Colonel William F. Lawson, Jr. was commissioned an Infantry Officer upon graduation from Officer Candidate School 13 Oct 1942, class number 82. His first duty assignment was as Platoon Leader, Company D, 409th Infantry Regiment (103d Inf Div), Camp Claiborne, Louisiana. | His subsequent duty assignments include:  Platoon Leader, Co M, 132nd Inf. Regiment. (Americal Div) Pacific Theater of Operations; Company Cmdr, Co. M, 346th Inf. Regiment. (87th Inf Div), European Theater of Operations; Co. Cmdr, Co M, 7th Inf Regiment (3rd Inf Div), Fort Campbell, Kentucky; Co Comdr, 14th Repl. Bn, Japan; I&R Plt Ldr, Headquarters Co, 7th Cavalry (1st Cav Div), Japan; Headquarters Commandant, Headquarters Co, 7th Cavalry (1st Cav Div) Japan; Adjutant, Headquarters Co, 7th Cavalry (1st Cav Div), Japan;  Company Cmdr, Co I, 13th Inf Regiment (8th Inf Div), Fort Jackson, SC;  Student, Assoc, Adv Course, Infantry School, Fort Benning, Georgia; Operations Officer (S-3), Headquarters Commandant, Fort Jackson, South Carolina; Student, Advance Course, Armor School, Kentucky; Asst Senior Army Advisor, Headquarters, Virginia Military District, Richmond, Virginia; Bn S-3 and Regiment’l  S-3, 14th Inf Regiment (25th Inf Div), Korea; Student, Command & General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; Chief, Fac Section, Indus. Preparedness Br., ODCSLOG, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C.; Infantry Advisor, Army Section, JUSMAGG, Royal Hellenic Army, Athens, Greece; Battalion Cmdr, 3rd Bn, 3rd Training Bde, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri; Bde. Executive Officer, 3rd Training Bde. Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri; Deputy G-3, Headquarters USA Tng Center & Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri; Deputy, Security, Plans & Operations, Headquarters, 1st Logistical Command, Vietnam;  Chief, Logistics Readiness Branch, ODCSLOG, Headquarters USCONARC, Fort Monroe, Virginia. | Colonel Lawson's awards and decorations include: Legion of Merit, Bronze Star w/1 Oak Leaf Cluster, ACM w/2 Oak Leaf Clusters, CIB, Meritorious Unit Citation, Glider Badge, Army General Staff Identification Badge.