Sergeant Williams was a member of Company C, 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. He was seriously wounded by the enemy in South Korea on 24 August 1950 and returned to duty on 19 September 1950. He was listed as Missing in Action while fighting the enemy in Korea on 3 October 1950 and was presumed dead on 5 March 1954. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.

For his leadership and valor, Sergeant Williams was awarded the Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Combat Infantryman's Badge, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.