Sen. Manchin urges Navy to name ship after decorated W. Va. vet
AP 12:02 p.m. EST February 27, 2015
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., is urging the Navy to name a ship after Medal of Honor recipient Hershel "Woody" Williams.
Manchin made the request Friday in a letter to Navy Secretary Ray Mabus. He said naming a ship after the Fairmont native would not only honor his legacy, but also the legacy of scores of other West Virginia veterans and their families.
The 91-year-old Williams is the last living Medal of Honor recipient from the Battle of Iwo Jima. After retiring from the Marines, he worked for the Veterans Affairs Administration for 35 years.
Medal of Honor
See more recipients of this award
Awarded for actions during the World War II
The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Corporal Hershel Woodrow "Woody" Williams, United States Marine Corps Reserve, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as demolition sergeant serving with Headquarters Company, First Battalion, Twenty-First Marines, THIRD 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, Corporal Williams daringly went forward alone to attempt the reduction of devastating machinegun 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 flamethrowers, 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 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 resistance 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. Corporal 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.
Action Date: February 23, 1945
Service: Marine Corps
Rank: Corporal
Company: Headquarters Company
Battalion: 1st Battalion
Regiment: 21st Marines
Division: 3d Marine Division
http://www.militarytimes.com/story/military/capitol-hill/2015/02/27/manchin-hershel-woody-williams/24116399/
