Sergeant First Class Alan J. Williams (M6124) was born on 14 November 1937 in Mansfield, PA. He was raised in Greenville, RI. He attended North Providence, RI High School. He enlisted in the United States Army on 26 January 1955. He was trained as a Combat Engineer (12B) and graduated from the Basic Airborne Course on 16 July 1955. He served as a Paratrooper with the 11th Airborne Division. He was discharge from Active Duty on 9 January 1958.
Al settled in Glocester, Rhode Island, married and had three children.
He enlisted in Company D, 16th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Rhode Island Army National Guard on 22 April 1963, which was less than a year after the unit had been activated. Al completed the Special Forces Course in 1965 and he graduated from the USA Quartermaster School Jump Master Course in 1966. He was awarded the Senior Parachute Badge in 1966.
Al was a fulltime Administrative and Supply Technician with the unit. He was discharged as a Sergeant First Class on 1 October 1968.
Al attended the Police Academy in 1968 as a member of the Barrington, RI Police Department where he served as a Patrol Officer and a Detective. He earned a Degree in Administration of Justice from Salve Regina University.
In the early to mid-1970s, he was appointed part-time Chief of Police for the Town of Glocester, RI while continuing to server on the Barrington Police Department. As Chief, he oversaw the modernization and professionalization of the Glocester Police Department and he hired the Town’s first full-time Police Officer.
After retiring he settled in Tucson, AZ with his second wife, Loretta (Palmieri). Alan died on 22 April 2020. Al was also the father of Chapter 48 member LTC(R) Jim Williams.
