World War II vet celebrates 100th birthday
Albert Williams, 100, wrote frequent letters home during World War II — to his parents in St. Clair Shores, his siblings, friends, and a girlfriend.
In a book written and compiled by his daughter Becky Sroda called “Falling Down for the Count — The Letters & Diaries of Albert Williams from 1943-1945,” he talked about KP duty, washing his own Army uniforms, classmates at Lakeshore High School, his “Lucky Strikes,” and how the spaghetti wherever he was stationed was never as good as his Italian mother’s.
His chatty, conversational writing took on a different and somber style in his diary as he chronicled his duties in Europe. There, he did what he trained for — climbed into the gunner’s seat to defend a B-17G aircraft and its crew as it bombarded German military targets.
Williams turned 100 on Thursday and is celebrating with family and friends on Saturday at the Veterans of Foreign Wars post of which he is a member, Bruce Post 1146 in St. Clair Shores.
World War II officially ended Sept. 2, 1945, nearly 77 years ago.
“Some parts are still very vivid in my mind,” Williams said.
“He is quite a remarkable guy,” local military historian Steven Mrozek said. “Being able to get to 100 is quite an accomplishment. He made it in spite of some things that happened to him during the war.
“Al trained as an aircraft mechanic and as a gunner. In 1943, Technical Sergeant Al Williams was assigned to the 751st Bomb Squadron of the 457th Bomb Group, part of the 8th Air Force in England,” Mrozek said. “He participated in 15 bombing missions over Germany, all from which his plane and crew returned to England.”
Williams had a premonition, bad feelings, just prior to his last mission as the flight engineer and top turret gunner.
“His 16th mission was on Nov. 30, 1944. The objective was a synthetic oil plant at Borne, Germany,” Mrozek said.
The aircraft was named “Hamtramak Mamma,” spelled differently from the City of Hamtramck.
Just after releasing its bombs, the squadron came under anti-aircraft attack, was hit, and the pilot ordered the crew to bail out at more than 7,000 feet.
Williams landed in a plowed field. His boots came off in the jump. He was able to surrender to German soldiers while angry farmers, armed with pitchforks and axes, hunted for crewmen.
He was sent to Luft Stalag 1, a prison camp near Barth, Germany, specifically for captured flyers and air crew.
“Al had never jumped from an airplane before. It’s the most unnatural thing in the world to do that,” Mrozek, a former paratrooper, said. “He remembered his training and just bent forward and rolled out, and he remembered that you have to fall quite a ways away from the aircraft before you open your chute.
“The Germans knew everything about him. They really had a lot of resources here in the United States. They knew a lot about American crew members,” Mrozek said.
The German who interrogated Williams had worked as a butcher in Brooklyn, NY and he spoke perfect English. Over and over, Williams only gave his name, rank and serial number.
Williams spoke of his interrogator in his daughter’s 2003 book:
“He showed his disgust by calling for the guard, who immediately left his position at the door and walked up behind me, stood silent for a while then cocked his rifle. Adrenaline surged through my body. Every hair on the back of my neck stood on end and I broke out in a cold sweat. I thought he was going to shoot me in the back of the head. All my muscles tensed, my heart picked up its pace as I waited to feel the bullet. But he didn’t shoot me. He poked the rifle into my back and shoved me out of the chair then led me back to my depressing dark cell. My legs felt like rubber walking back and I was feeling weary of the adrenaline surges, disgusted with myself for being so afraid, and angry with the damn Germans for making me feel like I wanted to beg for my life.”
The prison camp was liberated six months later by Russians who ran down the camp fences with a tank. The prisoners had heard over their forbidden and hidden radio that Hitler was dead.
Williams weighed 99 pounds, about 35 pounds less than his normal weight. Though emaciated, weak and nearly starved, Williams ventured into the town of Barth.
“Al was wandering around trying to find something to eat,” Mrozek said. “The Germans were really afraid of the Russians and what they would do to them. There were whole families who killed themselves before the Russians got there, raping and murdering, and everything like that. The Russians really haven’t changed.
“He encountered a Russian soldier who insisted that he share a drink of vodka with him. The experience brought tears to his eyes and a burning sensation to his throat. He prefers to celebrate (his 100th birthday) with a chardonnay,” Mrozek said.
His early birthday present from Mrozek, director of the Selfridge Air Museum, is an Air Medal and Aerial Gunners Wings. He was awarded the nation’s Prisoner of War Medal at a ceremony at Selfridge
Air National Guard Base in 1989.
Williams is an artist.
His daughter’s book contains some of his drawings. In 1948, he married his wife Shirley, now deceased, to whom he was married more than 50 years. They raised a family of two daughters and two sons. He was an engineer for 21 years with Chrysler Corp., retiring in 1979.
May 8 is Victory in Europe Day. V-E Day marks the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany’s unconditional
surrender. Vietnam vets seek pantry donations
Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 154 is asking people to contribute to the National Association of Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive on May 14. The Veterans Food Pantry benefits from the drive. Vets and military families may apply for food 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays at the Veterans Support Center, 18025 15 Mile Road, Clinton Township. Call 586776-9810. Vet members and Associate members of the chapter are volunteering to collect food on May 14 at the Post Office at 7755 22 Mile Road, Shelby Township.
DAV Forget-Me-Not Drive coming up
The Disabled American Veterans Chapter 119 holds a forget-me-not canister collection May 1415 at the Kroger store at 22801 Harper Ave., St. Clair Shores; and on May 21-22 at the Kroger store at 20891 13 Mile Road, Roseville. The drive helps the chapter help individual veterans with urgent needs.
On May 19, a DAV national service officer will be at the Knights of Columbus hall, 23005 Little Mack Ave., St. Clair Shores to help vets with their Department of Veterans Affairs claims.
“We are all getting older and Agent Orange is getting to a lot of guys,” Allen Houth, who can be reached at 586-218-9432, said.