Charleston, West Virginia (AP) — Herschel W. “Woody” Williams, last awarded the Medal of Honor in World War II, will be appointed to the State Capitol at the US Capitol announced at Sunday’s Memorial Ceremony. .. Williams was courageous, humble, selfless and memorable.
“He never stopped giving back,” Manchin said. This included riding an annual bike and collecting money for the family of the Gold Star (the direct family of the fallen soldiers).
“It raised hundreds of thousands of dollars. It won’t stop because Woody comes after me with a heartbeat,” he joked.
West Virginia Democrat Manchin said he wouldn’t be able to answer Williams’ phone and focused on how Williams always gave him directions and a to-do list.
“I miss him to tell me how I’m supposed to vote, and how did I make a mistake when I didn’t,” Manchin said. rice field.
Williams, who died Wednesday at the age of 98, was a legend in West Virginia, the hometown of his heroes who raged for hours at the Battle of Iwo Jima. As a young Marine, Williams eliminated the position of a series of Japanese machine guns ahead of his troops in February 1945. Williams faced a fire of firearms, fought for four hours, and repeatedly returned to prepare for dismantling costs and obtain a flamethrower.
Later that year, 22-year-old Williams was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Harry Truman. The Medal of Honor is the highest national award for military courage.
General David H. Berger, commander of the United States Marine Corps, said at the memorial that Williams had always made an exception to the idea that he had accomplished the feat alone. He always admitted the other men on his team, some of them never went home.
“Woody may be the most real person I’ve ever met,” Berger noted, noting his unique combination of humor and humor. “He could make you laugh. He could make you care. That was his gift.”
Williams remained in the Marine Corps after the war, serving a total of 20 years and then serving as a Veterans Services Representative for the Department of Veterans Affairs for 33 years. In 2018, the Huntington VA Medical Center was renamed in honor of him, and the Navy commissioned a mobile base ship in his name in 2020.
“He left an indelible mark on our Marines,” Burger said. “As long as the Marines are there, his legacy will last.”