My father was born in Keyport, New Jersey April 23rd, 1919. His father Jewell Williams was a traveling Electrician/Salesman/Inventor; this gave him a nomadic boyhood until eventually settling in Little Rock, Arkansas. He attended Central High School where he was inspired to go to Annapolis by his English Teacher, Mrs. Huckaby. Mrs. Huckaby would later become well known for her de-segregation involvement at Central High.

Joining the Navy in 1937 at the age of 17, he would eventually be accepted into the Navel Academy. At Annapolis he room mated with William H. McCaughey who would later become his brother in-law. They both would sign-up for PT's where they would eventually become PT boat instructors. While Instructing ROTC's from various universities, they remembered instructing a charismatic skinny guy with a big grin named "John F. Kennedy" on how to maneuver an 80ft. Elco.


My Uncle Lt. William "Bill" McCaughey and Lt. R.J. Williams
Instruction - PT School, Annapolis

My Uncle "William H. McCauhey" would retire from the Navy a full Captain. Then go on to become a L.A. Port Pilot. He and his wife Blanche would have 8 children. He passed away at 72 in 1993.



My father and I early 1991, shortly before his passing
My brother James is seated.
My Mother and Father would have 6 sons, and 4 daughters.

My father was retired from the navy at the age of 26, about a year after the incident for being 50% mentally disabled do to posttraumatic syndrome. He was able to raise a family of ten children working in the aerospace industry, and later becoming a teacher. I am the youngest, and my father passed away on my 30th birthday 11/16/91, he was 72. My mother Julia Anne (McCaughey) Williams and the rest of the family misses him very much.


These articles of the incident were published on the front pages
of the Los Angeles Times and The New York Times.
The size of the article is probably relevant to any bad press
coming just a month before the Normandy Invasion.







This is a picture of my Mother that my father had with him.
Damaged by South Pacific Seawater!


My father's quarters aboard the 347