FORT KNOX, Ky. — Roughly two years ago, Lela Williams was clearing out her house when she found boxes of now historical Army Community Services artifacts. Some of the items are now on display in the ACS lobby alongside an original ACS flag found by staff as a tribute to Williams’ decades of volunteer service to the community.
The items on display are photos of Williams with her fellow ACS volunteer and friend Ann Moore Linkous at a meeting and attending an event at Quarters One in 1973 as well as her vintage 1970s ACS uniform.
“I don't remember why I zeroed in on ACS specifically, as opposed to full time Red Cross, but the role of women back then was different from today; there weren't as many in the workforce, so this was our way of helping in the community,” said Williams. “And as the program grew our missions grew. That's really one of the reasons that I volunteer today.
“Somewhere along the way the things that I've done in the community as a volunteer are working or helping in different ways.”
Williams, who is originally from Mississippi, lived most of her life in Lansing, Michigan where she worked various jobs and studied sociology at Michigan State for two years before moving to Fort Wadsworth with her mother and stepfather. There she would meet her late husband, Staff Sgt. Albert Williams, and begin her future volunteer career.
“I actually started volunteering with ACS [when my husband and I were stationed] in Germany,” she said. “Then when we arrived at Fort Knox in 1972, I had decided to take a break from volunteering, but after a couple months here, I ran into Mrs. Joanne Patton at the Exchange and that ended my break from volunteering.”
Williams said she had fond memories of Patton, the spouse of Maj. Gen. George Patton IV, explaining they had built a relationship when she was an ACS volunteer in Germany and that she couldn’t say no to helping her again.
Over her years with the program, she said she also grew close with Capt. Tom Gorski, a young public affairs specialist, and Donna Herndon, who was mayor of the Van Voorhis community (now known as Chestnut Glenn) from 1974-1975.
“There was a group of us that did certain projects together,” said Williams. “Donna Herndon, she and I were dubbed the ‘Bobbsey Twins’, we still correspond; Tom Gorski, he still keeps me up on his family; and Mrs. Letty Starry (spouse of General Donn A. Starry) worked heavily with us, she was one of our good friends during that time.”
Eventually Williams would go on to lead ACS.
“I was just a worker bee volunteer, but then then my friend became ACS supervisor, then left and I became the head of ACS,” said Williams.
Despite taking breaks from her volunteerism during moves, periods of continued education and COVID, Williams has consistently served the Fort Knox and surrounding community for over 50 years and continues to do so at the Red Cross Helping Hands program on Wednesdays and the Warrior Warehouse on Saturdays.
“Sometimes when we have a break, I love making comparisons [about today’s programs] with the younger girls,” said Williams. “I'm happy that we have the ability to do what we do for Families now because it reminds me of what we didn't have back then, but we survived.”
Visit Fort Knox News at www.army.mil/knox for all of Central Kentucky's latest military news and information.
| Date Taken: | 02.13.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 02.14.2025 14:23 |
| Story ID: | 490849 |
| Location: | FORT KNOX, KENTUCKY, US |
| Web Views: | 16 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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