Corps Review Spring 2018

I N M E M O R I A M

T . O . W I L L I AMS I I I ’ 5 9 1 9 3 7 - 2 0 1 8

By Lt. Col. Gary Lerch ’72, U.S. Army Reserve (retired)

Col. Thomas Owen “T.O.” Williams III ’59 died March 10. He was 80. Williams led the Highty-Tighties as drum major in 1959, his senior year, and remained dedicated to Virginia Tech and the Corps of Cadets throughout his life. After graduation, he commissioned into the U.S. Air Force as a pilot. He served for 27 years, and his command positions included flying tours during the VietnamWar, as well as deputy commander for operations of the 1st Special Opera- tions Wing in Hurlburt Field, Florida; the senior U.S. defense representative in Khartoun, Sudan; and commander at Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.

In 2007, I was a member of the Virginia Corps of Cadets Alumni Association Inc. (VTCAA), but my participation was limited to attendance to the two meetings per year. One day, my phone rang at work at the Defense Logistics Agency and the conversation went something like this: “Hello?” “Gary Lerch, this is T.O. Williams!” “Hi, T.O.” “Gary, I am calling to inform that you are the unanimous choice of the VTCCA Executive Committee to be vice chair- man!” Then he quickly added — almost under his breath – “Of course, you realize that this means that you soon become our

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