James P. McWilliams Jr., 72; colonel became authority on southern Africa
WASHINGTON - James Patrick McWilliams Jr., a highly decorated Marine Corps colonel who became an authority on southern Africa, died Dec. 16 at Inova Fairfax (Va.) Hospital. He had cancer. He was 72.
Dr. McWilliams spent 30 years in the Marine Corps before retiring in 1987 from the Pentagon, where he formulated crisis scenarios for the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
He trained at US and British military schools and in specialized services, including the Army Rangers, the Navy SEALs, and the Royal Marines.
Early in his career, he served two tours of duty in Vietnam, first as an adviser to Vietnamese marines and then as a battalion operations officer.
In 1969, Dr. McWilliams received the Silver Star for his defense of a landing zone near Tam Boi in Vietnam's Quang Tri province. He exposed himself to constant enemy fire as he developed a plan that provided maximum cover for his men during their evacuation.
His Silver Star citation said his actions were "instrumental in the North Vietnamese Army's loss of forty-two soldiers killed and numerous others wounded with only minimal Marine casualties."
Dr. McWilliams' assignments included a stint as an aide to Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt Jr., who was chief of naval operations.
Dr. McWilliams's decorations included the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Navy and Marine Corps Medal, three awards of the Bronze Star with combat "V," the Navy Commendation Medal and the Navy Achievement Medal.
Dr. McWilliams was born in Philadelphia, where he graduated from LaSalle University in 1957.
In 1972, he received a master's degree in foreign affairs from Villanova University. In 1989, he received a jointly conferred doctorate in African affairs from Howard University and Rand Afrikaans University, now the University of Johannesburg.
Dr. McWilliams wrote a book, "Armscor, South Africa's Arms Merchant" (1989), and wrote reports for government agencies about his work in Africa.
His marriage to Jane Stein McWilliams ended in divorce. His second wife, Maureen DeMot, whom he married in 1997, died in a car accident in 2000.
Survivors include his wife of seven years, Karen Hayes McWilliams; five children from his first marriage, Coleen Haun of Knoxville, Tenn., and James P. McWilliams III, Mark McWilliams, Derek McWilliams and Deirdre Edmiston, all of Charlotte, N.C.; a stepdaughter, Charlotte Hayes of Arlington, Va.; a brother; two sisters; and eight grandchildren.
