Ralph Leroy Williams

The database page for Ralph Leroy Williams

DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY HEADQUARTERS, UNITED STATES ARMY VIETNAM APO San Francisco 96375 18 April 1968 GENERAL ORDERS NUMBER 1800 AWARD OF THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS 1. TC 320. The following AWARD is announced posthumously. WILLIAMS, RALPH L O5334184 FIRST LIEUTENANT INFANTRY HQ and HQ Company, 1st Bn (Mechanized), 5th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division, APO 962 Awarded: Distinguished Service Cross Date action: 14 February 1968 Theater: Republic of Vietnam Reason: For extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam: First Lieutenant Williams distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous action on 14 February 1968 as an infantry platoon leader while conducting a reconnaissance-in-force mission in enemy territory. The lead elements of his platoon were suddenly subjected to intense automatic weapons, small arms and recoilless rifle fire from heavily fortified North Vietnamese Army positions. Fearlessly exposing himself to the savage barrage, Lieutenant Williams rushed forward to reorganize his troops and evacuate casualties. While running to a farmhouse to assist a wounded platoon member, he was struck in the knee by enemy fire. He quickly treated his wound and began moving toward cover when he noticed that one of his machine gunners had been hit by tracer bullets, causing the soldier's clothing to burst into flames. Heedless of a raking curtain of hostile fire, Lieutenant Williams crawled across the bullet-swept terrain and removed the man's burning garments. Then, as he raised up to throw a smoke grenade at the North Vietnamese to screen the withdrawal of his troops, he was mortally wounded. First Lieutenant Williams' extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty, at the cost of his life, were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army. Authority: By direction of the President under the provisions of the Act of Congress, approved 25 July 1963. REMEMBERED by his comrades in the 5th Infantry Placed by a fellow Bobcat, Randy Kethcart randy@bobcat.ws 03 May 2003

15 Nov 2006 My name is Patrick Hansen. I am an Army ROTC cadet at the University of Texas. I appreciate tremendously the sacrifice that Ralph Williams made for his country. Patrick Hansen morphus76@yahoo.com

A Note from The Virtual Wall The 5th Infantry history contains the following entry for 14 Feb 1968: "On February 14, 1968, The battalion conducted RIF operations. Company B and Company C worked the area east of Hoc Mon. Company A worked the area 6 kilometers south of Hoc Mon. Companies B and C began blowing bunkers they encountered in their respective areas and discovered VC bodies, weapons, equipment, and a number of US weapons and documents. "At 1210 hours, Company C reported light contact with an unknown sized enemy force 2 kilometers northeast of Hoc Mon. The fight escalated and an APC from Company C was hit by an RPG and caught fire. Company C requested a dust-off for 3 wounded Bobcats at 1344 hours. At 1436 hours they reported one Bobcat killed. Company B and the Recon platoon reinforced the Company C elements. At 1631 hours, a dust-off was requested for three more wounded Bobcats. At 1800 hours, tank cannons and artillery were fired to cover an attempt to extract wounded from the contact area. At 1823 hours Company C requested a dust-off. Two wounded and one dead Bobcat were placed on this dust-off. At 1855 hours, Companies B and C set up a perimeter. All the wounded were dusted-off. At 2006 hours, it was reported that 6 Bobcats from Company C and one Bobcat from Company B were known to be dead, but that the bodies of six of them had not yet been recovered. "On February 15, 1968, an assault was planned into the area of Company C�s previous contact. ... At 1137 hours, five of the MIAs were located at XT 773046. ... At 1155 hours, the body of the 6th MIA was located in the burned APC at XT 770045." The seven men killed in the action were Bravo Company: SP4 Jose J. Santiago, New York, NY Charlie Company: 1LT David G. Isbell, Huntsville, TX 1LT Ralph L. Williams, Billings, MT (Dist Svc Cross) SGT Richard P. Vellance, Saginaw, MI SP4 Earl Mack, Cambridge, MD PFC David E. Keister, Reynoldsburg, OH PFC Roger G. Wilson, Oklahoma City, OK

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With all respect
Jim Schueckler, former CW2, US Army
Ken Davis, Commander, United States Navy (Ret)
Memorial first published on 3 May 2003
Last updated 08/10/2009