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Christian B Williams |
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Winter Haven, Florida |
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July 29, 2006 |
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Killed while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. |
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| Sgt Christian B Williams was killed Saturday, July 29, 2006 in Al Anbar province, Iraq at the age of 27 , along with LCpl Anthony E. Butterfield 19 of Ca, Philip Baucus 28 of Montana, and Pfc Jason Henson 21 of Washington. The four were killed by a suicide propane tank truck bomber, who drove a propane tank truck {the biggest they ever have had there} into a building at the vehicle check point they were at. They all served with the 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion of the First Marine Division, 1 Marine Expeditionary Force Twenty Nine Palms Ca. Sgt, Christian B Williams was born Nov.30,1978 in Tarlac Philippines. His mother is Maria B Williams was from Manila, Philippines. His father, Jack D Williams, from the state of Oregon spent 22 yrs in the USN, primarily overseas. The Williams family came to the United States in 1990 in association with Christian's fathers final PCS orders. Chris Williams was the oldest of four children of Jack & Maria. He has two sisters and their youngest is Vincent. Chris was raised in the Roman Catholic belief. He was a dedicated Catholic and knows his prayers and obligations regarding his faith. A Pastor, Father Puntal of St. Joseph church Winter Haven painted Williams as a young man who knew how to love and gave the ultimate sacrifice for his country. .He said, as we celebrate his life he protects all of us and watches over us., and that freedom has a cost, his heroic act is the fruit of the virtue of America. Father Puntal called Williams memorial as 'Celebration of America'. Christian always loved the military bases both overseas & in CONUS. He was always enthralled with the military activities around the bases. When he was a young teenager, he always enjoyed the base gyms, participating in karate classes, swimming, wrestling, etc and other physical activities with his friends in Fallon named Jason, and Lance Meadows. We were living in the Philippines when he was four yrs old, & he had us buy his Philippine marine uniform. He liked playing soldier games, crawling on the ground, playing with my younger brothers, Joy who is now an Orthodontic surgeon & Haeven who joined the US Navy & is now based at Mayport Florida, He also played a lot with Gl Joe action figures. Chris was known in the Philippines" lan" or "Kuya" [means Big brother] for a nickname and Chris in the States. When his father retired from NAS Fallon Nevada in 1994 after 22 yrs in service, the family moved to Winter Haven Florida. He attended high school at Winter Haven High and participated in JROTC in his freshman year. Chris entered Lake Region High School as a sophomore when the new school opened. He played a year football and set weightlifting- records at the school when he was weighing only 118 Ibs. and did over head pressed twice his weight, dead lift twice his weight, he set up pull up records at the school and etc . He was a record setter at his school. He also qualified for the Junior Nationals when he went to his first weightlifting tournament in Orlando. He gave up that opportunity for JROTC. He wasn't very tall, but he sure thought he was and also he was a very strong young man. People who knew Chris;- his high school principal and friends often used the term "gung-ho" which loosely means very enthusiastic or very dedicated which mostly a good character picked up and learn from his father, Jack who is in the Merchant Marines now.. Stephen White was the principal at Lake Region High School when Chris was a student and a Marine JROTC platoon leader there. Mr. White said, "you remember a lot of students and as the years go by some you don’t, but Chris is the kind you never forget. He was a leader among leaders. He was an outstanding student and an exception to the rule. He had said all along that he wanted to serve his country. He had all the qualities of a leader even in high school and he was a very popular student. Derrick Lettau, a Marine Veteran and a very close best friend of Chris for 13 years, spent a day selecting and getting a memorial tattoo with Christian Williams name on it. He said;" it was the least he could do." Derrick knew Christian from high school and was a friend he would follow into the marines. Lattau describes Williams as a perfectionist who quit the high school weight lifting team to devote more attention to the JROTC program. He remembered Williams who would shine his boots on the weekend while everyone else was out having a good time. After his death, the MARINE CORPS league will set an award at Lake Region High School for a deserving student that will qualify Chris’s character, dedication and determination and it will be in the memory of Sgt Christian B Williams. Justin Jones also known Chris for eleven years. Justin was saying that Christian encouraged him to follow his dreams to become a firefighter and he achieved that goal. He also said that many of the best years of his life was with Chris and he loves him like his own brother and remember him for the rest of his life. One of his Gunny Sgts in JROTC recalled watching Chris grow up in high school. He said that Christian was bigger than life itself. He said, "Sgt Williams had what it took to be a marine. I don't think they make Marines any bigger or braver. Williams demanded respect and the marines under him would follow him anywhere. He is the true example of what a leader is, having no problem setting the example and leading from the front." Christian Williams joined the Marine Corps in 2000 in the Infantry. Sgt Robert Willis was one of Christian's Drill Instructors at Parris Island Platoon 2104. He said," I don't recall many of my recruits only the good ones and Sgt Williams was a great one. His heart and determination at Parris Island helped a lot of recruits make it through when they thought they couldn't. His spirit and professionalism were infectious to the Pit. He never knew the word quit. I know he passed the same spirit to His Marines. As long as there is a Marine Corps, his spirit will live on and continue to grow in their lives." We talked him out of reenlisting in2005. He went to work locally at Hughes Electrical Supply, he impressed all Co-workers and supervisors, he also took College classes in preparation to Physical Therapist.. After six months , he came back to his dad and said he feels empty inside him and he needs to go back into the Corps. Everybody talked to him about doing different things. No one could talk him into staying out, He is a marine to the bones. When he was preparing to re-enlist he met Andreia, his fiancée. He charmed her with his sweet smile, and they fell in love. They were supposed to get married in the fall. She said," He wasn't just my fiancée; he was my soul mate. He was more than a man, more than a Marine, he was my angel“.” A lot of people walk around feeling they're empty, like something missing. Christian came into my life and filled it". She joined the Marine Corps and graduated in April of 2006. Chris took Andreia to meet his family on his fathers’ side in Oregon, His Uncle, Aunts and cousins, during December 2005. In his letters to Andreia, you would know how much he was in love with her. Christian was always very meticulous in his personal habits and conduct. Sgt Christian B Williams served in Afghan twice and five times in Iraq. Whenever he was wounded, he never wants to claim his purple heart. If there is anything else I can tell you about Chris pls e-mail me. God bless you for your kindness and thank you. Maria Williams (winter haven, FL) Proud mother |
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