A Bundjalung man from Baryulgil in NSW, David joined the Australian Navy in 1965 and was an engineer, diver and submariner, serving for close to 30 years.
Since leaving the service, David has regularly helped and advised veterans and their families on welfare and pension issues.
He is a former president of the NSW branch of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Veterans and Services Association and a former member of the National Ex-Service Round Table on Aged Care (NERTAC) Committee.
A member of Merrylands Sub-Branch, David has been the delegate for the Far Western Metropolitan District Committee since 2010 and is the present welfare and pension officer as well as a Juvenile Justice elder which sees him in court supporting youth several days a week.
He is also the chair of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Consultative Committee and a member of the Reconciliation Action Plan Working Group, the Heritage Committee and the Warali Wali Trail project.
He said he was “blown out of the water” when he got the phone call about his award win.
“I just do what’s required, whether it’s helping a veteran or someone in the community,” he said.
“I’m nothing special, there are plenty of others who do what I do and that’s the Australian way, you always help a mate when you can.
“I was trained to defend this country and its people and I will never stop doing that.”
Navy veteran proud always to help mate
STILL in shock but proud and happy, Merrylands resident David Allan Williams has been awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the General Division for service to veterans and the community.
