Woody Williams lay in honor in the United States Capitol Rotunda on July 14, 2022. Photo by Kristie Baxter.
Various lawmakers, friends and family, and other distinguished guests gathered in the Capitol Rotunda to remember and honor Williams’ life. Photo by Kristie Baxter.
In 1945, Williams was awarded the Medal of Honor for extraordinary heroism during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II. Photo by Kristie Baxter.
Williams, the last living WWII Medal of Honor recipient, lay in honor on July 14.
Eulogized as “a force of nature,” “deeply selfless, and the “greatest of the greatest generation,” Hershel “Woody” Williams lay in honor in the United States Capitol Rotunda on July 14, 2022. Williams, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, died June 29, 2022. He was 98 years old.
In 1945, then President Harry Truman awarded Williams the Medal of Honor for extraordinary heroism during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II. During the battle, Williams moved to the front lines with little cover and fought against Japanese forces for hours, repeatedly returning to clear a path for his fellow servicemen. At the time of his death, Williams was the last living Marine Medal of Honor recipient from World War II.
Various lawmakers, friends and family, and other distinguished guests gathered in the Capitol Rotunda to remember and honor Williams’ life, including Williams’ twin daughters and grandchildren.
“With Woody’s passing, we have lost a deeply selfless American and a vital link to our nation’s greatest generation,” remarked Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (CA-12) during the ceremony. “He devoted the rest of his life to helping veterans and Gold Star families and all families, always driven by his motto, 'the cause is greater than I am.’”
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell recounted meeting Williams years ago at a ceremony honoring fallen veterans and their families. “By that point, he’d been giving back to his beloved country for 77 years,” he remembered. “Needless to say, Woody’s service leaves us a rich legacy.”
Williams is only the seventh person to lay in honor in the Capitol Rotunda, an honor reserved for America’s most distinguished citizens. After the ceremony, the Rotunda was open for members of the public to pay their respects.