Hershel W. Williams

Infobox Military Person
name= Hershel Woodrow Williams
born= birth date and age|1923|10|2
died=
placeofbirth= Fairmont, West Virginia
placeofdeath=
placeofburial=


caption= Hershel W. Williams, Medal of Honor recipient
nickname= "Woody"
allegiance= flagicon|United States United States of America
branch= United States Marine Corps
serviceyears= 1943-1945, 1948-1949, 1954-1969
rank= Chief Warrant Officer 4
commands=
unit= 1st Battalion 21st Marines
battles= World War II -Battle of Iwo Jima Korean War Vietnam War
awards= Medal of Honor (1945) Purple Heart
laterwork= Veterans Administration Commandant, W.Virginia Veterans Home (1980-1985)

Hershel Woodrow Williams (born 1923) is a retired United States Marine who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his outstanding heroism in the Battle of Iwo Jima during World War II.

Early years

Hershel Williams was born in Fairmont, West Virginia on October 2, 1923. Prior to his enlistment in the Marine Corps Reserve in Charleston, West Virginia on May 26, 1943, Williams was employed as a truck driver for the W.S. Harr Construction Company of Fairmont. He had also been a taxi driver and worked at other odd jobs.

Marine Corps service

Private Williams received his recruit training at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, California, upon completion of which he was sent to the Training Center, Camp Elliott, San Diego, where he joined the Tank Battalion on August 21, 1943.

The following month he was transferred to the Infantry Battalion at the Training Center, for training as a demolition man and in the use of the flame thrower. On October 30, 1943, he joined the 32nd Replacement Battalion. He left the United States on board the M.S. Weltey Reden on December 3, 1943 for New Caledonia. In January 1944, Williams joined the 3rd Marine Division at Guadalcanal. He was first attached to Company C, 1st Battalion, 21st Marines and then to Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 21st Marines.

World War II

During July and August 1944, he participated in action against the Japanese at Guam, and in October he rejoined Company C.

Medal of Honor actions

His next campaign was at Iwo Jima where he distinguished himself with actions "above and beyond the call of duty" — for which he would be awarded the Medal of Honor. Landing on February 21, 1945, Cpl Williams became a distinguished fighting man three days later. Quick to volunteer his services when American tanks were maneuvering vainly to open a lane for the infantry through a network of reinforced concrete pillboxes, buried mines, and black volcanic sands, Cpl Williams daringly went forward alone to attempt the reduction of devastating machine gun fire from the unyielding positions.

Covered by only 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 flame throwers, struggling back, frequently to the rear of hostile emplacements, to wipe out one position after another.

One occasion saw him daringly mounted on a pillbox to insert the nozzle of his flame thrower 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.

He was wounded in action during the campaign on March 6, 1945, for which he was awarded the Purple Heart.

In September 1945, he returned to the United States, and on the October 1, he joined Marine Corps Headquarters in Washington. D.C. He was presented the Medal of Honor by President Harry S. Truman on October 5, 1945 at the White House.

Re-enlisted

On October 22, 1945, he was transferred to the Marine Barracks, Naval Training Center, Bainbridge, Maryland, for discharge. He was discharged from the Marine Corps Reserve on November 6, 1945. In March 1948, he reenlisted in the inactive Marine Corps Reserve, but was again discharged on August 4, 1949.

On October 20, 1954, he joined the Organized Marine Reserve when the 98th Special Infantry Company was authorized by Marine Corps Headquarters, Clarksburg, West Virginia. He transferred to the 25th Infantry Company in Huntington, West Virginia on June 9, 1957. He later became the (Interim) Commanding Officer of that unit as a warrant officer on June 6, 1960. He was designated the Mobilization Officer for the 25th Infantry Company and surrounding Huntington area on June 11, 1963.

He was advanced through the warrant officer ranks during his time in the Reserves until reaching his final rank of Chief Warrant Officer 4 (CWO-4). Although CWO-4 Williams technically did not meet retirement requirements, he was honorarily retired from the Marine Corps Reserve in 1969 after approximately 17 years of service.

Medal of Honor citation

The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR to
CORPORAL HERSHEL W. WILLIAMS UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS RESERVE
for service as set forth in the following 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 First Battalion, Twenty-First Marines, Third Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Iwo Jima, Volcano Island, 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 machine-gun 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 flame throwers, 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 flame thrower through the air vent, kill the occupants and silence 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 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 United States Naval Service.

/S/ HARRY S. TRUMAN

Honors

In 1965, Williams received West Virginia's Distinguished Service Medal. In 1967, he was honored by the Veteran's Administration with the Vietnam Service Medal for service as a civilian counselor to the armed forces. In 1999, he was added to the City of Huntington Foundation's "Wall of Fame".

Named in his honor:
*the West Virginia National Guard Armory in Fairmont, West Virginia;
*a bridge at Barboursville, West Virginia; and
*an athletic field at Huntington, West Virginia.

ee also

*List of Medal of Honor recipients
*List of Medal of Honor recipients for World War II
*List of Medal of Honor recipients for the Battle of Iwo Jima

References

:Marine Corps
*cite web|accessdate=2007-10-11
url=http://www.tecom.usmc.mil/HD/Whos_Who/Williams_HW.htm
title=Chief Warrant Officer 4 Hershel Woodrow Williams, USMCR
work=Who's Who in Marine Corps History
publisher=History Division, United States Marine Corps

*cite web|accessdate=
url=http://www.usmc.mil/moh.nsf/000003c919889c0385255f980058f5b6/0000033ba9f47a7385255fa600567a87?OpenDocument
title= Cpl Hersel W. Williams, Medal of Honor, 1945, 1/21/3, Iwo Jima (Medal of Honor citation)
archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20070220212501/http://www.usmc.mil/moh.nsf/000003c919889c0385255f980058f5b6/0000033ba9f47a7385255fa600567a87?OpenDocument
archivedate=2007-02-20
work=Marines Awarded the Medal of Honor
publisher=History Division, United States Marine Corps

*cite web|accessdate=2007-04-24
title=Hershel "Woody" Willams
url=http://www.shadowwolf.org/woody.html
publisher=Marine Corp League and West Virginia Marine Corps Coordinating Council

External links

* [http://www.pritzkermilitarylibrary.org/events/2008-01-24-MOH-HershelWilliams.jsp Interview] at the Pritzker Military Library

Persondata
NAME= Williams, Hershel W.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION= United States Marine Corps Medal of Honor recipient
DATE OF BIRTH=
PLACE OF BIRTH=
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=