“We will be known for our deeds”. Lieutenant General Willie Williams, born on December 17th, 1951, grew up in lower Alabama. His success has been in spite of his childhood. General Williams grew up as a welfare student, his childhood was heavily family oriented due to his 4 other siblings who were all raised by a single mother. He attended a segregated school, his school supplies consisted of torn books and hand me downs from the county, fortunately,  his graduation here was followed by integration. Following high school, the general attended college and ultimately enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, where he served 40 years on active duty. During his 1974 graduation from Stillman College, he was the first in its history to be commissioned as a second lieutenant. 

“To be a true leader, it’s about caring for those who you’ve been charged with leading”. General Williams stated this whilst discussing a traumatic part of his career. During Operation Ernest Wheel, he was deployed to the Persian Gulf where his duty was to protect ships providing oil. Eventually, his platoon came across Vietnamese refugees, floating in the waters on a measly ship. They felt an obligation to help them, to provide them food and water. However, there was one particular Navy officer whose only objective was to become admiral who was helping with this situation. He gave other soldiers orders to shake off the Vietnamese who were trying to climb the ship, essentially killing them. General Williams still thinks he suffers from PTSD from this, “...because it was neither biblical nor spiritual, rather flat out wrong”. The surviving refugees ended up resorting to cannibalism to survive, thankfully, another ship took them to The Philippines, and news spread so the officer never got admiral. However many soldiers still suffered from trauma, so General Williams led and cared for them by starting a bible study, where they worshiped alongside him. The general stated that he truly believed his career was God’s doing. 

“Titles do not define who you are, they define what you do”.  General Williams was the 3rd African American to make 3 star general in the history of the Marine Corps. Despite this, his outlook and inspiring mindset keeps him humble. His career consists of astonishing milestones, including his position as Chief of Staff, Director of Staff, and being third in line of command. He also participated in the presidential inauguration of Bush and Obama, and despite all his recognition, he continued his pursuit of serving others. Whilst Obama was in office, the General received approval to give congressional gold medals to 400 Montford Point Marines, the first African American Marines who were allowed to serve, in Washington DC. General Williams believed in listening to everyone, as long as they had something to say, even if they were below his rank. Eventually, down in Moundville, Alabama, there is a street named after General Williams, near the area he grew up and went to church. He is recognized as a history maker, and his works and stories are in the Library of Congress and the National Museum of African American History. 

“If you are prepared, opportunities will present themselves to you, and that’s what education is”. The General emphasizes his belief in prioritizing education. He states, “In the military, you are called on to answer some hard questions. In education, you learn discernment- how to listen to different things and make a judgement. To make a final decision, you spend a lot of time in a period of discernment”. General Williams believes that education is one of the bedrocks of making a decision which would create attention. In addition, he holds a strong trust in the youth of today to make a change in the world, so long as we pursue education and progression. Today, we see a number of people who prioritize athletics over schoolwork, especially in high school in the south. However, the General is inspired as he sees professional athletes who retire and return to University to acquire degrees. He also considers himself a “life long learner”. At the moment, he is taking saxophone lessons through the University of Alabama at Huntsville. He does so because “... it doesn’t matter where you come from, you can always progress and achieve. If you stop progressing and achieving, you stop growing”. 

“We’re gonna be alright”. Regardless of all the negativity seen about our generation all over the media, such as condescending statements about our dependence on technology, General Williams is confident in the youth of today’s determination and ability to share their voices and spread awareness. He states that he is “...certain the youth will step forward in leadership and help us further develop our nation. If you have the willingness, tenacity, and ability to think through issues and situations, you will apply it to everyday life and improve”. One last piece of advice he wishes to leave with us is “Always remember to shine your shoes”. This displays the General’s emphasis on the importance of a first impression, how it can lead to further and better opportunities. At last, he concludes his discussion addressing the heavy subject of the circumstances we face in the United States today. He says, “‘We the people’ collectively is who America is. We are going through a period that is against diversity, however I have lived a long life, and this too shall pass”. 

This Article was edited by Amaan Musani.