Announcement

**Ron C.** · 03-30-2011, 12:32 PM

Medal of Honor Day

Woody recently attended the Medal of Honor Day in Washington, D.C., which included the visit to the Tomb of the Unknowns that the video of which was posted
the other day. Here he is with the newest MOH recipient, Sal Giunta and Brent, his grandson, at the Capitol. Brent and Woody like Sal very much.

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More photos of the day can be viewed here until June 26......they can be downloaded too.

https://cid-cccc0dc7c50fd42b.photos.....0&sa=60953984

Ron

**Napalm** · 03-30-2011, 05:07 PM

Thks Ron, this is a brillantry constructed thread, nect time ya see him tell Woody that the people of Ireland appricate his service...

**Ron C.** · 03-30-2011, 05:46 PM

Originally posted by Napalm View Post

Thks Ron, this is a brillantry constructed thread, nect time ya see him tell Woody that the people of Ireland appricate his service...

You probably told him yourself..........Woody, I know, from time to time checks out this thread...........he has told me so. I also know that his grandson Brent does as well......in fact Brent sends me several things to post on Woody's whereabouts, and he sure gets around a lot for an 87 year old (of course Woody, I guess, has always gotten around good.........even under fire

); however I will tell Woody anyway.

I forgot to tell in the other part of the post that Woody also is somewhat of a character and somewhat of a joker. My son and him cracked jokes and remarks during the tour of the USS Iwo Jima, while I was struggling just to get up and down the many ladders and over the threshholds between compartments (felt like I was in a steeplechase). Woody told the folks there that he wasn't real sure the men on Iwo Jima liked him too much because nobody offered to bring more flamethrowers or charges out to him, and said here's another one Woody......."they made me come back and get 'em myself". All of you would really like Woody.........he is Woody.

Ron

**Napalm** · 04-01-2011, 05:15 PM

Well thks a mill Ron and if Woody or Brent if your watching , Fair play to ya ( as we say over here ), We have a lot of vets here too in http://www.lph.ie/ who fought and who still educate the younger one's...

**Ron C.** · 04-01-2011, 11:03 PM

Woody is Going to the Kentucky Derby Parade

Brent just sent me this:

BUSINESS FIRST - NEWS

Derby Festival announces Pegasus Parade grand marshals
Business First
Date: Friday, April 1, 2011, 11:27am EDT
Related:
Sports Business

The grand marshals of this year’s Kentucky Derby Festival Pegasus Parade will be four recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor.
The members of Bellarmine University’s Division II men’s national champion basketball team will be honorary grand marshals.
The grand marshals are World War II veteran Hershel “Woody” Williams of West Virginia; Korean War veteran Ernie West of Russell, Ky.; Vietnam War veteran Gary Littrell of Henderson, Ky; and Vietnam War veteran Don Jenkins of Quality, Ky.
The theme for this year’s parade is “Heroic Adventures” and ties in to the “SuperFest” theme for the 2011 Kentucky Derby Festival.
The grand marshals’ appearance in the parade is a prequel to the annual Louisville Congressional Medal of Honor Society Convention, which will be held Sept. 28 to Oct. 2, according to a news release.
During the convention, Louisville will welcome all 85 living Medal of Honor Recipients. The event marks the 150th anniversary of the creation of the Medal of Honor in 1861 by President Abraham Lincoln.

Read more: Derby Festival announces Pegasus Parade grand marshals | Business First

Ron

P.S. I think you may well find more on this at under the news room section.....Brent is on the committee. If you go to the site.....check out the Essay/Art contest . https://www.2011cmohlouisville.org/s...d-a741879fd68e

Congressional Medal of Honor Convention-Louisville 2011
http://www.2011cmohlouisville.org

**Ron C.** · 04-01-2011, 11:32 PM

Woody is indeed a very busy man for veterans......this appeared recently in our local newspapers. It happened March 29th. Sorry I was a bit slow with this one...I have a lot of things going on and have sick; however, as my basic training SGT (the first time I was in the army) taught me to say "No Excuse..Sir"......he was a WW2 Marine combat vet who was at some rather nasty places like i.e. Tarawa, Peleliu, and Iwo Jima and so others.......he could wear on his right shoulder the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Marine Division patches as he chose.....he left the Marines after the war, and joined the army airborne......he could wear on his right shoulder if he chose the 187th Airborne (made a combat jump in Korea), and was one tough character. He told me when I graduated basic that he liked me.......I certainly am glad he did, because he damned near killed me and I hate to think what he would have done to me if he didn't like me..........I sort of liked him too......he was tough but fair.

So.....No Excuse!
Ron

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Count West Virginia's last living Medal of Honor recipient among those welcoming a Cabinet-level office devoted to the state's veterans.

Hershel W. "Woody" Williams, awarded the nation's highest military honor for actions during World War II's Battle of Iwo Jima, was on hand Tuesday when Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin signed legislation creating the Department of Veterans' Assistance.

Tomblin approved the bill following a Culture Center ceremony, attended by hundreds of active and retired armed services members, honoring West Virginians who have served.

The Cabinet office will succeed the Division of Veteran's Affairs, part of the Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety. A retired Marine, Williams said veterans have lobbied for years to elevate the agency's status. He credited Tomblin for including the issue in his legislative agenda during the recently completed regular session.

West Virginia has the nation's 9th-largest percentage of veterans in its population, according to 2010 figures. The state had an estimated 167,182 veterans as of September compared with more than 201,700 counted in the 2000 Census. Williams cited the aging ranks of veterans from his and other 20th Century conflicts.

"It gets more and more important every day that we have somebody on the governor's Cabinet who will be in a position to see that the veterans of West Virginia receive the benefits that they're entitled to and have the stature that they deserve," said Williams, 87.

The ceremony included a moment of silence for Frank Buckles, the Charles Town resident who was the last U.S. veteran of World War I when he died last month.

Veterans of World War II, Korea and Vietnam were also honored. Christy Morris, deputy MAPS secretary, read an excerpt from the biography of Jessica Lynch, the Army private captured and later rescued during the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

"There are no forgotten wars here," author Rick Bragg had written of West Virginia.

Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Staff Sgt. Joanna Lee attended the ceremony and said she was surprised to learn of the legislation.

"I think it's a great idea," said the 26-year-old from Kanawha County.

The Cabinet office will have a $31.3 million budget when it launches July 1, roughly as much as the division it will supplant. Around $11.5 million of that comes from general tax revenues, and includes funding for the recently opened nursing home in Clarksburg and a facility in Barboursville. The current agency has around 280 full-time positions. At least 28 states have department-level agencies for veterans, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

The bill unanimously passed the state Senate, while 10 GOP delegates opposed it in the House. State Republican Party Chairman Mike Stuart had questioned the need for elevating the agency, and expanding its spending, when the session began. But GOP lawmakers had also co-sponsored a nearly identical bill. The version signed Tuesday was among those that the Legislature had to correct and re-pass after technical errors forced vetoes from Tomblin.

**Ron C.** · 04-15-2011, 11:46 PM

Thunder Over Louisville

Sent to me by Brent Casey:

"The spectacular waterfall of fireworks at Thunder Over Louisville, KY
When:
16 Apr 2011
Where:
Louisville
Cost:
Free

April 12, 2011. Louisville, KY. – The Kentucky Derby Festival is pleased to announce that Congressional Medal of Honor recipients Hershel “Woody” Williams and Don Jenkins will serve as the official “Thundernators” for the Thunder Over Louisville show, the Derby Festival’s Opening Ceremonies. Williams is a World War II veteran now living in West Virginia; Jenkins is a Vietnam War veteran residing in Quality, Ky. At approximately 9:29 p.m. on Saturday, April 16, Williams and Jenkins will provide the Thunder countdown and “zero” ignition to activate the Thunder launch system sequence in the Command Center at the Galt House Hotel.

Part of the Kentucky Derby Festival, Thunder Over Louisville is the largest annual pyrotechnic show in the United States. No less than eight barges are used as platforms from which to launch nearly 60 tons of fireworks.
The spectacular half-hour show features a stunning one-mile "waterfall" effect off the 2nd Street bridge. Before dark, the Thunder Air Show entertains the crowd with more than 100 planes, aerobatics teams, daring sky-diving teams and breathtaking stunts.

Rated as one of the top 100 events in North America, the Derby Festival's Opening Ceremonies is truly a sight to behold. And each year, more than 500,000 eager thrill-seekers do just that.

The Thunder Air Show dazzles the crowd with more than 100 planes, aerobatics teams, daring sky diving teams and breathtaking stunts. And the amazing technology of the United States Air Force, Navy, Army and Marines are always crowd favorites. The assortment of military aircraft and demo teams in the sky and in the water make the Louisville waterfront come to life.

Other show features include Howitzers from Fort Knox, the latest humvee technology and M-1 Abrams Tanks. Much like America's favorite pastime, Thunder salutes our country by waving the largest US flag ever flown. (The Medal of Honor flag will also be flown. ) It soars above the crowd via helicopter tow as the National Anthem provides a musical backdrop.

When it gets dark, the Thunder rolls. The show will feature the latest in pyrotechnic power from Zambelli Internationale, America's "first family of fireworks". Six barges - 100-foot open top each - assemble on both sides of the 2nd Street Bridge to form the stage from which the fireworks spectacular ignites.

The breathtaking and mind-numbing 28-minute show includes the Zambelli's signature one-mile "waterfall" effect off the bridge, making the fireworks seem to rain down forever. And in the crowd's memory of the show, it does!

After more than a decade, the show remains the largest annual pyrotechnic display in North America. Seen by millions worldwide via a July 4th rebroadcast on the Armed Forces Network to more than 150 countries, it is the state's pride.

As in recent years, the magnitude and firepower of Thunder Over Louisville have held steady at 56,215 shells. Laying the groundwork for 52 tons of fireworks shells are 250 tons of launching tubes, 2 million pounds of sand, 700 miles of wire cable and dozens of computers at the Galt House Hotel and on barges.

A Discovery Channel documentary on fireworks shows says it best, "Thunder is the Grand-daddy of them all!"."

**Ron C.** · 04-16-2011, 10:54 AM

Thunder Update

At 9:37 am Brent sent me this update/reminder.......he calls his grandfather "Papa":

"The only thing missing at this point is the "THUNDERNATOR" -my Papa !!!

At 9:35 this evening Papa (Woody) will detonate 58 tons of explosives!! YEEE HAH!

We are picking him up at the airport at 4:00pm. and we'll be off to the Command Center!

THUNDER UPDATE
Sat, April 16, 2011

THUNDER DAY

THUNDER COMMAND CENTER
Ready to go

T-MINUS
12 Hours 15 Minutes
and counting

"

Ron

**Darrell** · 04-16-2011, 12:26 PM

I've always found it interesting why you hardly EVER see MOH winners wearing the ribbon tucked inside their collar.

Are the regulations such that it is to be worn in the manner awarded (i.e. just hanging around the neck with ribbon visible).

I would have always thought that the "neat" and "tidy" method would have been like the example below. Much like RKT's.

Attached Files

MOH.JPG (37.1 KB, 207 views)

**Ron C.** · 04-18-2011, 01:20 PM

Originally posted by Darrell View Post

I've always found it interesting why you hardly EVER see MOH winners wearing the ribbon tucked inside their collar.

Are the regulations such that it is to be worn in the manner awarded (i.e. just hanging around the neck with ribbon visible).

Darrell,

I frankly don't know the answer, so I put the question to Brent and Woody.

The answer I got was that they have never seen a regulation that stipulates it be worn a certain way. There are a few of the Recipients such as Bob Modjieski who wear it tucked under the collar- just a matter of preference. Woody has almost always worn his exposed, except for the one photo.

As a side note, the only person I have personally seen wearing the CMOH was Woody (the others were just photographs), and he wore the ribbon exposed when I saw him. During the time I was in the service, I only saw 2 people who had been awarded the CMOH "wearing" the award in dress uniform. Both were at FT Campbell, KY, when I was there in the 50s as an EM, one was Paul Huff and the other was a older CPL in one of the airborne units we inspected one day (I worked on a small arms inspection team out of post ordinance). I do not remember his name; however, I was told that he was one of those kind of characters you sometimes hear stories about. Some of the other guys in the unit said that he was going to retire soon as a MAJ, and that he had gotten a battlefield commission in WW2, but had been riffed back to an EM after the war and had never made it above buck SGT after that because every time he got promoted he celebrated and got busted. The "up or out" program didn't exist then, and they said he didn't handle peace time service really well.......but in combat he was the kind of guy you wanted. In both cases the people just wore the ribbon.

Ron

**Ron C.** · 05-09-2011, 11:54 PM

Follow-up on the 2011 Derby Festival parade

Here are a few shots of the Grand Marshals of the parade Brent sent me tonight.

The banner bearers.

The Grand Marshals.......of course Woody is easy to spot with his Marine Corps League coat and cap.

Ron

**Napalm** · 05-10-2011, 02:55 PM

Great stuff Ron, always look forward to updates on this thread...

**Ron C.** · 05-10-2011, 02:59 PM

More stuff from the Derby Festival

Here is a Fox News video clip of Woody and the other Grand Marshals:

http://video.foxnews.com/v/4681475/p...rand-marshals/

This is a news article from The News-Enterprise of Hardin County, KY, where Woody spoke to the students at North Hardin High School:

http://www.thenewsenterprise.com/con...esses-students

This is a photo from the visit to the high school.

These two are from the Derby:

Ron

**Jay V.** · 05-10-2011, 03:01 PM

Ron
Excellent information and Great photos.Please keep us all updated,Jay

**Ron C.** · 05-12-2011, 12:07 AM

Requests for Woody's autograph and etc..

Recently, in the last few months I have gotten some requests by PMs and otherwise for arranging autographed photos by Woody. I have been reluctant to give out Woody's home address, phone number, or email. As you have seen a little bit of in my posts, Woody is fond of young people and wants to help them. So he and his grandson, Brent, are starting an educational foundation to provide scholarships to deserving young people. Woody does not profit from the CMOH, which he considers to only be the "caretaker" of for all the ones who didn't make it back, and who he often says he considers to be the real heroes (I do disagree a bit with Woody there.....not that they aren't, but that he is one too!)....... so he does not charge for autographs; however, to help with the funding of the foundation he and Brent have authorized me to convey this to all of you by email tonight:

"Ron,

Thanks for accepting the role here. My feelings are that these gentlemen are not asking a whole lot and they are offering to make a contribution to Woody's Education Foundation which will provide education scholarships. We are currently outlining the framework for the foundation goals and objectives.

If you will relay the message to send the items to be signed with a contribution to: The Hershel "Woody" Williams Medal of Honor Education Foundation at:

Hershel Woody Williams Medal of Honor Education Foundation Headqarters
3647 Bradley Rd.
Huntington, WV 25704

IMPORTANT: Return Postage and envelope must be included.

Please indicate if a tax-ID receipt is needed in return.

Warmest Regards and Godspeed,

Brent Casey"

I am very glad that Brent has conveyed this information to me to pass on to all who have inquired. Now you have an address and the information, as well as a way you can help honor Woody, and help young people get an education who might otherwise not have a chance. The money will not be used by Woody or Brent, but will go for exactly what they say.......Woody is a very honorable man, and so is his grandson Brent (who by the way is a former member of the 82nd ABN, and a gulf war veteran himself), and is also Co-chair Education Outreach;
Congressional Medal of Honor Convention-Louisville 2011 and Co-Founder /Executive Director; Student Veterans of America~Chapter 227 Sullivan University ( Doctoral student ).

Thanks,
Ron

P.S. I am nothing anymore......just an old guy who had to retire after 20 years as a U.S. Administrative Law Judge because of a stroke, and who once was assigned to an outfit called the 101st ABN, and was washed out of training in the USAF as an F105 pilot in 1965 for eyesight....but later served in the 8th ID as a JAGC lawyer (been and done a few other things to......but nothing nearly like what Woody did).......never saw any war close-up but have sure enjoyed the freedom that guys like Woody, and all the other troops gave to me for all my 71 years now!!!

Announcement

Hershel Woodrow "Woody" Williams, USMC, CMOH--Iwo Jima

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