Williams was commissioned second lieutenant on June 30, 1903, and ordered to the School of Application at Annapolis, Maryland, for basic officer training.

He returned to the United States in July 1915 and assumed duty as Officer-in-Charge, Purchasing Division, Office of the Quartermaster at the Headquarters Marine Corps.

[2] For his efforts during the planning and construction of the Marine Barracks, Quantico, Williams received a special letter of commendation by the Secretary of the Navy, Josephus Daniels.

[2] Following his return stateside, Williams served with the Quartermaster's Department at Headquarters Marine Corps until he was ordered to China in September 1921.

[1] Williams was promoted to lieutenant colonel shortly after his arrival home and assumed duty as quartermaster with the headquarters, Department of the Pacific in San Francisco.

[1] He left San Francisco in December 1926 and moved to Marine Barracks, Parris Island, South Carolina, where he assumed duty as post quartermaster under Brigadier General Harry Lee.

While in this assignment, he was responsible for the production of military hardware and housekeeping supplies included hat ornaments, mosquito nets, mess pans, helmets, articles of uniforms, foot lockers, buckets, stoves, tent poles, bunks, etc.

Williams was also responsible for the support of development, production, acquisition, and sustainment of general supply, Mortuary Affairs, subsistences, petroleum and water, material and distribution management during peace and war to provide combat power to the U.S. Marine Corps units.

In addition to his previous efforts in the construction of new training camps, Williams also held responsibility of transportation of troops to combat zones, and the development of supply and distribution depots in the South and Central Pacific areas.

[5][6] General Williams was recalled to active duty in May 1946 and assumed duty as a member of Marine Corps Retirement Board together with generals Holland Smith, Roy S. Geiger, Harry Schmidt, Vice Admiral Richard L. Conolly and Colonel Lionel C. Goudeau as Recorder.