A Tribute to a Hero - Major James B. McWilliams
Mark Twain once said " Each man must for himself alone decide what is right and what is wrong, which course is patriotic and which isn't. You cannot shirk this and be a man. To decide against your conviction is to be an unqualified and excusable traitor, both to yourself and to your country, let men label you as they may." From an early age, Jim McWilliams had decided his path. He did not live in a posture of defense waiting for whatever life threw his way, he choose to live marching into the unknown with full confidence, not looking back with regrets. His simplistic, rustic Waynesboro roots of dirt roads, wading creeks and milking cows with a house full of brothers and sisters made family a deep part of his legacy. Before loyalty to his country ever rooted in his heart, devotion to his family had seeds that ran to his core. I have often wondered what kind of man chooses serving his country over personal fame. He declined 4 college scholarships to