Hershel Woodrow Williams, who won the Medal of Honor as a Marine flamethrower operator in the horrific Battle of Iwo Jima, passed on the 29th of June. He was the last Medal of Honor winner from World War II to pass. Woody Williams was a Marine Corps legend with others, such as Chesty Puller, Dan Daly, John Basilone, Mitchel Paige (who I had the honor to meet), Lou Diamond, Ray Davis, and John Ripley.
A native West Virginian, Woody Williams was not expected to survive at birth, as he only weighed 3 ½ pounds. He was initially too small to join the armed forces, however, as casualties grew tremendously and height requirements were waived, he joined the Marine Corps, where he was trained on demolitions and flamethrowers.
His first action was the landing at Guam. At Iwo Jima, he landed three days after the nightmare of the initial landing, and his 21st Marine Regiment replaced the largely destroyed 23rd Marine Regiment. In the fighting that followed, he displayed unbelievable courage in repeatedly attacking Japanese bunkers. Two Marine riflemen were killed protecting Woody as he assaulted the bunkers. Other Marines around him were killed and wounded in savage fighting.
Woody continued fighting until his regiment, which had suffered horrendous casualties, was relieved. Woody went on to support veterans affairs after the war, and rejoined the Marine Corps Reserve.
Woody was a great American and West Virginian. As we remember Independence Day, we all should remember both Woody, and all those other great Americans, who fought to keep our country free of tyranny.
Montani Semper Liberi
https://woodywilliams.org/woody-citation.html
https://taskandpurpose.com/news/hershel-williams-wwii-medal-of-honor-died/