Hershel W. “Woody” Williams, the last remaining Medal of Honor recipient from World War II, will lie in honor at the U.S. Capitol on Thursday.
Afterward, Williams will be recognized at a wreath-laying ceremony at the World War II Memorial on the National Mall, Sen. Joe Manchin said this week.
Williams, who died on June 29 at 98, was a legend in his native West Virginia for his heroics under fire over several crucial hours at the battle for Iwo Jima. As a young Marine corporal, Williams went ahead of his unit in February 1945 and eliminated a series of Japanese machine gun positions. Facing small-arms fire, Williams fought for four hours, repeatedly returning to prepare demolition charges and obtain flamethrowers.
Later that year, 22-year-old Williams received the Medal of Honor from President Harry Truman. The Medal of Honor is the nation’s highest award for military valor.
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The ceremonial arrival of Williams’ casket will begin at 10:30 a.m. EST Thursday. From 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., Congressional leadership will speak, and West Virginia lawmakers Manchin and Sen. Shelley Moore Capito will present a wreath.
At 3:30 p.m., Williams’ casket will depart the Capitol, followed by the wreath-laying ceremony at the National Mall. Both ceremonies will be live-streamed on YouTube.
Williams remained in the Marines after the war, serving a total of 20 years, before working for the Veterans Administration for 33 years as a veterans service representative. In 2018, the Huntington VA medical center was renamed in his honor, and the Navy commissioned a mobile base sea vessel in his name in 2020.
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Chris Cassidy, the president and CEO of the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation, offered the following statement.
"Woody was a hero and an inspiration. His selfless service to his country, both in the U.S. Marine Corps and as an advocate for veterans and Gold Star Families, distinguished him as one of America's greatest. As the last living Medal of Honor recipient from World War II, his final act of service will be to Lie in Honor to recognize all who served in WWII, just as he wore the Medal of Honor to commemorate all those he fought alongside during the action that earned him the Medal. This tribute is reserved for only a few great Americans, and Hershel 'Woody' Williams is without a doubt one of them. He exemplified the legacy of the 'Greatest Generation' - a legacy of courage, sacrifice and service that has already inspired so many and will continue to inspire generations of Americans to come."
