Williams' dad: 'He looks in great shape'
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U.S. Army Apache helicopter pilots Chief Warrant Officer David S. Williams, center, and Chief Warrant Officer Ronald D. Young Jr. are escorted to a transport plane Sunday.
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FORT HOOD, Texas (CNN) -- The family of Army helicopter pilot David Williams, 30, held as a prisoner of war in Iraq for three weeks, found out Sunday that he was one of seven U.S. troops that had been rescued near Tikrit.
David Williams Sr., said he was convinced his son was safe before the official word came, after seeing images of the rescued troops on CNN. "It's definitely him," Williams Sr. said. "He's looks in great shape."
"There's a lot of big smiles and excitement," Williams Sr. told The Associated Press by telephone from Fort Hood, where he was spending the weekend with his son's wife, Michelle, and their two children, Jason, 2, and Madison, 5 .
"Michelle just wants everyone to know that she thanks everyone for the support."
CNN reporter Jaime Colby spoke with Michelle Williams by telephone.
"When she saw his picture on the air [she] was just screaming with joy. This is a really happy moment for these families," Colby said. "[It[ is just so comforting to families who have waited for any word, that each day was so long for them. And now they have this wonderful news."
Williams Jr., a chief warrant officer, was a crew member of a Apache helicopter gunship that went down on March 24. He was later seen on Iraqi TV with fellow prisoner of war, Ronald Young Jr., 26, of Lithia Springs, Georgia, also a chief warrant officer. Both appeared to be unharmed.
Williams and Young belong to the 1st Battalion of the 227 Aviation Regiment, based at Fort Hood, Texas, as part of the 1st Cavalry Division. They were two of at least seven U.S. soldiers taken prisoner three weeks ago by the Iraqi military.
Williams has been in the military for 12 years, according to the Orlando Sentinel, and grew up in southeastern Virginia, graduating high school from Chesapeake's Great Bridge High School in 1991, according to AP.
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Associated Press contributed to this report.
