WASHINGTON (AP) — Herschel W. “Woody” Williams, the last remaining World War II Medal of Honor recipient, will lie in state at the U.S. Capitol, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
A date and other details will be announced later, Pelosi and Schumer said in a joint statement.
“Woody Williams epitomized the best of America: a life of duty, honor and courage,” Pelosi said. Schumer said, “Woody Williams was an American hero who embodied the best of our country and the greatest generation.”
Williams, who died Wednesday at the age of 98, was a legend in his native West Virginia for his heroism under fire for several decisive hours in the battle for Iwo Jima. As a young corporal in the Marine Corps, Williams marched ahead of his unit in February 1945 and eliminated a series of Japanese machine gun emplacements. Facing small-arms fire, Williams fought for four hours, returning repeatedly 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.
In remarks at a memorial Sunday in Charleston, West Virginia, U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin said Williams “never stopped giving back.” This included raising money for Gold Star Families – the closest family members of fallen service members – with an annual motorcycle ride.
“It raised hundreds of thousands of dollars,” Manchin said. He joked that he “wouldn’t stop because Woody would come after me right away.”
Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat, said he will miss Williams’ phone calls, noting how Williams would always give him directions and to-do lists.
“I’m going to miss him telling me how I should vote.” And when I didn’t, what a mistake I made,” Manchin said.
Gen. David H. Berger, commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, said at the memorial that Williams always took exception to the idea that he accomplished the feat alone. He always acknowledged the other men on his team, some of whom never returned home.
“Woody is probably the most genuine person I’ve ever met,” Berger said, noting his unique combination of humility and humor. “He could make you laugh. He can make you care. This was his gift.
Williams remained in the Marine Corps 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 naval vessel named after him in 2020.
“He left an indelible mark on our Marine Corps,” Berger said. “As long as there are Marines, his legacy will live on.”
Manchin announced during his remarks that Williams would be laid to rest in the Rotunda, but Pelosi and Schumer said he would be laid to rest. The difference, according to the architect of the Capitol, who oversees the building, is that government officials and military officers lie in state, while private citizens lie in honor.
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