Robert H. Williams

Robert Hugh Williams (c. 1908 – February 15, 1983) was a highly decorated United States Marine Corps brigadier general. He was one of the first Paramarine officers and was awarded the Navy Cross during the battle of Gavutu.

Early life and career Robert H. Williams was born circa 1908 in Arbor Vitae, Wisconsin. In 1929, Williams graduated from Ohio State University and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps. During the 1930s, he was stationed in Shanghai, China with the 4th Marine Regiment.

Paramarines When the Paramarines were formed in October 1940, Captain Williams became one of the first officers to graduate from parachute training. On March 22, 1941, he assumed command of the newly formed 2nd Parachute Company in San Diego, California. The 2nd Parachute Company was redesignated as Company A, 2nd Parachute Battalion, before moving to Quantico, Virginia in the summer of 1941.

The 2nd Battalion merged with the 1st Parachute Battalion and Captain Williams assumed command of a second company. Williams had his two companies conduct many conditioning hikes and calisthenic exercises, as he believed the paratroopers were a "new form of infantry." A reporter from Time magazine noted the Paramarines looked tougher than typical Marine infantry units.

The battalion executive officer, Major Charles A. Miller assumed command and the Paramarines eventually secured Gavutu by 1800. That night, the wounded, to include Major Williams, were evacuated from the island. For his actions during the battle, Williams was awarded the Navy Cross. The regiment's last training jump was conducted at night by the 2nd Battalion in May. It went poorly however, as the planes flew off course into a hilly, wooded area during which one Paramarine was killed. Williams final assignment was as the commandant of the Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C. Williams retired from the Marines in 1956 and was advanced to the rank of brigadier general.

Williams later earned a master's degree in political science from the University of Wisconsin. He then became a senior researcher at the Brookings Institution and a military affairs consultant for the Department of Defense. Williams focused on studying counter-insurgency warfare, traveling around the world to countries including Vietnam, Thailand, and Iran, before retiring in 1970.

Robert H. Williams died of cancer on February 15, 1983, at his home near Wales, Wisconsin.