Photo: Michelle’s paternal grandparents, Rose Hash (1923-1989) and Johnny Lee Williams (1925-2006) /
This article about the paternal grandfather of my wife, Michelle, was in the Corpus Christi Caller-Times on Feb. 19, 2005.
Dignitaries, friends, family salute Williams
BY SARA LEE FERNANDEZ
Caller-Times
Friday was the biggest birthday celebration Johnny Lee Williams has had in 80 years. He received France’s highest military and civilian honor in a ceremony that brought dignitaries, friends and family together at the Omni Bayfront Hotel.
And Mayor Loyd Neal named the day Johnny Lee Williams Day by proclamation.
“I want to thank you and the people of France and Corpus Christi for such a wonderful thing,” Williams said as a tearful smile spread across his face.
Williams was presented with the Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur, or Legion of Honor, by Denis Simonneau, consul general and head of the French trade office in Houston.
“You fought for the values shared by both our countries,” Simonneau said. “France does not forget and will never forget what people like Johnny did for us.”
“You fought for the values shared by both our countries,” Simonneau said. “France does not forget and will never forget what people like Johnny did for us.”
Simonneau said the medal was created in 1802, and is not given out often. He said Williams was honored for his many efforts and leadership during and after D-Day and at the Battle of the Bulge in France. It was at the Battle of the Bulge, during the winter of 1944-45, that Williams lost his right arm after it was shot off when he raised it to stop his men from marching over a mine.
Simonneau said Williams was one of 100 World War II veterans invited to the 60th anniversary celebration of D-Day in France to be honored. But because of health problems, Williams was unable to make it to France or to a D-Day celebration in Houston.
“He’s a hero,” said Alain Havage, Williams’ great-nephew. “I think he saved the whole country. He gave a lot and he lost his arm for the liberty of others.”
Havage, who traveled to Corpus Christi from Switzerland for the ceremony, initially wrote to the French government asking to have his great-uncle honored.
Williams’ wife, Jeanette, who was born in Paris, said it was soldiers like her husband who gave so much to so many.
“They saved France,” she said. “That is why we are all alive today.”
Photo caption: Crystal Petges of Chicago congratulates her great-grandfather Johnny Lee Williams on Friday after he was presented a medal by the consul general and head of the French trade office in Houston.
This article appeared in the Portland Sunday Oregonian on April 29, 1945.
Sergeant Given Lieutenant Bar
In ceremonies at Bushnell general hospital, Brigham City, Utah, where he is a patient, 23-year-old Tech. Sgt. Johnny Lee Williams, from Longview, Tex., received a battlefield promotion last week to second lieutenant.
His promotion was won by his leadership of an infantry platoon from France to the German border, where he was seriously wounded. Outstanding in the fighting was an epic stand by Williams’ battalion, part of the 83d division, in the German border village of Straub for five days early in January. A platoon leader, Williams was assigned with his men to defensive positions in the north end of the village, which was surrounded on the first day by the nazis, and heavily attacked. When the Americans ran out of ammunition, they used German equipment. Then their K rations gave out, and they lived by foraging.
When the Germans were repulsed, 28 of the 90 prisoners taken by the battalion were accounted for by Williams’ platoon.
The young Texan has been wounded three times since he landed in France last summer; twice on July 25 in Normandy.
His wife is the former Rose Hash, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Alvin Hash of Oregon City.
More about the life and career of Johnny Lee Williams can be found in this blog post.
For more of my genealogy research, visit rscottwilliams.info.
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