A Marine’s Medal of Honor from the World War II Battle of Iwo Jima

November 14, 2020 9:56am

On today’s radio show, I spent three segments talking about the incredible Veterans Day event at Pensacola’s Veterans Memorial Park and the dedication of the new Gold Star Families Memorial Monument. It included an interview with Hershel "Woody" Williams. The 97 year-old Williams is one of two Medal of Honor recipients from World War II who are still alive. He earned it at the Battle of Iwo Jima!

That interview is now archived online as a podcast at www.TheMikeBatesShow.com/podcasts/201114 (4th segment).

The citation for his Medal of Honor, which describes his conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty, is at www.cmohs.org/recipients/hershel-woodrow-woody-williams. It is absolutely worth reading. Read it, and you'll see that it's miraculous the medal wasn't awarded posthumously. He had balls of steel. But as he described in the interview, he wasn't without fear.