Hershel W Williams
| Hershel W. Williams | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 2, 1923 Quiet Dell, West Virginia |
| Died | June 29, 2022 Huntington, West Virginia |
| Status | Survived |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | United States Marine Corps Reserve |
| Years of service | 1943–1945, 1948–1949, 1954–1969 |
| Rank | Corporal |
| Service number | |
| Unit | 1st Battalion, 21st Marines, 3rd Marine Division |
| Commands held | |
| Battles / wars | Battle of Iwo Jima |
| Awards | Medal of Honor, Purple Heart |
| Relations | |
| Later work | Worked 33 years for the Department of Veterans Affairs; founded the Hershel Woody Williams Medal of Honor Foundation; retired from the Marine Corps Reserve as Chief Warrant Officer 4 |
Hershel Woodrow "Woody" Williams (October 2, 1923 – June 29, 2022) was a United States Marine who received the Medal of Honor, the United States' highest decoration for valor, for his actions during the Battle of Iwo Jima. He was the last surviving World War II Medal of Honor recipient.
Born and raised on a dairy farm in West Virginia, Williams was initially rejected by the Marines for being too short; he enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve in 1943 after the height requirement was relaxed, and served as a demolition sergeant with the 1st Battalion, 21st Marines, 3rd Marine Division.
Medal of Honor
[edit]On February 23, 1945 — the same day the flag was raised on Mount Suribachi — Williams went forward under fire and used flamethrowers over roughly four hours of intense combat to destroy a series of Japanese pillboxes that had halted his company's tanks. President Truman presented him the Medal of Honor in October 1945. He later worked for 33 years with the Veterans Administration and devoted his later life to honoring Gold Star Families. He died in 2022 at age 98.
Citation
[edit]For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as Demolition Sergeant serving with the First Battalion, Twenty-First Marines, Third Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Iwo Jima, Volcano Island, 23 February 1945. Quick to volunteer his services when our tanks were maneuvering vainly to open a lane for the infantry through the network of reinforced concrete pillboxes, buried mines and black, volcanic sands, Corporal Williams daringly went forward alone to attempt the reduction of devastating machine-gun fire from the unyielding positions. Covered only by four riflemen, he fought desperately for four hours under terrific enemy small-arms fire and repeatedly returned to his own lines to prepare demolition charges and obtain serviced flame throwers, struggling back, frequently to the rear of hostile emplacements, to wipe out one position after another. On one occasion he daringly mounted a pillbox to insert the nozzle of his flame thrower through the air vent, kill the occupants and silence the gun; on another he grimly charged enemy riflemen who attempted to stop him with bayonets and destroyed them with a burst of flame from his weapon. His unyielding determination and extraordinary heroism in the face of ruthless enemy resistance were directly instrumental in neutralizing one of the most fanatically defended Japanese strong points encountered by his regiment and aided in enabling his company to reach its' objective. Corporal Williams' aggressive fighting spirit and valiant devotion to duty throughout this fiercely contested action sustain and enhance the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.