Chartered on December 15, 1987 our Post is named in honor of Medal of Honor recipient 1st. Lieutenant Charles Q. Williams. “1st. Lieutenant Williams distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while defending the Special Forces Camp against a violent attack by hostile forces that lasted for 14 hours. 1st Lt. Williams was serving as executive officer of a Special Forces Detachment when an estimated Vietcong reinforced regiment struck the camp and threatened to overrun it and the adjacent district headquarters. He awoke personnel, organized them, determined the source of the insurgents' main effort and led the troops to their defensive positions on the south and west walls. Then, after running to the District Headquarters to establish communications, he found that there was no radio operational with which to communicate with his commanding officer in another compound. To reach the other compound, he traveled through darkness, but was halted in this effort by a combination of shrapnel in his right leg and the increase of the Vietcong gunfire. Ignoring his wound, he returned to the districtheadquarters and directed the defense against the first assault.As the insurgents attempted to scale the walls and as some of the Vietnamese defenders began to retreat, hedashed through a barrage of gunfire, succeeded in rallying these defenders, and led them back to theirpositions. Although wounded in the thigh and left leg during this gallant action, he returned to his positionand, upon being told that communications were reestablished and that his commanding officer was seriouslywounded, 1st Lt. Williams took charge of actions in both compounds. Then, in an attempt to reach thecommunications bunker, he sustained wounds in the stomach and right arm from grenade fragments.As the defensive positions on the walls had been held for hours and casualties were mounting, he ordered theconsolidation of the American personnel from both compounds to establish a defense in the district building.After radio contact was made with a friendly air controller, he disregarded his wounds and directed thedefense from the District building, using descending flares as reference points to adjust air strikes. By hiscourage, he inspired his team to hold out against the insurgent force that was closing in on them and throwinggrenades into the windows of the building. As daylight arrived and the Vietcong continued to besiege thestronghold, firing a machinegun directly south of the district building, he was determined to eliminate thismenace that threatened the lives of his men. Taking a 3.5 rocket launcher and a volunteer to load it, heworked his way across open terrain, reached the berm south of the district headquarters, and took aim at theVietcong machinegun 150 meters away. Although the sight was faulty, he succeeded in hitting themachinegun. While he and the loader were trying to return to the district headquarters, they were bothwounded. With a fourth wound, this time in the right arm and leg, and realizing he was unable to carry hiswounded comrade back to the district building, 1st Lt. Williams pulled him to a covered position and thenmade his way back to the district building where he sought the help of others who went out and evacuatedthe injured soldier.
Although seriously wounded and tired, he continued to direct the air strikes closer to the defensive position.As morning turned to afternoon and the Vietcong pressed their effort with direct recoilless rifle fire into thebuilding, he ordered the evacuation of the seriously wounded to the safety of the communications bunker.When informed that helicopters would attempt to land as the hostile gunfire had abated, he led his team fromthe building to the artillery position, making certain of the timely evacuation of the wounded from thecommunications area, and then on to the pickup point. Despite resurgent Vietcong gunfire, he directed therapid evacuation of all personnel. Throughout the long battle, he was undaunted by the vicious Vietcongassault and inspired the defenders in decimating the determined insurgents.”