CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Hershel W. “Woody” Williams, the last remaining Medal of Honor recipient from World War II, will lie in state at the U.S. Capitol, U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin announced at a memorial on Sunday where Williams was remembered for his courage, humility and selflessness.
“He never quit giving back,” said Manchin. That included raising money for gold star families — immediate family members of fallen service members — with an annual motorcycle ride.
“It's raised hundreds of thousands of dollars," Manchin said. He joked that "It’s not going to be stopping, because Woody would come after me in a heartbeat."
Manchin praised West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice and his team for having Williams lie in state at the Capitol in Charleston, as well as to provide a memorial service. But he wanted to see Williams' wish to lie in state at the U.S. Capitol fulfilled.
“One of Woody’s last wishes was to lie in state at the U.S. Capitol, not for himself, but to represent all World War II Medal of Honor recipients. Senator Capito and I are proud to announce that we have secured a commitment for the last of the Greatest Generation, Woody Williams of Quiet Dell, to lie in state at the U.S. Capitol in the coming weeks. We are grateful to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy for their bipartisan work to make this happen.
"This recognition is the best way to honor the sacrifices Woody and all of his fellow servicemen and women made for our great nation, and I know that Woody is smiling down on us as we honor his last wish.”
U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-West Virginia, and Rep. Carol Miller, R-West Virginia 3, also praised the decision to honor Williams in the U.S. Capitol.
“Having the last WWII Medal of Honor recipient lie in state in the U.S. Capitol reflects the respect and gratitude we owe to an entire generation of veterans who have given so much to our country,” Capito said.
“Woody’s tremendous display of bravery and acts of valor on the battlefield earned him the Medal of Honor, and it’s for these reasons that he deserves this tremendous honor, which will also honor the millions of men and women who have risked their lives during the war so we can enjoy the freedoms we have today.
"While we have lost one of the best West Virginians we’ve ever known, his lifetime of service and incredible legacy will be with us forever," Capito said.
“Woody Williams dedicated his life to the service of our nation,” Miller said. “Even this final honor, to lie in state in the U.S. Capitol, was something Woody wanted for his fellow World War II Medal of Honor recipients and not himself.
"Tireless commitment to his fellow veterans and countrymen embodies the very person Woody Williams was, and this recognition will honor not just Woody but all World War II Medal of Honor recipients. I'm thankful to join with Senators Capito and Manchin and Congressmen Mooney and McKinley as we fulfill a wish of Woody's years in the making, laying in state the final World War II Medal of Honor recipient to represent a generation of service.”
Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat who is often a swing vote in the evenly split Senate, said during the memorial service that he will miss Williams’ phone calls, noting how Williams would always give him directions and to-do lists.
“I’ll miss him telling me how I’m supposed to vote. And when I didn’t, how I made a mistake,” Manchin said.
Williams, who died on Wednesday at 98, was a legend in his native West Virginia for his heroics under fire over several crucial hours at the Battle of 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, the 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.
Gen. David H. Berger, commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, said at the memorial that Williams always took exception to the notion that he accomplished that feat alone. He always acknowledged the other men on his team, some of whom never returned home.
“Woody may be the most genuine person I ever met,” Berger said, noting his unique combination of humility and humor. “He could make you laugh. He could make you care. That was his gift.”
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.
“He left an indelible mark on our Marine Corps,” Berger said. “As long as there are Marines, his legacy will live on.”