CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) – One of West Virginia’s most decorated and revered figures will be immortalized in the nation’s capital.
On Tuesday, the West Virginia legislature passed a resolution to commemorate Hershel “Woody” Williams with a statue in Washington D.C. at the National Statuary Hall.
Each state is allowed two statues in the hall. For West Virginia, those are Francis Pierpont, one of the state’s co-founders, and former U.S. Senator John Kenna, also the namesake of the Jackson County town of Kenna.
Williams will replace the statue of Kenna.
Resolution proposes Woody Williams statue at U.S. Capitol; Who would it replace?
Williams made a name for himself in the Mountain State by serving his country. In 1945, he was awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery at the Battle of Iwo Jima during World War II. He also established the Gold Star Families Memorial Monument Program, a nationwide initiative to honor fallen veterans and their families.
Brent Casey, one of Williams’ many grandchildren, says there was nobody more deserving of such an honor, or more humble.