WASHINGTON (WV News) — A grateful nation said a final goodbye Thursday to the last remaining Medal of Honor recipient from World War II.

 

Hershel W. “Woody” Williams, a native of Marion County’s Quiet Dell who passed away last month at age 98, was lain in honor in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda.

 

Williams is one of just seven individuals in U.S. history to lie in honor at the Capitol who was not an elected official.

 

The others were Rosa Parks, Rev. Billy Graham and four Capitol police officers.

In addition to members of Williams’ family, West Virginia Sens. Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito and West Virginia Reps. Carol Miller, Alex Mooney and David McKinley, Thursday’s ceremonies were attended by a host of lawmakers and other officials.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell each delivered remarks eulogizing Williams and commenting on his service and sacrifice.

 

Manchin, who announced plans to honor Williams at the U.S. Capitol during a memorial service in Charleston on July 3, said one of Williams’ final wishes was for “those who served in the Greatest Generation and WWII Medal of Honor recipients to be honored at the nation’s Capitol.”

Both Manchin and Capito spoke on the U.S. Senate Floor late on Wednesday, entering a parting tribute to Williams into the Congressional Record.

 

“We are here today to respect Woody’s wishes of honoring all veterans and their families, and to pay respects to our nation’s last living World War II Medal of Honor recipient,” said Manchin. “It has been 77 years since Woody quieted those enemy machine guns on the sands of Iwo Jima, and while he is now sadly gone, the ideals that he lived by are not: love of his family, his friends and his faith; and service to country above self.”

 

“His mission was to inspire those, especially younger Americans, to answer that same call to service that he did as a teenage boy,” said Capito. “As he said years later: ‘The people today need to remember if we ever lose our freedom, we will never be able to regain it.’ He believed that to every core of his body. There’s no doubt in my mind that because of Woody, there are more people who answered the call and chose to serve the United States in some way, shape, or form. What an incredible legacy to leave.”

 

According to biographical information from the Woody Williams Foundation, Williams enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and served in the Battle of Iwo Jima with the 21st Marines, 3d Marine Division.

 

During the battle, Williams displayed “valiant devotion to duty” and service above self as he “enabled his company to reach its objective.”

 

Williams’ actions, commitment to his fellow service members, and heroism were recognized on Oct. 5, 1945, when he received the Congressional Medal of Honor from President Truman at the White House.

 

Williams and his foundation are responsible for establishing 103 Gold Star Families Memorial Monuments across the United States, with more than 72 additional monuments underway in 50 states and 1 U.S. territory.