“Woody Williams” was born Hershel Woodrow "Woody" Williams in Fairmont, West Virginia on October 2, 1923. He grew up on a dairy farm in Quiet Dell, which is near Fairmont.
In WW2 he was a United States Marine who received the Medal of Honor for action above and beyond the call of duty during the Battle of Iwo Jima. The action was above and beyond the call of duty because he wasn’t ordered to do what he did, and nobody asked him to volunteer for what he did……..that is nobody but “Woody” himself……he called himself to “duty”………and he did his “duty” as he alone determined it to be, and he did it extremely well.
In his words, when I first met him in the early 80s, “the real heroes are still over there”……..I hate to disagree with a man like “Woody”, but I don’t really think that all of the heroes are still “over there”…….many of them came back, many of them came back to us in West Virginia…….and he is definitely one.
Prior to the war, and into the early part he was a ordinary young man, who worked at many things, including as a truck driver for a construction company in Fairmont, and he drove a taxi cab. He was turned down for the U.S. military for being too short just like a Texan named Audie Murphy, but on May 26, 1943, he enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve in Charleston, West Virginia.
He went through training at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, California, and then to Camp Elliott in San Diego. He entered the tank training battalion on August 21, 1943. Next month he was transferred for instruction in demolition and flamethrowers, which he put to use in a big way on Iwo Jima.
Williams joined the 32nd Replacement Battalion on October 30, 1943, and left for New Caledonia in the southwest Pacific on December 3 aboard the M.S. Weltey Reden. In January 1944, he joined the 3rd Marine Division at Guadalcanal. He was attached to the 1st Battalion, 21st Marines, first to Company C and then to Headquarters Company. In July and August 1944, he was in action against the Japanese at Guam, and in October he rejoined Company C.
His next campaign was at Iwo Jima with actions "above and beyond the call of duty" ….except his own “call to duty” for which he would be awarded the Medal of Honor.
He landed on Iwo Jima on February 21, 1945, Corporal Williams, just two days later, when our tanks came upon a network of reinforced concrete pillboxes, buried mines, and black volcanic sands, went forward alone with his flamethrower and satchel charge to knock out the machine gun fire, which was holding up the advance and wounding and killing so many of his fellow Marines!
He was covered by four riflemen, and fought for at least four hours……though I am sure it must have seemed like a lifetime through Japanese small-arms and machine gun fire, returning repeatedly to his own lines to prepare more demolition charges and get more flame throwers. He returned to the front, frequently to the rear of hostile emplacements, to wipe out one position after another. At one point, he found the air vent of a Japanese bunker, moved in and put the nozzle of his flamethrower through the hole, killing the occupants. On another occasion, he encountered Japanese riflemen, who attempted to stop him with bayonets, and destroyed them with a burst of flame from his weapon. He described this to me as almost like it was in slow motion……they couldn’t seem to hit him…..and they were sure trying. It was almost like he was being protected by some higher power…….maybe he was, because had he taken fire into the tanks he carried it would have been him that was incinerated by the flamethower.
This was the same day as the raising of the U.S. flag on Mount Suribachi, although “Woody” didn’t get to see it……he was otherwise occupied. He went through the rest of the five-week-long battle and was wounded on March 6, and was awarded the Purple Heart.
In September 1945, he returned to the United States, and on October 1, he joined Marine Corps Headquarters in Washington, D.C. He was presented the Medal of Honor by President Harry S. Truman on October 5, 1945, at the White House.
On October 22, 1945, he was transferred to the Marine Barracks, Naval Training Center, Bainbridge, Maryland, for discharge. He was discharged from the Marine Corps Reserve on November 6, 1945, but on March 1948, he reenlisted in the inactive Marine Corps Reserve, and was again discharged on August 4, 1949.
On October 20, 1954, he joined the Organized Marine Reserve when the 98th Special Infantry Company was authorized by Marine Corps Headquarters, Clarksburg, West Virginia. He transferred to the 25th Infantry Company in Huntington, West Virginia on June 9, 1957. He later became the (Interim) Commanding Officer of that unit as a warrant officer on June 6, 1960. He was designated the Mobilization Officer for the 25th Infantry Company and surrounding Huntington area on June 11, 1963.
He advanced through the warrant officer ranks in the Reserves finally becoming a Chief Warrant Officer 4 (CWO-4). CWO-4 Williams did not meet retirement requirements, however, he was honorarily retired from the Marine Corps Reserve in 1969 after approximately 17 years of service.
“Woody” felt the effects of Iwo Jima, but in 1962, or thereabouts, he experienced a religious renewal, and was a chaplain of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society for 35 years.
The citation to his Medal of Honor tells you that:
“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.”
What it doesn’t tell you us that he personally knocked out seven (7) pillboxes that day on Iwo……under Japanese fire…..alone…….with only 4 riflemen firing covering fire, when they could stick their heads up to fire.
He also has a special relationship with veterans, and has fought to help them for many years.
He is a retired Commandant of the W.Va. Veterans Home at Barboursville, WV, he was appointed as the first Commandant in 1980, served until June 1985. He also retired as a Veterans Services Officer, United States Veterans Administration, January 1978 after 33 years of serving veterans.
In 1965, Williams received West Virginia's Distinguished Service Medal. In 1967, he was honored by the Veteran's Administration with the Vietnam Service Medal for service as a civilian counselor to the armed forces. In 1999, he was added to the City of Huntington Foundation's "Wall of Fame", and has named in his honor the West Virginia National Guard Armory in Fairmont, West Virginia; a bridge at Barboursville, West Virginia; and an athletic field at Huntington, West Virginia.
Again, I know what he said to me, and I hate to disagree with him, but…..I believe “Woody” is a hero who came back to all of us…….and I think that the countless Marines, who he saved from devastating wounds, and whose lives he saved that day on Iwo Jima, by taking out those pillboxes, would likely agree with me.
I am posting photos of some of the things he gave me, including a copy of his citation; his later Warrant Officer tunic (he other uniforms were long gone); the 3 original medals of his in the frame (with the letter of authentication from him); a Marine patch; the 3rd Division book he autographed in two places; and some photos….the dog is “Abednego”, his bulldog (deceased), who used to accompany him in the veteran’s parades. He was going to get a CMOH for me to put in the display too, but I guess he wasn’t able…..no matter, that is not the important thing……what he and the others did for us is much more important…….they made sure we stayed free…….all of them……..even if they did non-combat roles…….they were a part of the team!
Oh……..in case you are wondering…….”Woody” is around 86 or so now and is still with us………I personally hope he makes it at least 86 more years…….at least. I know it may almost be sacrilegious for a former U.S. Army, and former U.S. Air Force guy, to speak the sacred words……..but, here goes…….to “Woody” I say,
“SEMPER FI”, and best wishes.
Ron
P.S. One more thing....."Woody" may have been too short when he first tried to join the military, but........he sure stood "tall" that day on Iwo Jima!!!
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In WW2 he was a United States Marine who received the Medal of Honor for action above and beyond the call of duty during the Battle of Iwo Jima. The action was above and beyond the call of duty because he wasn’t ordered to do what he did, and nobody asked him to volunteer for what he did……..that is nobody but “Woody” himself……he called himself to “duty”………and he did his “duty” as he alone determined it to be, and he did it extremely well.
In his words, when I first met him in the early 80s, “the real heroes are still over there”……..I hate to disagree with a man like “Woody”, but I don’t really think that all of the heroes are still “over there”…….many of them came back, many of them came back to us in West Virginia…….and he is definitely one.
Prior to the war, and into the early part he was a ordinary young man, who worked at many things, including as a truck driver for a construction company in Fairmont, and he drove a taxi cab. He was turned down for the U.S. military for being too short just like a Texan named Audie Murphy, but on May 26, 1943, he enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve in Charleston, West Virginia.
He went through training at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, California, and then to Camp Elliott in San Diego. He entered the tank training battalion on August 21, 1943. Next month he was transferred for instruction in demolition and flamethrowers, which he put to use in a big way on Iwo Jima.
Williams joined the 32nd Replacement Battalion on October 30, 1943, and left for New Caledonia in the southwest Pacific on December 3 aboard the M.S. Weltey Reden. In January 1944, he joined the 3rd Marine Division at Guadalcanal. He was attached to the 1st Battalion, 21st Marines, first to Company C and then to Headquarters Company. In July and August 1944, he was in action against the Japanese at Guam, and in October he rejoined Company C.
His next campaign was at Iwo Jima with actions "above and beyond the call of duty" ….except his own “call to duty” for which he would be awarded the Medal of Honor.
He landed on Iwo Jima on February 21, 1945, Corporal Williams, just two days later, when our tanks came upon a network of reinforced concrete pillboxes, buried mines, and black volcanic sands, went forward alone with his flamethrower and satchel charge to knock out the machine gun fire, which was holding up the advance and wounding and killing so many of his fellow Marines!
He was covered by four riflemen, and fought for at least four hours……though I am sure it must have seemed like a lifetime through Japanese small-arms and machine gun fire, returning repeatedly to his own lines to prepare more demolition charges and get more flame throwers. He returned to the front, frequently to the rear of hostile emplacements, to wipe out one position after another. At one point, he found the air vent of a Japanese bunker, moved in and put the nozzle of his flamethrower through the hole, killing the occupants. On another occasion, he encountered Japanese riflemen, who attempted to stop him with bayonets, and destroyed them with a burst of flame from his weapon. He described this to me as almost like it was in slow motion……they couldn’t seem to hit him…..and they were sure trying. It was almost like he was being protected by some higher power…….maybe he was, because had he taken fire into the tanks he carried it would have been him that was incinerated by the flamethower.
This was the same day as the raising of the U.S. flag on Mount Suribachi, although “Woody” didn’t get to see it……he was otherwise occupied. He went through the rest of the five-week-long battle and was wounded on March 6, and was awarded the Purple Heart.
In September 1945, he returned to the United States, and on October 1, he joined Marine Corps Headquarters in Washington, D.C. He was presented the Medal of Honor by President Harry S. Truman on October 5, 1945, at the White House.
On October 22, 1945, he was transferred to the Marine Barracks, Naval Training Center, Bainbridge, Maryland, for discharge. He was discharged from the Marine Corps Reserve on November 6, 1945, but on March 1948, he reenlisted in the inactive Marine Corps Reserve, and was again discharged on August 4, 1949.
On October 20, 1954, he joined the Organized Marine Reserve when the 98th Special Infantry Company was authorized by Marine Corps Headquarters, Clarksburg, West Virginia. He transferred to the 25th Infantry Company in Huntington, West Virginia on June 9, 1957. He later became the (Interim) Commanding Officer of that unit as a warrant officer on June 6, 1960. He was designated the Mobilization Officer for the 25th Infantry Company and surrounding Huntington area on June 11, 1963.
He advanced through the warrant officer ranks in the Reserves finally becoming a Chief Warrant Officer 4 (CWO-4). CWO-4 Williams did not meet retirement requirements, however, he was honorarily retired from the Marine Corps Reserve in 1969 after approximately 17 years of service.
“Woody” felt the effects of Iwo Jima, but in 1962, or thereabouts, he experienced a religious renewal, and was a chaplain of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society for 35 years.
The citation to his Medal of Honor tells you that:
“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.”
What it doesn’t tell you us that he personally knocked out seven (7) pillboxes that day on Iwo……under Japanese fire…..alone…….with only 4 riflemen firing covering fire, when they could stick their heads up to fire.
He also has a special relationship with veterans, and has fought to help them for many years.
He is a retired Commandant of the W.Va. Veterans Home at Barboursville, WV, he was appointed as the first Commandant in 1980, served until June 1985. He also retired as a Veterans Services Officer, United States Veterans Administration, January 1978 after 33 years of serving veterans.
In 1965, Williams received West Virginia's Distinguished Service Medal. In 1967, he was honored by the Veteran's Administration with the Vietnam Service Medal for service as a civilian counselor to the armed forces. In 1999, he was added to the City of Huntington Foundation's "Wall of Fame", and has named in his honor the West Virginia National Guard Armory in Fairmont, West Virginia; a bridge at Barboursville, West Virginia; and an athletic field at Huntington, West Virginia.
Again, I know what he said to me, and I hate to disagree with him, but…..I believe “Woody” is a hero who came back to all of us…….and I think that the countless Marines, who he saved from devastating wounds, and whose lives he saved that day on Iwo Jima, by taking out those pillboxes, would likely agree with me.
I am posting photos of some of the things he gave me, including a copy of his citation; his later Warrant Officer tunic (he other uniforms were long gone); the 3 original medals of his in the frame (with the letter of authentication from him); a Marine patch; the 3rd Division book he autographed in two places; and some photos….the dog is “Abednego”, his bulldog (deceased), who used to accompany him in the veteran’s parades. He was going to get a CMOH for me to put in the display too, but I guess he wasn’t able…..no matter, that is not the important thing……what he and the others did for us is much more important…….they made sure we stayed free…….all of them……..even if they did non-combat roles…….they were a part of the team!
Oh……..in case you are wondering…….”Woody” is around 86 or so now and is still with us………I personally hope he makes it at least 86 more years…….at least. I know it may almost be sacrilegious for a former U.S. Army, and former U.S. Air Force guy, to speak the sacred words……..but, here goes…….to “Woody” I say,
“SEMPER FI”, and best wishes.
Ron
P.S. One more thing....."Woody" may have been too short when he first tried to join the military, but........he sure stood "tall" that day on Iwo Jima!!!
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