam prison camps, the H`a Lò Prison, infamously known as the “Hanoi Hilton”. The H`a Lò name is loosely translated as “hell hole” and was originally used by the French colonists in Vietnam for political prisoners, and later by North Vietnam for U.S. POWs. There was a total a 269 American and enemy aircraft shot down in air-to-air combat over Vietnam during the war. Williams said there were 616 POWs and only 16 of them were Black, including himself. He stated upon his arrival there, he spent 40 days in solitary confinement, in an attempt to break his silence. The Vietnamese kept him and the other newly captured POWs (1970-72) separated from the other POWs who had been in captivity for several years prior. He stated they kept the newly captured POWs isolated from the older POWs so information could not be shared about the current circumstances. John McCain (Sen. R-AZ) was also a prisoner at the “Hanoi Hilton” (1967- 1973). Williams did not meet McCain during his captivity. He stated he was carried as Missing in Action (MIA) the entire time of his captivity because the Vietnamese designated him as having a “bad attitude” during his interrogations. Williams said he had to endure several physical acts of brutality while being in- terrogated by the Vietnamese. Williams said that other POWs who were more compliant than he was were able to write home. He stated the Vietnamese also tried to create dissention and racial discord among the Black and White POWs. He stated in spite of the physi- cal cruelty and torment they inflicted upon him, he remained true to his train- ing to only provide his name, rank, date of birth and serial number. Williams said that when Henry Kiss- inger (then assistant to the President for National Security Affairs) met with representatives of North Vietnam, they believed an agreement was eminent and the Vietnamese allowed the new and old
POWs to meet and communicate with one another. He stated the peace talk fell apart in December 1972. American military forces from South Vietnam were withdrawn during “Operation Homecoming” with the signing of the Paris Peace Accords, January 27, 1973. Williams stated that initially his name wasn’t on the list of POWs since he was designated as MIA. Williams said that his wife contacted General James and he was able to verify that he was not MIA, but rather a POW in the “Hanoi Hilton” and arranged his release. He was among the last to leave March 28, 1973. He was briefly hospitalized to re- cover from his injuries and returned to service as a pilot with Tactical Fighter Squadrons (1976-1981), as an Air Liaison Officer (1981-1983), Chief of Safety with the 1 st Tactical Fighter Wing (1983-1986), then as Senior Controller with the 4440 th Aircraft Delivery Group (1986-1989). Williams then served as a Professor of Aerospace Science and as Commander of the Air Force ROTC detachment at Alabama State University (1989-1992), then as Chief of Social Actions for the 42 nd Air Base Wing from 1992 until his retirement from the Air Force on July 1, 1995. Following his retirement from the Air Force, Williams dedicated the next 20 years teaching as the Senior Aerospace Science Instruc- tor at Tucker High School in Tucker, Georgia (1995-2015). Being an advocate of education, Wil- liams acquired two Master degrees, one in the discipline of Human Resources Management from Pepperdine Uni- versity (1978) and another in the field of Personal Management from Central Michigan University (1979). Williams proudly boasts of children, James W. Williams, Jr., identical twin daughters LaRhonda Williams and LaShonda Daniels and Brandon Williams (Nash- ville (TN) Alumni 2009). He and his son Brandon are both Life Members of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. Williams is a member of 54 years, currently with the Atlanta (GA) Alumni Chapter. He is a member of the Optimist International
(Club and District Levels) service orga- nization, the Atlanta Chapter of the TSU Alumni Association and the Department of Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee on Former Prisoners of War. In recognition of his illustrious lifetime of service, Williams has been recognized by several organizations, including: the 33 rd Grand Polemarch- Distinguished Military Service Award, Certification of Honor by the state of Georgia and the Northlake Rotary Club (Atlanta, GA). Chief among his honors are his military service awards and deco- rations. The US Air Force has bestowed 58 awards/decorations upon him; the most honorable among them includes: four Distinguished Flying Cross Med- als, a Bronze Star Medal with ‘V’ device for Valor, two Purple Heart Medals, four Meritorious Service Medals, 15 Air Medals, an Air Force Commendation Medal, an Army Commendation Medal and a Prisoner of War Medal. Williams returned to the place of his captivity, 46 years later, from October 30-November 9, 2019. The trip was sponsored by the Valor Administration, an organization dedicated to supporting U.S. military veterans as they transition from combat to life at home. Williams stated the trip was a cathartic way of healing old wounds. Today, most of the prison has either been demolished or refurbished into a hotel and museum. Williams toured the portion of the prison that remains and sat in a cell like the one he was held as a POW and vis- ited with the widow of the Vietnamese soldier who shot him down. Williams attributes his achievements to his faith in God, the love and support of his family and friends, as well as the tenets of hard work, tenacity and the power of prayer. We salute this noble Kappa man for his service to this coun- try and his sacrifices for our freedom.
Opposite page, with 30 th Grand Polemarch Samuel C. Hamilton and 27 th Grand Polemarch Robert L. Harris, Esq..
94 | WINTER 2019 ♦ THE JOURNAL
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