Hershel “Woody” Williams
The Huntington Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center in West Virginia would be renamed in honor of Hershel “Woody” Williams, the state’s only living Medal of Honor recipient, under a bill led by U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) that recently gained Senate approval.
After earning the Medal of Honor in the Battle of Iwo Jima during World War II, Williams worked as a veterans service representative for the VA for more than three decades. U.S. Rep. Evan Jenkins (R-WV), who introduced a House version of the bill last week, said, “Woody Williams is, quite simply, an American hero.”
For his part, Williams said the thought of having the Huntington VA Medical Center, the first place he served as a veterans counselor, named in his honor makes him “extremely proud and humble.” Williams added, however, that he gives the credit to the veterans’ families in West Virginia who “have filled my life with the opportunity to serve.”
“There are so many reasons that Woody deserves this honor, but top among them is his unwavering service to this country and to West Virginia,” Capito said. “He has touched many lives over the years and has dedicated his own life to serving others. I’m proud to call him a friend, and I’m thrilled that we are able to acknowledge his courage, his compassion and his service in this way.”
Jenkins said Williams, who ran into danger in the Battle of Iwo Jima to save his fellow soldiers, is an example of the best that West Virginia and the nation have to offer.
“Woody is a member of my Service Academy Board and advises me on nominating young West Virginians for admission to our nation’s service academies,” Jenkins added. “His wisdom and insight are invaluable, and I am humbled to call him a constituent and a friend. Renaming the Huntington VA Medical Center to honor his service is a fitting tribute for all he has done for our veterans.”