“Your name is the most precious possession you have.” —Hershel W. “Woody” Williams, Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, when speaking to young people
Last week, the passing of Hershel W. “Woody” Williams did not register as much attention as the Heard/Depp verdict. As the final WWII Medal of Honor recipient to pass away, Williams was one of only 472 U.S. service personnel to have received this medal recognizing courageous actions from the 1941–1945 global conflict.
According to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society website, an individual receives the prestigious recognition by distinguishing himself or herself conspicuously by “gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his/her life above and beyond the call of duty”
• while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States;
• while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force; or
• while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party.
Naturally, eyewitness accounts must accompany the nomination process, which must take place within three years of the action itself. Williams’ bravery at Iwo Jima on February 23, 1945, provided more than enough reason for the Medal of Honor to be draped around his neck.
The Medal of Honor website is a treasure trove of information regarding our country’s highest military honor (www. cmohs.org). On it, viewers can pull up any past recipient (they prefer not to be called “winners”).
The website includes short videos, viewable at any time. Williams, in one such clip, spoke candidly about what mattered to him.
“All of us have circumstances that happen in our lives that we have absolutely no control of. It’s what we do as a result of those circumstances that is the most important thing. If something happens that is good, then we need to multiply that. If there is something that happens that is going to have an effect on our lives, then we must learn how to adjust to that. The most important thing to do is maintain our character. We must have character.”
The Congressional Medal of Honor Society website offers free o-line training for accessible classroom teacher resources (www.cmohs.org). It is user friendly for anyone wishing to learn more about the history of the MOH, stories and some videos of its 3,511 recipients since its inception in 1861, as well as the previously mentioned training information.
After Williams’ passing, only sixty-three living recipients remain.
Snyder, Texas, native Sue Jane Sullivan is a retired schoolteacher whose thought-provoking commentary appears occasionally in several West texas newspapers, including The Texas Spur and The Caprock Courier.
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