[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Pages 16079-16080]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 TRIBUTE TO HERSHEL ``WOODY'' WILLIAMS

  Mr. MANCHIN. Mr. President, I would like to take a moment to 
celebrate the christening of the USNS Hershel ``Woody'' Williams, T-ESB 
4. This expeditionary sea base ship, the second of its kind, is named 
in honor of Medal of Honor recipient and West Virginia icon, Chief 
Warrant Officer Hershel ``Woody'' Williams, retired.
  Woody Williams was born on a dairy farm in 1923 in Quiet Dell, WV. He 
enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and served as a demolition sergeant 
in the Battle of Iwo Jima with the 21st Marines, 3d Marine Division. As 
a result of Woody's valiant service, he was awarded the Congressional 
Medal of Honor from President Truman on October 5,

[[Page 16080]]

1945. Today, at 94 years old, he is the last living Medal of Honor 
recipient from the Battle of Iwo Jima.
  What sets Woody apart from so many others who also honorably served 
is that his brave service on the battlefield was bookended by 
compassionate service to members of our Armed Forces and their 
families. Before entering the Corps, Woody had the painstaking task of 
delivering Western Union telegrams to Gold Star West Virginia families 
who lost loved ones early in the war. After he served 20 years in the 
Marine Corps and Marine Corps Reserves, he spent 33 years as a veterans 
service representative in the Department of Veterans Affairs and is 
still serving on the Governor's military advisory board in the State of 
West Virginia. He is a fierce advocate for all veterans of all eras.
  On January 14, 2016, during a ceremony in Charleston, WV, Secretary 
of the Navy Ray Mabus announced that the expeditionary sea base ship 4 
(T-ESB 4) would be named the USNS Hershel ``Woody'' Williams. On 
Saturday, October 21, Woody will be joined by his family, five of his 
fellow Medal of Honor recipients, fellow World War II veterans, and 
four of the five living USS Arizona survivors from Pearl Harbor for the 
joyous occasion of the christening. I look forward to the great honor 
of joining these heroes at the event in San Diego this weekend.
  Perhaps in no other time in our recent history has it been more vital 
to remember and emulate the heroism, perseverance, and patriotism of 
those who belong to the Greatest Generation. Woody is the embodiment of 
the best of his generation. Through the christening of a ship that 
bears his name, we are both honoring his great service and lifting up a 
role model to inspire all West Virginians and Americans alike.
  I would like to salute Chief Warrant Officer 4 Hershel ``Woody'' 
Williams. I also want to thank him for his great service to this great 
Nation and the great State of West Virginia, for showing us the power 
of patriotism, freedom, and family.

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