Grandpa and the National Guard: A Memphis comedian goes viral
Zach Williams’ humorous take on an elderly guardsman’s recollection of the time he served in Memphis has found a viral following on social medial. (Brad Vest/Special to The Daily Memphian)
In the clips, a mustachioed Zach Williams adopts the future persona of a National Guard soldier called “Grandpa,” telling his grandson (also played by Williams) about the trauma of his patrols in Memphis during fall 2025.
Williams stares straight ahead and tells his tales in a perfect military cadence without breaking, wrapping the jokes inside Memphis references inside jokes, all with pinpoint accuracy in both the references and the voices.
And those clips — found on Instagram and TikTok, among other sites — have been getting howling reviews from folks in Memphis and even farther.
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Jody Callahan
Jody Callahan graduated with degrees in journalism and economics from what is now known as the University of Memphis. He has covered news in Memphis for more than 25 years.
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