‘HEROIC ACTIONS’

Last Living WWII Medal of Honor Recipient Dies at 98

Herschel “Woody” Williams fought in and survived the 36-day battle of Iwo Jima in Japan.

Hershel W. “Woody” Williams, a Marine Corps veteran who earned the Medal of Honor for his valor in the 1945 Battle of Iwo Jima, died early Wednesday. He was 98. His death was announced both by the foundation bearing his name and the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. Neither specified the cause of death, though the Woody Williams Foundation said that Williams had died at a Virginia medical center for veterans. Once among a cohort of 472 other servicemen, Williams was the oldest and final living recipient of the Medal of Honor in World War II. Though he would attain the rank of chief warrant officer 4 prior to his retirement, Williams was a corporal when he landed in Japan for the 36-day battle. He was, according to his medal citation, “directly instrumental in neutralizing one of the most fanatically defended Japanese strongpoints encountered by his regiment,” charging ahead of his unit with a flamethrower and “daringly” eliminating a number of enemy machine gun positions.