VA hospital unveils Medal of Honor Memorial Wall

MARTINSBURG — The Martinsburg Veterans Affairs Hospital unveiled its new Medal of Honor Memorial Wall as a tribute to those recipients during a ceremony Friday morning. 

Hershel “Woody” Williams, a Medal of Honor recipient, the only surviving Marine to receive the Medal of Honor during World War II and a veteran’s spokesperson, was the keynote speaker during the small ceremony held Friday morning to dedicate and unveil the new installation. 

“Their names will forever be known because of this,” Williams said. “These men not only served their country — they did more than that — they died for their honor. This wall means their names and their sacrifice will be remembered for as long as this medical center exists."

U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va, was also in attendance and spoke on the importance of such a piece being prominently displayed in the hospital. 

“There is always a warm and welcoming feeling for our veterans when they walk into this building,” Capito said. “It shows a growing and caring facility and this piece is so important to show these young people the legacy, the history, and the sacrifice we have made through generations.” 

Both veterans who receive medical treatment at the VA hospital and its employees were in attendance when the red and blue banners were removed and the piece was displayed for the first time to the public. 

The memorial piece was affixed to the main hallway wall. It is 63 feet in length and features the names of 45 Medal of Honor recipients. The piece was constructed by Brews Custom Display, a disabled-veteran-owned local printing company. It was an idea in the works for nearly five years. 

Owner Brian Brewers said his company began really putting in the work to design the piece in November. 

“This has been in talks for four to five years now,” Brewers said. “But we didn’t know we were actually going to get to do it until November and that’s when we really started in on the design.” 

The piece is a mixture of vinyl printed pieces, word framing and metal work, all of which were created in house at Brewer’s Custom Displays. 

The memorial is one of the last memorials to be constructed in West Virginia VA hospitals and will remain a symbol of respect to the veterans of the United States military who were awarded the Medal of Honor for their honorable service.