The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) recently renamed the Drill Square at the Colonel John Clarke Military School at Tacama in honour of Warrant Officer Class Two (rtd) Patrick Williams.
At a simple ceremony hosted on Friday at Drill Square, Chief-of-Staff Commodore Gary Best lauded Williams’s work.
According to a press release Best said the tribute was fitting as WO Williams was an individual of extraordinary character. “You were an exceptional Sergeant Major, a patriot and a remarkable person and the name of Warrant Officer Class Two Patrick Williams is now assured in the history of the Guyana Defence Force,” he said.
Commanding Officer of Training Corps Lieutenant Colonel Khemraj Persaud, echoed Best’s tribute to Williams. “He made this ground sacred and transformed many wavering minds into military souls. This was his stage and from his privileged position he was able to single-handedly uphold the high standards required of the military, especially at the inductee stage,” he said.
Williams’s military history dates back to 1956 as a soldier with the British Guiana Volunteer Force where he served with distinction during emergencies and civil unrest in the pre-independence era.
He later enlisted in the GDF serving with honour until his retirement on November 12, 1984. Williams was awarded the Rupununi Border Defence Medal for his valiant efforts in the Uprising of 1974. Thirteen years of his service was spent at Tacama where he was engaged in training recruits, the release said.
In response Williams said he was delighted by the honour. “This will be remembered by my family long after I have passed and so I thank you,” he said.
He recalled that Tacama was his home for 13 years and it was his duty to ensure that training produced good recruits for the organisation he had grown to love.
Addressing the training instructors who led a parade of recruits on the Square, he said consistency, patience and enthusiasm are the qualities which they need to possess and urged them to refrain from negative indulgences.
Williams said drill squares are sacred and are the places where military discipline is best displayed.
He also urged the force’s hierarchy to continue on a path of naming drill squares in honour of other warrant officers worthy of the tribute.
The army said its decision to honour Williams in this manner, together with the establishment of a Veteran’s Affairs Office testifies to its commitment to recognising its stalwarts and their invaluable contributions.
