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CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Hershel W. “Woody” Williams, the last surviving Medal of Honor recipient from World War II, has died at age 98.

Williams’ foundation announced he died Wednesday at the Veterans Affairs medical center bearing his name in Huntington, West Virginia.

As a young Marine corporal, Williams went ahead of his unit during the Battle of Iwo Jima in the Pacific Ocean in February 1945 and eliminated a series of Japanese machine gun positions.

Later that year, the 22-year-old Williams received the Medal of Honor from President Harry Truman. The Medal of Honor is the nation’s highest award for military valor.

Williams was a past visitor to Knoxville, most recently in September 2021 for a ceremony. He said then he looked forward to coming back this fall for the annual Medal of Honor Celebration, which Knoxville is hosting.

"I would not be privileged to wear this medal if it were not for others. Two of them sacrificed their lives for me that particular day," he told WBIR last year.

"The Medal of Honor changed my life because now I wear it in the honor particularly of those two Marines who gave their lives for mine, and for all the others who have made that sacrifice," he said.

Knoxville also hosted the celebration in 2014.

Williams created the Woody Williams Foundation, which so far has established more than 100 Gold Star Families Memorial Monuments in the United States. A Gold Star Family is one that has suffered the loss of an immediate member in military service to the country. The foundation also conducts outreach and provides scholarships to eligible Gold Star children.

"For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as demolition sergeant serving with the 21st Marines, 3d Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, 23 February 1945.

"Quick to volunteer his services when our tanks were maneuvering vainly to open a lane for the infantry through the network of reinforced concrete pillboxes, buried mines, and black volcanic sands, Cpl. Williams daringly went forward alone to attempt the reduction of devastating machine-gun fire from the unyielding positions.

"Covered only by four riflemen, he fought desperately for four hours under terrific enemy small-arms fire and repeatedly returned to his own lines to prepare demolition charges and obtain serviced flamethrowers, struggling back, frequently to the rear of hostile emplacements, to wipe out one position after another.

"On one occasion, he daringly mounted a pillbox to insert the nozzle of his flamethrower through the air vent, killing the occupants, and silencing the gun; on another he grimly charged enemy riflemen who attempted to stop him with bayonets and destroyed them with a burst of flame from his weapon.

"His unyielding determination and extraordinary heroism in the face of ruthless enemy resistance were directly instrumental in neutralizing one of the most fanatically defended Japanese strongpoints encountered by his regiment and aided vitally in enabling his company to reach its objective.

"Cpl. Williams' aggressive fighting spirit and valiant devotion to duty throughout this fiercely contested action sustain and enhance the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service."

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