Robert Blaine Williamson, “Willy”
“Willy” passed away March 27, 2025 at his home in Tazewell, TN. Bob had been battling bladder cancer for about a year.
He was born December 15, 1946, in West Palm Beach, Florida and
is survived by his wife Gail of 54 years, daughter Kenna, and twin grandchildren, Bobby and Kaiya along with many nieces and nephews.
He started his long honorable and outstanding career in the United States Air Force wearing a tank top, shorts and sandals
arriving at basic training at Lakeland AFB, Texas on January 20, 1965. He was a member of Pararescue Class 65-2, which he was one of the sixteen of twenty members of the class that was sent to Southeast Asia. He was station at Det 15, 38 ARRS at “Udorn” Royal Thai Air Force Base, Udon Thailand, assigned to the six HH-3E’s for the ACR mission, which was combat search and rescue in contested areas that frequently encountered hostile fire. He received two Silver Stars (Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster) for
rescuing a F-106 pilot in Thailand and a F4C pilot in Northern Vietnam, both being under heavy enemy fire that damaged the HH-3E’s.
After Active Duty for four years he left the military for a brief period of time but returned to the Air Force Reserves as an Air
Reserve Technician(ART) at the 301ARRS at Homestead AFB, Florida and then he transferred to the 303 ARRS at March AFB in Riverside, California as the head ART of the team. While Bob had many accomplishments as a PJ, probably his greatest contribution to Pararescue was bringing free falling and the square parachute into the career field. In 1983 he developed a training program of 26 jumps in seven days that progressed from the class room and packing the chute to night jumps with oxygen,
rifle and full equipment. The program worked with 12 students and various instructors from the reserves and active duty that eventually trained all the reserve rescue units and some national guard units.
After 38+ years in federal careers in the military and
civil service in the United Government he retired to Tazewell, Tennessee. Bob was an avid golfer. He loved the friendship and camaraderie that came along with the sport. He also helped coach some local school teams which helped some players get full golf scholarships in college.
Bob will be cremated with a private family service in Tazewell this week. There will be a military service of the burial of his ashes, with participation of 303rd PJ’s in the ceremonial, at East TN State Veterans Cemetery, 2200 East Governor John Sevier Hwy, Knoxville, TN 37920 on Friday, June 6, 12:30PM and a celebration of his life later in the day.
Exact details of the burial and celebration of life along with lodging and other logistic will be sent in follow-up notice from the Pararescue Association or contact [email protected] and he will put you on mailing list to receive information as it become available.
