Hershel W. Williams

Attacked concrete pillboxes alone with repeated flame bursts

Hershel Woodrow Williams was born at Quiet Dell, West Virginia, on 2 October 1923. Raised in a farming family, he worked in civilian occupations before entering the Marine Corps in May 1943. Training prepared him for demolition and flamethrower work, a hazardous role requiring him to approach fortified positions at close range.

He served with the 21st Marines, 3rd Marine Division, in the Pacific and fought on Guam before landing on Iwo Jima. On 23 February 1945, tanks supporting his unit were stopped by mines, black volcanic sand and a network of Japanese concrete pillboxes. Williams volunteered to help open a route for the infantry.

Protected by four riflemen, he repeatedly advanced with a flamethrower, returning to obtain serviced weapons and demolition charges. Over approximately four hours he attacked emplacements under sustained fire. At one pillbox he climbed onto the roof and directed flame through a vent. At another point he confronted riflemen attempting to stop him with bayonets. His attacks reduced positions that had blocked the advance.

Williams remained in the campaign and was wounded on 6 March. President Harry Truman presented his Medal of Honor at the White House on 5 October 1945. Discharged that November, he later returned to the Marine Corps Reserve. His reserve appointments included command and mobilization duties in West Virginia, and he eventually held the rank of chief warrant officer four. He retired in 1969.

His civilian career included decades of work helping veterans obtain benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs. In later life he helped establish a foundation supporting Gold Star families and the creation of memorials to their losses. He continued public service long after retirement. Williams died in Huntington, West Virginia, on 29 June 2022, aged ninety-eight, the last surviving Medal of Honor recipient from the Second World War.