Top of page

Hershel Williams [detail from video interview]

Veterans History Project Service Summary:

  • War or Conflict: Cold War; World War, 1939-1945
  • Dates of Service: 1943-1945; 1948-1969
  • Branch of Service: Marine Corps
  • Service Unit/Ship: Marine Corps Reserve; 98th Special Infantry Company; 25th Infantry Company; 1st Battalion, 21st Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division
  • Battles & Campaigns: New Caledonia; Guam; Iwo Jima
  • Location of Service: Clarksburg, West Virginia; Huntington, West Virginia; San Diego, California; Camp Elliot, California; Guam (Mariana Islands); Guadalcanal (Solomon Islands); New Caledonia; Iwo Jima; Pacific Theater
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant; Chief Warrant Officer 4
  • Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/89823

View full service history

"I always have to say this--that this Medal doesn't belong to me, it belongs to them, because they gave their life for me. So I wear it in their honor, not mine." (Video interview, 20:46)

Hershel "Woody" Williams grew up on a dairy farm in West Virginia and worked for the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) before enlisting in the Marine Corps in 1943. Accustomed to hardship and hard work, he understood the importance of realistic training and by the time his regiment took part in the invasion of Iwo Jima in February 1945 he was leading the unit's demolition teams. On February 23rd, Williams was asked to lead an assault on Japanese-held pillboxes blocking the Marines' effort to seize the island's critical airfield. Williams has few memories of that day's combat, but witnesses reported that with his flamethrower he neutralized seven enemy pillboxes to clear the path to the airfield. Two of the four Marines accompanying him on the assault were killed in action. Despite all the recognition that Williams has received for his courage that day, he emphasizes that what he accomplished was only made possible by the sacrifices made by others.

Interview / Recording

About this Item

Title

  • Hershel Woodrow Williams Collection

Names

  • Wilkerson, Thomas L.
  • unknown interviewer
  • Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation (CMOH)
  • Williams, Hershel Woodrow

State of Residence at Time of Collection Donation

  • West Virginia

Headings

  • -  Williams, Hershel Woodrow
  • -  World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Marine Corps.
  • -  Cold War -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Marine Corps.

Repository

  • Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Gender

  • Male

Status

  • veteran

Service History

  • World War, 1939-1945

    • Branch of Service: Marine Corps
    • Service Unit/Ship: 1st Battalion, 21st Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division
    • Location of Service: San Diego, California; Camp Elliot, California; Guam (Mariana Islands); Guadalcanal (Solomon Islands); New Caledonia; Iwo Jima; Pacific Theater
    • Battles & Campaigns: New Caledonia; Guam; Iwo Jima
    • Highest Rank: Sergeant
    • Dates of Service: 1943-1945
    • Entrance into Service: Enlisted
    • Military Status: veteran
    • Service History Note: The veteran earned the Medal of Honor for his service on Iwo Jima on 02/23/1945.

  • Cold War

    • Branch of Service: Marine Corps
    • Service Unit/Ship: Marine Corps Reserve; 98th Special Infantry Company; 25th Infantry Company
    • Location of Service: Clarksburg, West Virginia; Huntington, West Virginia
    • Highest Rank: Chief Warrant Officer 4
    • Dates of Service: 1948-1969
    • Entrance into Service: Enlisted
    • Military Status: veteran

Materials

  • Video: Betacam SP [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 2003-09-18)
  • Video: Betacam SP [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 2003-09-18)
  • Manuscript: Biographical information [2 items] -- Typewritten document (collected unknown)

Collection Number

  • AFC/2001/001/89823

Online Format

  • video

Additional Metadata Formats

Rights & Access

Using VHP Material in Publication or Exhibition

The Veterans History Project (VHP) at the Library of Congress collects, preserves and makes accessible the firsthand recollections of U.S. military veterans who served from World War I through more recent conflicts and peacekeeping missions, so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand what they saw, did and felt during their service. The Veterans History Project Collection includes oral histories along with documentary materials such as original letters, diaries, photographs, and memoirs.

Veterans and interviewers contribute these materials to the Library for scholarly and educational purposes, retaining any copyright they may hold. Therefore, permission must be obtained before using the interview or other materials in exhibition or publication. Researchers or others who would like to make further use of these materials should contact the Veterans History Project for assistance.

As a publicly supported institution, the Library generally does not own rights to material in its collections. Therefore, it does not charge permission fees for use of such material and cannot give or deny permission to publish or otherwise distribute material in its collections. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item from the Library’s collections and for securing any necessary permissions rests with persons desiring to use the item.

Please contact us with questions.

Obtaining Copies of VHP Materials

In order for VHP materials to be duplicated, we must receive written permission from the interviewee for you to obtain a copy of the recording unless the proposed use is limited to personal use, research, or other uses permissible by copyright law. If the interviewee is deceased, their next-of-kin may grant written permission.

Please contact VHP for assistance if you need to contact a veteran for permission to use their materials in exhibition or publication, or if you have received permission from the veteran and need access to high-resolution copies of VHP collection materials.

Citing VHP Materials

Please use the following formats when citing Veterans History Project materials (substituting the appropriate name and collection ID number).

Materials as a whole:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Manuscript material:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Memoirs (MS02), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Transcript (MS04), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Correspondence (MS01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Recording:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Audio recording (SR01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Video recording (MV01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Photograph:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Photographs (PH01), photographer unknown, Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Photographs (PH03-PH14), Ralph Williams photographer, Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Computer file:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Computer file (CF01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Artifact:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Artifact (AR01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Wilkerson, Thomas L, Unknown Interviewer, Congressional Medal Of Honor Foundation, and Hershel Woodrow Williams. Hershel Woodrow Williams Collection. 1943. Personal Narrative. https://aj.sunback.homes/item/afc2001001.89823/.

APA citation style:

Wilkerson, T. L., Unknown Interviewer, Congressional Medal Of Honor Foundation & Williams, H. W. (1943) Hershel Woodrow Williams Collection. [Personal Narrative] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://aj.sunback.homes/item/afc2001001.89823/.

MLA citation style:

Wilkerson, Thomas L, et al. Hershel Woodrow Williams Collection. 1943. Personal Narrative. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <aj.sunback.homes/item/afc2001001.89823/>.