State Funeral for World War II Veterans names Iwo Jima Medal of Honor Hero Hershel W. Williams 2020 recipient of the National George Marshall Award

DALLAS, Dec. 7, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- State Funeral for World War II Veterans announced that Hershel "Woody" Williams, the last Medal of Honor (MOH) recipient from the Pacific in WWII will receive this year's national George Marshall Award, on Pearl Harbor Day.  The honor recognizes a prominent American who best celebrates the sacrifice, resilience, and service of the 16 million women and men who served in our Armed Forces during World War II.  

The organization presenting this award, State Funeral for World War II Veterans, has as its mission to convince the President of the United States to designate a State Funeral for the last MOH holder from World War II, as a final salute to the greatest generation.

Five Star General George Marshall led the American military during World War II.  Winston Churchill called him "the organizer of the Allied Victory." He was Army Chief of Staff from 1939 till 1945 and later crafted the Marshall Plan for the economic recovery of Europe. 

Williams received the MOH from President Harry Truman in 1945 for his bravery in the Battle of Iwo Jima.  On February 23, 1945 he singlehandedly cleared a series of 7 enemy pillboxes with his flamethrower.

In total, 473 Americans received our nation's highest military honor during the Second World War. Today, only two remain.  The other hero is Charles H. Coolidge of Tennessee.

"Woody Williams has been a strong supporter of our mission;" said State Funeral for World War II Veterans Chairman Lee William (Bill) McNutt. "One of his grandson's is our State Chairman in Kentucky and another of his grandson's is our Chair in Ohio. " 

"I am extremely honored to receive the National George Marshall Award," said Hershel W. Williams. "Without George Marshall's wisdom and leadership our democratic experiment might have failed. " 

"We call on President Trump to make this State Funeral designation before he leaves office. If he does not, we ask Joe Biden to use his sole authority as President to make this happen," said Mr. McNutt .  

"The 350,000 remaining veterans of the WWII will benefit from a State Funeral for the final MOH recipient from their war," said Medal of Honor recipient Donald Ballard of the Vietnam War. We're grateful to the many states that have passed our resolution through their legislatures or sent a Congressional delegation letter to the White House." Texas did so in 2018.

This effort is the brainchild of a 10-year-old Texas public school student, Rabel McNutt, in honor of her godfather, Walter Ehlers, the oldest holder of the Congressional Medal of Honor when he died in 2014. He received the medal for his gallantry during The Battle for Normandy in France, June 1944.

The last two non-Presidential State Funeral was General Douglas MacArthur in 1964 and General John Pershing in 1948.

David Oates, 
(858) 750-5560 
[email protected]

SOURCE State Funeral for World War II Veterans