In the 1960s, Steve Williams was a carefree kid enjoying life and spending time with his high school sweetheart, Rosie. In 1969, the 20 year old was drafted and was soon fighting a war in the jungles of Vietnam.
“I was assigned to the 101st Airborne, 3rd of the 506, which was the Band of Brothers made famous in World War II,” he says.
Steve had many positions during his year in combat, including point man. A point man is the person who leads the platoon down the trails and is the soldier out front. “I was a man of prayer, so I was constantly praying.”
When he returned home, he and Rosie married and were ready to start their lives together, but they weren’t prepared for the residual trauma from the experience. “People didn't know about post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) back then,” says Rosie. “After he got home and told me his stories, I was like ‘Okay, now let's move on with our nice little plans for our life.’ I had no concept of the fact that even after 54 years of marriage, he would still be processing what happened over there.” Adds Steve, “I was also questioning, ‘Lord, what did that year over there mean?’ I was trying to make sense of it all.”
It wasn’t until years later, when an acquaintance from childhood approached him about becoming involved in Point Man Ministries, that he discovered the reason. Point Man assists veterans and families dealing with the effects of PTSD.
Steve was resistant, but he and Rosie went to a meeting to discuss establishing a chapter in Topeka. “I really wasn't sure I wanted to do it, but at the same time there was something there that was just tugging at my heart,” he says.
Now, 29 years later, the couple is still very active in the organization. “We learned how we could be effective working with veterans and their families, trying to show them the love and grace of the Lord,” he says.
One day, around the time they joined, Rosie gave Steve a dog tag with the inscription “Forgiven.” Since then, Steve has made it his mission to provide these to veterans struggling to forgive themselves for the actions carried out under orders. To date, he and other Point Man staff have given out more than 8000 of these special dog tags. “It’s really our message, God's message, in one word. It's such a freeing thing.”
Another way he’s helping fellow veterans is through the book that he and Rosie, a successful author in her own right, co-authored. Nine Pairs of Boots in Vietnam: Steps to Healing Every Veteran Needs to Know was published in 2020 on the couple’s 50th wedding anniversary.
More than 5000 copies have been distributed to date, and the feedback has been phenomenal, with veterans and their spouses telling him how much the book has helped them.
Rosie, after years of writing faith-based books for adults, is now writing a series of books for children whose parents are or were in the military, and for civilian families as well so they can understand what these children might be experiencing. It turned into a real family project. One of her daughters-in-law is an artist and does the illustrations, while her other daughter-in-law, an English teacher, is her editor.
One of the books, The Little Jeep Who Couldn't Beep, was inspired by Steve’s restoration of an old military jeep. “Our hope and desire is that it's going to be ready to be in the Veterans Day Parade downtown this year,” says Rosie.
When thanked for his service, instead of saying “You’re welcome,” Steve has another response. “Years ago, I ran into a World War II vet and thanked him for his service. He stopped and faced me, and he said, ‘You were worth it.’ I absolutely loved that and now that’s my response too.”
Their books can be found at RosieJWilliams.com. Nine Pairs of Boots in Vietnam is also available free of charge, as funds allow, to any veteran or active military member by emailing pointmankansas@cox.net.