Thanks Morgana.
- Hershel W. Williams turns 95 today [10/2/2018]
Posted on 07/04/2022 10:43:46 AM PDT by Morgana
Hershel W. "Woody" Williams, the last remaining Medal of Honor recipient from World War II, whose heroics under fire over several crucial hours at the Battle of Iwo Jima made him a legend in his native West Virginia, died Wednesday. He was 98.
Williams' foundation announced on Twitter and Facebook that he died at the Veterans Affairs medical center bearing his name in Huntington.
"Today, America lost not just a valiant Marine and a Medal of Honor recipient, but an important link to our Nation's fight against tyranny in the Second World War," U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement. "I hope every American will pause to reflect on his service and that of an entire generation that sacrificed so much to defend the cause of freedom and democracy."
As a young Marine corporal, Williams went ahead of his unit in February 1945 and eliminated a series of Japanese machine gun positions.
Later that year, at age 22, Williams received the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest award for military valor, from President Harry Truman at the White House.
"For me, receiving the Medal of Honor was actually the lifesaver because it forced me to talk about the experiences that I had, which was a therapy that I didn't even know I was doing," Williams said during a 2018 Boy Scouts recognition ceremony in Fairmont, according to the Times West Virginian.
Iwo Jima was where Marines planted the American flag on Mount Suribachi, a moment captured in one of the most iconic war photographs in history. Williams said he saw the flag from a distance after it went up as troops around him celebrated.
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
And our witch in the House would not allow him to be laid out in the building. Shows the utter contempt these morons have for our military. Shame on them.
I get West Virginia TV stations and his funeral was televised, he had been a celebrity and symbol of a great America for a long time.
I didn't need to know this. We are supposed to love our enemies but after a while . . . it gets old. May God repay each according to their deeds.
There was no political profit in honoring him.
A number of vids of interviews with the man.
https://www.google.com/search?q=woody+williams+iwo+youtube
Every time one of these heroes passes, we lose a little bit of what made this country great. The stories and deeds they take with them are loss to every generation that follows.
He is going to lie in state at the US Capitol at a later date ...
True. If only he had declared himself nonbinary. Then he would have received a expensive military funeral, promoted on all of social media, and celebrated by politicians and celebrities.
If only he had once been insulted by Donald Trump
That is a heartbreaking video. I needed a kleenex.
There isn't a soldier, sailor, or marine alive that is not pissed off and we struggle with taking up arms against our nation.
We struggle, I tell ya'
You have mail.
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