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Last Living World War II Medal of Honor Winner, Dead At 98
2022-06-30
Hershel "Woody" Williams, the last living Medal of Honor winner from World War II, has died at age 98.

Citation:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as demolition sergeant serving with the 21st Marines, 3d Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, 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, Cpl. Williams daringly went forward alone to attempt the reduction of devastating machinegun fire from the unyielding positions. Covered only by 4 riflemen, he fought desperately for 4 hours under terrific enemy small-arms fire and repeatedly returned to his own lines to prepare demolition charges and obtain serviced flamethrowers, struggling back, frequently to the rear of hostile emplacements, to wipe out 1 position after another. On 1 occasion, he daringly mounted a pillbox to insert the nozzle of his flamethrower through the air vent, killing the occupants and silencing 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 resistence were directly instrumental in neutralizing one of the most fanatically defended Japanese strong points encountered by his regiment and aided vitally in enabling his company to reach its objective. Cpl. Williams’ aggressive fighting spirit and valiant devotion to duty throughout this fiercely contested action sustain and enhance the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
Posted by:Procopius2k

#6  You come from good stock BC.
Posted by: Skidmark   2022-06-30 20:34  

#5  To clarify that last sentence he was always quick to bracket friendly fire with his own fire ad only suppression fire while his radio man quickly notified command of the situation which usually worked in a hot battle.
Posted by: Black Charlie Slairt1430   2022-06-30 14:17  

#4  My father was in the South Pacific during WWII in the Army, not the Marines. A lot of people died on those islands by many causes. The ones that survived had to be ruthless in battle. He showed no mercy and was threatened with court marshal for pouring a 5 gallon can of gas he got off of an officers jeep followed by a sack of grenades down a vent in a bunker of 100 jap soldiers who were picking of his men and had blocked all bunket openings with their mattresses to prevent incoming rounds.

General Swift came to his rescue as he asked the lieutenant what was the difference between that and using a flame thrower?

That one act of his killed all 100 japs from the blast and intense smoke inhalation in the bunker.

His group took out 10,000 Japs by sinking 3 large troop transports who had just anchored in a harbor unloading reinforcements into small boats. His men took the harbor shore batteries and kept flying the rising sun flags knowing the three transports were about to arrive per US intelligence.

Two of quite a few events of his groups battle experiences.

During those battles all of his teeth were ground down to the guns from sleeping with stress, two flesh wounds, one bayonet wound from hand to hand combat, and hair singed from his units outgoing artillery fire in close quarter battle formations. They had more artillery than the Marine units had.

When I was a kid a guy showed up one day without both legs from the knee down and wanted to see my father. My mother called my father at work to tell him he had a visitor and when she told him his name. My father told her to ask him to wait outside, lock the doors and get a gun, he was on his way home as fast as he could get there.

When he arrived he thanked my father for not killing him and apologized for when he spun a huge 50 caliber machine gun around and started trying to shoot his own people when he went crazy during battle. My father could only see his legs behind the big gun now facing him and his people and shot them both out from under him.

He learned to be leary of not only Japs during battle but his own units. And he was quick to take out Japs and friendly fire on those islands to live though the South Pacific war.
Posted by: Black Charlie Slairt1430   2022-06-30 14:10  

#3  Semper Fi, and enjoy the welcoming salutes that await you for a hero's rest Marine!
Posted by: NoMoreBS   2022-06-30 12:41  

#2  Flamethrower carrier's life expectancy in battle ...short.
Posted by: magpie   2022-06-30 12:31  

#1  A comment-

"It staggers the mind to think of what sort of bravery, and there isn’t a man of any age who reads that who does not wonder, “Could I have done that if I was called upon to do so?”

God bless him. What a life. What a patriot. What an American."
Posted by: Skidmark   2022-06-30 11:48  

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