Hershel W. Williams

Hershel Woodrow "Woody" Williams (October 2, 1923 – June 29, 2022) was a United States Marine Corps Reserve warrant officer and United States Department of Veterans Affairs veterans service representative who received the Medal of Honor, the United States military's highest decoration for valor, for heroism above and beyond the call of duty during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II. Williams was the last living Medal of Honor recipient from World War II.

Early life Williams, the youngest of eleven children, was born in Quiet Dell in Harrison County, West Virginia, At birth, Williams weighed pounds and was not expected to live. His mother, Lurenna, decided to name him after the doctor who arrived at their farm several days after his birth. By the time he was 11, his father, Lloyd, had died of a heart attack and several of his siblings had died due to the flu.

Military service Williams was drawn to the Marines by their dress blue uniforms he had seen several men in his community wear. He disliked the Army's brown wool uniform he considered "... the ugliest thing in town ... I decided I did not want to be in that thing. I want to be in those dress blues." Aside from the appearance of the uniform, Williams knew nothing of the Marines. In January 1944, he joined Company C, 1st Battalion, 21st Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division at Guadalcanal.

These actions occurred on the same day that two flags were raised on Mount Suribachi, and Williams, about one thousand yards away from the volcano, was able to witness the event. He fought through the remainder of the five-week-long battle, even though he was wounded in the leg on March 6 by fragmentation, for which he was awarded the Purple Heart.

Post-war service In March 1948, he reenlisted in the inactive Marine Corps Reserve, but was again discharged on August 4, 1949. He was the last surviving Medal of Honor recipient from World War II. On July 14, 2022, Williams' remains lay in honor at the U.S. Capitol Rotunda.

Personal life Williams was a member of The American Legion, Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Marine Corps League, and Sons of the American Revolution. His medal of honor is on display at the Pritzker Military Museum & Library in Chicago. For years, Williams struggled with post-traumatic stress until 1962, when he experienced a religious renewal.

Legacy and honors

In 1965, Williams received West Virginia's Distinguished Service Medal. In 1967, he was honored by the Veteran's Administration with the Civilian Vietnam Service Award for service as a civilian counselor to the armed forces. In 1999, he was added to the City of Huntington Foundation's "Wall of Fame". He received the 2014 Founder's Award for extraordinary contributions to the mission of the Pritzker Military Museum & Library and the preservation of the heritage of the Citizen Soldier.

The West Virginia state legislature has included Williams in the Hall of Fame for the state named him a Distinguished West Virginian in 1980 and in 2013. During a special State Legislative Session in 2024, a resolution was passed providing for the replacement of one of the two West Virginia statues in the National Statuary Hall Collection in Washington D.C. with a statue of Williams. He is on the “Wall of Fame” in the Civic Center in the city of Huntington, West Virginia, nominated and selected by the former recipients who received this honor. In his hometown of Fairmont, West Virginia, the 32 million dollar Hershel “Woody” Williams Armed Forces Reserve Center is the only National Guard facility in the country named after a Marine.

In 2010, the not-for-profit Hershel Woody Williams Congressional Medal of Honor Education Foundation, Inc. was established "to honor Gold Star Families, relatives, and Gold Star Children who have sacrificed a loved one in the service of their country." Williams served on the foundation's Founders Advisory Board.

On February 4, 2018, Williams along with 14 other living Medal of Honor recipients was honored at the Super Bowl LII during the coin toss. Williams was selected to do the official coin toss for the game. The coin toss ceremony set a record for most coin toss participants as Super Bowl LII was dedicated to them.

Named in his honor: Hershel "Woody" Williams VA Medical Center in Huntington, West Virginia Hershel "Woody" Williams VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) Post 7048 in Fairmont, West Virginia West Virginia National Guard Armory in Fairmont, West Virginia Bridge at Barboursville, West Virginia Athletic field at Huntington, West Virginia USS Hershel "Woody" Williams (ESB-4), a Mobile Landing Platform built by General Dynamics NASSCO at their San Diego shipyard. In August 2016, Williams was joined by Edward Byers at the ship's keel laying ceremony. On March 7, 2020, Williams was present for the ship commissioning ceremony.