1 00:00:05,519 --> 00:00:10,160 Speaker 1: On this episode of Newtsworld. Herschel Woody Williams was the 2 00:00:10,280 --> 00:00:14,040 Speaker 1: last survivor of the four hundred and seventy two servicemen 3 00:00:14,160 --> 00:00:16,640 Speaker 1: who were awarded the Medal of Honor in World War Two, 4 00:00:17,079 --> 00:00:20,720 Speaker 1: and he was the oldest living recipient. He died on Wednesday, 5 00:00:20,800 --> 00:00:24,400 Speaker 1: June twenty ninth, in Huntington, West Virginia, at the age 6 00:00:24,400 --> 00:00:28,400 Speaker 1: of ninety eight. Corporal Williams fought in the Battle of Iogima, 7 00:00:28,680 --> 00:00:31,880 Speaker 1: a battle we will always remember because of the iconic 8 00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:35,760 Speaker 1: photo of the six Marines raising a large American flag 9 00:00:35,800 --> 00:00:39,640 Speaker 1: on the Iogima taken by Joe Rosenthal of the Associated Press. 10 00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:43,280 Speaker 1: At the time the flag was being raised, it was 11 00:00:43,400 --> 00:00:47,280 Speaker 1: five days into the battle. Corporal Williams was a twenty 12 00:00:47,280 --> 00:00:50,480 Speaker 1: one year old marine from West Virginia, and he spent 13 00:00:50,560 --> 00:00:54,960 Speaker 1: that afternoon using flame throwers to wipe out seven Japanese 14 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:59,000 Speaker 1: pill boxes, opening an area where marine tanks and personnel 15 00:00:59,040 --> 00:01:02,480 Speaker 1: carriers could break through the enemy defenses. I had the 16 00:01:02,520 --> 00:01:05,880 Speaker 1: privilege and honor of talking with herschel Woody Williams on 17 00:01:06,040 --> 00:01:10,000 Speaker 1: news World a Memorial Day in twenty nineteen, and I 18 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:12,600 Speaker 1: wanted to take the time to honor his legacy. But 19 00:01:12,760 --> 00:01:33,039 Speaker 1: we're playing that interview for you now, so let me 20 00:01:33,080 --> 00:01:36,479 Speaker 1: go back and start right at the beginning. Why did 21 00:01:36,520 --> 00:01:39,640 Speaker 1: you join the Marines? Well, I really joined the Marines 22 00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:44,520 Speaker 1: to protect my country because we lived out in the country. 23 00:01:44,600 --> 00:01:48,040 Speaker 1: We had no radio at the time and no newspaper. 24 00:01:48,640 --> 00:01:52,520 Speaker 1: The word of mouth was that there were a group 25 00:01:52,560 --> 00:01:55,720 Speaker 1: of people that was trying to take our country away 26 00:01:55,720 --> 00:01:59,000 Speaker 1: from us and our freedom. So I joined the Marine 27 00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:02,640 Speaker 1: Corps really to take those things, not to fight a war. 28 00:02:02,760 --> 00:02:05,680 Speaker 1: I didn't know anything about war, never dreaming that I 29 00:02:05,720 --> 00:02:09,280 Speaker 1: would be going to the South Pacific and have to 30 00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:13,560 Speaker 1: get involved in combat. That certainly was not part of 31 00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:18,360 Speaker 1: my desire at that time. So you just felt like 32 00:02:18,400 --> 00:02:21,560 Speaker 1: it was your duty as a patriot that indeed, my 33 00:02:21,800 --> 00:02:25,440 Speaker 1: freedom and my country was important to me, and I 34 00:02:25,480 --> 00:02:28,320 Speaker 1: certainly didn't want to lose that. And there were a 35 00:02:28,320 --> 00:02:33,000 Speaker 1: lot of wee country boys who didn't know any more 36 00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:37,520 Speaker 1: than that that went into the military for that particular purpose. 37 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:41,000 Speaker 1: As I said, we didn't know. We've never been involved 38 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:43,600 Speaker 1: in war. None of my family had ever been in war, 39 00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:47,079 Speaker 1: so we knew nothing about it. And the only thing 40 00:02:47,160 --> 00:02:51,560 Speaker 1: I did know or we were told is you know, 41 00:02:51,639 --> 00:02:54,080 Speaker 1: we could lose our country, We could lose our freedom 42 00:02:54,080 --> 00:02:57,840 Speaker 1: that these people were to take it over, and I 43 00:02:57,880 --> 00:03:00,120 Speaker 1: certainly didn't want that to happen, so I joined the 44 00:03:00,160 --> 00:03:03,240 Speaker 1: Marine Corpers. Protected Well, if you don't mind my asking, 45 00:03:03,320 --> 00:03:06,240 Speaker 1: my dad served twenty seven years in the infantry in 46 00:03:06,320 --> 00:03:09,240 Speaker 1: the Army, and I'm just curious why you picked the Corps, 47 00:03:09,360 --> 00:03:12,320 Speaker 1: which of course is a wonderful institution, but I just 48 00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:14,760 Speaker 1: have to ask that as an army brand. During the 49 00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:20,160 Speaker 1: peacetime depression years, we had a couple of fellers from 50 00:03:20,280 --> 00:03:24,680 Speaker 1: our country community who in order to make a living, 51 00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:28,200 Speaker 1: joined the Marine Corps. And at that time they only 52 00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:31,640 Speaker 1: had one enlistmentterial. You had to go for six years, 53 00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:36,800 Speaker 1: and the Marine Corps also had a high requirement. You 54 00:03:36,880 --> 00:03:40,640 Speaker 1: had to be so tall I put eight or you 55 00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:43,280 Speaker 1: couldn't get in the Marine Corps. But they went in 56 00:03:43,360 --> 00:03:46,080 Speaker 1: the Marine Corps actually to make a living. They would 57 00:03:46,120 --> 00:03:51,000 Speaker 1: come home on a thirty day furlough one time a year. 58 00:03:51,800 --> 00:03:54,520 Speaker 1: That's the only time they ever got home. And when 59 00:03:54,600 --> 00:03:57,600 Speaker 1: they came back to the community, they were required by 60 00:03:57,640 --> 00:04:01,400 Speaker 1: the Marine Corps to where their dress blue uniform, and 61 00:04:01,480 --> 00:04:05,760 Speaker 1: it was so much more attractive than that ugly Army uniform, 62 00:04:05,880 --> 00:04:10,520 Speaker 1: my old wold uniform that they had, and girls would 63 00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:13,880 Speaker 1: kind of look the VAM rather than anybody else when 64 00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:17,039 Speaker 1: they were in the community. So I guess those two 65 00:04:17,080 --> 00:04:19,679 Speaker 1: things inforced me. I wanted to look like a marine, 66 00:04:20,240 --> 00:04:23,400 Speaker 1: and maybe I skipped me a good looking girl that way. 67 00:04:23,600 --> 00:04:25,600 Speaker 1: That's great. Did it work? Did you get a good 68 00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:29,000 Speaker 1: looking girl? Well? Not at that time. I finally did 69 00:04:29,240 --> 00:04:31,839 Speaker 1: get me a good looking girl and we were married 70 00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:35,040 Speaker 1: for sixty three years. So yeah, you were like nineteen 71 00:04:35,080 --> 00:04:38,560 Speaker 1: almost twenty when you signed up, so you were really 72 00:04:38,560 --> 00:04:43,960 Speaker 1: making a big decision. You volunteered to be a demolition sergeant, 73 00:04:43,960 --> 00:04:47,920 Speaker 1: which was a pretty dangerous and pretty impressive position with 74 00:04:48,640 --> 00:04:52,120 Speaker 1: flamethrowers and explosions and things. Did you volunteer or did 75 00:04:52,160 --> 00:04:55,760 Speaker 1: the core volunteer you? Well, the core volunteered me. I 76 00:04:55,880 --> 00:04:59,800 Speaker 1: was basically a rifleman. I was on the island of 77 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:06,200 Speaker 1: Ugle Canal when the flamethrowor came out. I was what 78 00:05:06,440 --> 00:05:09,120 Speaker 1: we called back in those days, a BA arm and 79 00:05:09,240 --> 00:05:13,880 Speaker 1: a Browning automatic rifle person and that was my job. 80 00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:16,719 Speaker 1: But when the flamethrower came out, they had to establish 81 00:05:16,760 --> 00:05:21,560 Speaker 1: another unit to handle the flamethrowor and teach us how 82 00:05:21,600 --> 00:05:24,479 Speaker 1: to use it and at the same time teach us 83 00:05:24,520 --> 00:05:27,400 Speaker 1: how to do demolition, because if you couldn't burn it up, 84 00:05:27,960 --> 00:05:30,039 Speaker 1: then you had to learn how to blow it up. 85 00:05:30,360 --> 00:05:34,840 Speaker 1: So we did both, and so they trained me in 86 00:05:34,920 --> 00:05:38,360 Speaker 1: that way and put us in a special unit so 87 00:05:38,480 --> 00:05:42,080 Speaker 1: that when we got into combat, if the platoon leader 88 00:05:42,200 --> 00:05:48,200 Speaker 1: or the company commander needed a cave field with explosives, 89 00:05:48,480 --> 00:05:51,600 Speaker 1: we could do that for him. Or if they needed 90 00:05:51,600 --> 00:05:55,359 Speaker 1: a flamethrow to put flame in a cave or in 91 00:05:55,400 --> 00:05:59,120 Speaker 1: a pillbox, we could do that. So that's how we 92 00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:01,400 Speaker 1: got to be in. It was one of those you 93 00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:07,799 Speaker 1: have volunteered, so okay, So having volunteered wasn't, as I remember, 94 00:06:07,880 --> 00:06:12,680 Speaker 1: it wasn't carrying a flame floor dangerous. Well, yes it was, 95 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:15,919 Speaker 1: because you're carrying seventy pounds of weight on your back. 96 00:06:16,360 --> 00:06:19,480 Speaker 1: You've got four and a half gallons of few flammable 97 00:06:19,560 --> 00:06:22,760 Speaker 1: fuel on your back with an air tank that's got 98 00:06:22,760 --> 00:06:27,240 Speaker 1: about seventeen hundred PSI in it. So yes, it was 99 00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:31,680 Speaker 1: dangerous and you couldn't very well walk upright with them. 100 00:06:31,760 --> 00:06:35,240 Speaker 1: When you were in combat. You were on your belly 101 00:06:35,320 --> 00:06:38,000 Speaker 1: crawling more than you were up walking because you made 102 00:06:38,040 --> 00:06:41,200 Speaker 1: such a big target. And I've been told and there 103 00:06:41,279 --> 00:06:44,440 Speaker 1: is no statistics for this. I don't think that the 104 00:06:44,560 --> 00:06:48,840 Speaker 1: average life span of a flamethloor once they got into 105 00:06:48,839 --> 00:06:52,960 Speaker 1: combat was five minutes. How I survived, I have to 106 00:06:52,960 --> 00:06:55,440 Speaker 1: give God credit for that, because I don't know. So 107 00:06:55,600 --> 00:06:59,000 Speaker 1: you've took place in two very different kind of battles 108 00:06:59,160 --> 00:07:02,839 Speaker 1: at Guam and jim. But how would you compare those 109 00:07:02,839 --> 00:07:08,560 Speaker 1: two justice fights altogether differently because Guam was almost all jungle, 110 00:07:09,640 --> 00:07:12,360 Speaker 1: and going through the jungle we even had to have 111 00:07:12,760 --> 00:07:17,160 Speaker 1: in areas machetes to cut our ways through the jungle 112 00:07:17,240 --> 00:07:21,760 Speaker 1: to advance. And on Iwajima, they had bombed that thing 113 00:07:21,960 --> 00:07:24,960 Speaker 1: for day after day after day, and there was nothing 114 00:07:25,120 --> 00:07:29,360 Speaker 1: standing in the way of scrubbery or trees or bushes 115 00:07:29,480 --> 00:07:34,280 Speaker 1: or anything like that. And the commanding general of Iwajima, 116 00:07:34,440 --> 00:07:38,280 Speaker 1: according to the record, I'm just quoting record, he had 117 00:07:38,320 --> 00:07:43,200 Speaker 1: constructed various sized pillboxes and there were about two hundred 118 00:07:43,280 --> 00:07:47,160 Speaker 1: of them on the island, and that was going to 119 00:07:47,240 --> 00:07:51,840 Speaker 1: be his principal way of defense was to put his troops. 120 00:07:52,480 --> 00:07:55,720 Speaker 1: He had about twenty two thousand of them on Iwajima. 121 00:07:56,000 --> 00:08:00,800 Speaker 1: Put his troops either in caves and had miles and 122 00:08:00,920 --> 00:08:05,480 Speaker 1: miles of tunnel hollowed out in that island or in 123 00:08:05,520 --> 00:08:09,040 Speaker 1: a box where they were protected, and we were in 124 00:08:09,080 --> 00:08:13,080 Speaker 1: the opening in the open area. So that was his 125 00:08:13,760 --> 00:08:16,600 Speaker 1: defense to keep us from being able to take the island. 126 00:08:16,720 --> 00:08:20,720 Speaker 1: So you went in as one of the most difficult 127 00:08:21,160 --> 00:08:24,360 Speaker 1: and bloodiest fights of the Second World War for the Americans. 128 00:08:25,000 --> 00:08:28,600 Speaker 1: You go in as one of the key elements in 129 00:08:28,720 --> 00:08:31,240 Speaker 1: taking out these pillboxes. That's the whole point of the 130 00:08:31,240 --> 00:08:34,760 Speaker 1: flamethrower at that point, isn't it. That's right. Yeah, what 131 00:08:34,920 --> 00:08:38,359 Speaker 1: we tried to do once we got flame in the pillbox, 132 00:08:38,640 --> 00:08:42,240 Speaker 1: but close enough to get the flame in, if we 133 00:08:42,320 --> 00:08:45,920 Speaker 1: still weren't sure whether that would exterminate all the people 134 00:08:45,960 --> 00:08:48,960 Speaker 1: in there, so we would then try to put a 135 00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:53,440 Speaker 1: demolition charge in the pill box to make sure that 136 00:08:54,040 --> 00:08:57,040 Speaker 1: if the flamethrower didn't get them done, the explosion would. 137 00:08:57,640 --> 00:09:01,320 Speaker 1: You were both using the flamethrower and you were setting 138 00:09:01,320 --> 00:09:05,559 Speaker 1: off the detonations. Yeah, we had lost so many marines 139 00:09:05,960 --> 00:09:11,240 Speaker 1: in accepting to advance on the island that we just 140 00:09:11,320 --> 00:09:14,480 Speaker 1: didn't have enough marines to go around. So sometimes you 141 00:09:14,520 --> 00:09:16,640 Speaker 1: had to do two jobs, whether you wanted to do 142 00:09:16,679 --> 00:09:20,320 Speaker 1: it or not. And I didn't have it after period 143 00:09:20,320 --> 00:09:23,720 Speaker 1: of time. I had four marines assisting me in the beginning, 144 00:09:24,600 --> 00:09:27,439 Speaker 1: but two of them were killed. I have had a 145 00:09:27,440 --> 00:09:30,680 Speaker 1: little help, so got to do what you got to do. 146 00:09:31,120 --> 00:09:35,359 Speaker 1: If I understand it in the citation for the Congressional 147 00:09:35,360 --> 00:09:39,040 Speaker 1: Medal of Honor, you personally were involved in taking out 148 00:09:39,120 --> 00:09:43,120 Speaker 1: seven pillboxes. Isn't that kind of amazing? Some of them 149 00:09:43,200 --> 00:09:47,160 Speaker 1: were small and some of them were larger pillboxes A 150 00:09:47,160 --> 00:09:50,560 Speaker 1: flamethrower if you were too and we did this in 151 00:09:50,920 --> 00:09:54,880 Speaker 1: training and practice, of course, just opened it up and 152 00:09:55,480 --> 00:09:59,040 Speaker 1: fire up without living up on it. It would last 153 00:09:59,040 --> 00:10:04,160 Speaker 1: seventy two Did you have to change or recharge when 154 00:10:04,160 --> 00:10:07,440 Speaker 1: you're taking out seven different pillboxes? You can't do that 155 00:10:07,480 --> 00:10:11,040 Speaker 1: with just one flamethrower load of fuel, can you? Oh? 156 00:10:11,120 --> 00:10:16,160 Speaker 1: I used up six flamethrowers. We were trained that you 157 00:10:16,320 --> 00:10:19,440 Speaker 1: use only what you have to and we would fire them, 158 00:10:19,559 --> 00:10:23,880 Speaker 1: usually in a three to a five second or maybe 159 00:10:23,920 --> 00:10:28,760 Speaker 1: thirty second burst, and it would create a huge ball 160 00:10:28,760 --> 00:10:31,600 Speaker 1: of fire that you could really roll on the ground 161 00:10:32,200 --> 00:10:35,360 Speaker 1: and roll it into a cave or roll it into 162 00:10:35,400 --> 00:10:40,600 Speaker 1: a pillbox. And we did that. Then we would continue 163 00:10:40,600 --> 00:10:43,360 Speaker 1: advanced to where we could get close enough to make 164 00:10:43,400 --> 00:10:46,920 Speaker 1: sure that we could get the flame in the one 165 00:10:46,960 --> 00:10:49,680 Speaker 1: or the other, whichever we were doing. You lost two 166 00:10:50,440 --> 00:10:54,960 Speaker 1: riflemen during this process. Do you remember them or were 167 00:10:55,000 --> 00:10:58,120 Speaker 1: they new to you? Oh? I don't. Some of them 168 00:10:58,120 --> 00:11:00,920 Speaker 1: I do. There's a couple of them that have never 169 00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:03,599 Speaker 1: left my mind. But some of them I do not. 170 00:11:03,920 --> 00:11:08,800 Speaker 1: And I have tried to find professional people, psychologists or 171 00:11:08,800 --> 00:11:12,640 Speaker 1: somebody that could explain to me why I can't remember that. 172 00:11:12,880 --> 00:11:18,280 Speaker 1: How did I get my extra flainthors. I'm reasonably sure 173 00:11:19,080 --> 00:11:21,679 Speaker 1: none of the Marines back there said, hey, he's out 174 00:11:21,720 --> 00:11:24,240 Speaker 1: of plainethrowers, I'll go take him one. I don't think 175 00:11:24,240 --> 00:11:27,880 Speaker 1: that ever happened. But I still don't know how I 176 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:30,480 Speaker 1: got them, and it's bothered me for my life of 177 00:11:30,840 --> 00:11:36,000 Speaker 1: why can't I remember that? Because it was certainly critical 178 00:11:36,040 --> 00:11:40,800 Speaker 1: to achieving the job. It's remarkable. So you were singled 179 00:11:40,800 --> 00:11:43,440 Speaker 1: out as one of the people who really helped us 180 00:11:43,480 --> 00:11:46,600 Speaker 1: win one of the most bitter fights of the entire 181 00:11:46,640 --> 00:11:50,680 Speaker 1: Second War, and you got to see President Truman. For 182 00:11:50,720 --> 00:11:53,720 Speaker 1: a boy from West Virginia, what was that like to 183 00:11:53,720 --> 00:11:56,080 Speaker 1: go to the White House and see the President? Well, 184 00:11:56,120 --> 00:11:59,200 Speaker 1: you have never seen a more scared boy in your life. 185 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:03,880 Speaker 1: Because I was so frightened. When I walked up to 186 00:12:03,960 --> 00:12:07,280 Speaker 1: him to have him present the Medal of Honor to me, 187 00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:14,320 Speaker 1: my body was shaking so violently that I just couldn't 188 00:12:14,320 --> 00:12:17,920 Speaker 1: be still. And I guess that's adrenaline. I don't know 189 00:12:17,960 --> 00:12:21,680 Speaker 1: what it was, but it certainly was not a comfortable moment. 190 00:12:22,480 --> 00:12:25,280 Speaker 1: Much of what he said that day, I don't remember either. 191 00:12:26,440 --> 00:12:29,559 Speaker 1: One thing I did remember him saying, and he said 192 00:12:29,600 --> 00:12:33,359 Speaker 1: this in different ways. There were thirteen Avers that day 193 00:12:33,520 --> 00:12:36,720 Speaker 1: who received the Medal of Honor. They've already been approved 194 00:12:36,800 --> 00:12:40,120 Speaker 1: before the war was over, but they were not going 195 00:12:40,200 --> 00:12:42,560 Speaker 1: to call us back just to present the medal of 196 00:12:42,559 --> 00:12:45,959 Speaker 1: honor to us. But when the war ended, then they 197 00:12:46,040 --> 00:12:50,320 Speaker 1: called those had already been approved by the Congress and 198 00:12:50,480 --> 00:12:54,199 Speaker 1: signed by the President. They brought us all back from 199 00:12:54,480 --> 00:12:57,880 Speaker 1: the South Pacific and present them all at the same time. 200 00:12:57,960 --> 00:13:02,440 Speaker 1: And there were six Navy Corps, seven Marines or thirteen 201 00:13:02,520 --> 00:13:06,920 Speaker 1: of us presented the medal alphabetically. So I'm next to 202 00:13:07,040 --> 00:13:10,319 Speaker 1: last out of the I was number twelve, And at 203 00:13:10,360 --> 00:13:12,760 Speaker 1: that time I had built up a seven nerves you 204 00:13:12,760 --> 00:13:19,240 Speaker 1: wouldn't believe, and I was really frightening, scared, anxious, whatever 205 00:13:19,280 --> 00:13:22,800 Speaker 1: you want to call it. But I do remember him 206 00:13:22,800 --> 00:13:27,160 Speaker 1: saying to me as he said to the other recipients 207 00:13:27,200 --> 00:13:30,319 Speaker 1: in different ways, but he said to me, I'd rather 208 00:13:30,400 --> 00:13:33,600 Speaker 1: have this medal than to be president. I remember that 209 00:13:33,920 --> 00:13:36,560 Speaker 1: you were more nervous seeing President Truman than you were 210 00:13:37,200 --> 00:13:41,480 Speaker 1: taking out pillboxes. You are absolutely right, because at least 211 00:13:42,120 --> 00:13:44,520 Speaker 1: but very conscious of what was going on when I 212 00:13:44,559 --> 00:13:47,720 Speaker 1: was receiving the medal, and when I was in combat, 213 00:13:47,920 --> 00:13:50,559 Speaker 1: all you think about is getting the job done and 214 00:13:51,040 --> 00:13:54,880 Speaker 1: keeping yourself alive. So those were the two principal things 215 00:13:54,920 --> 00:13:57,360 Speaker 1: that you work on at that point in time. So, 216 00:13:57,720 --> 00:14:01,839 Speaker 1: if I'm counting correctly, are now ninety five years old 217 00:14:02,120 --> 00:14:05,480 Speaker 1: at his correction, Yes, I mean ninety six in October, 218 00:14:05,640 --> 00:14:10,280 Speaker 1: and you created the herschel Woody Williams Congressional Medal of 219 00:14:10,280 --> 00:14:14,080 Speaker 1: Honor Education Foundation. What's the purpose of that? Purpose of 220 00:14:14,160 --> 00:14:19,240 Speaker 1: it is is to recognize the families, the irrelatives of 221 00:14:19,280 --> 00:14:23,240 Speaker 1: those who have sacrificed their lives in the armed forces 222 00:14:23,280 --> 00:14:26,600 Speaker 1: of our country. We have done a pretty good job 223 00:14:26,800 --> 00:14:32,080 Speaker 1: recognizing gold Star mothers. And we all know that our 224 00:14:32,120 --> 00:14:37,760 Speaker 1: mothers were basically mostly closer to us, or we were 225 00:14:37,800 --> 00:14:41,720 Speaker 1: closer to them than we were even Dad. But in 226 00:14:41,760 --> 00:14:45,040 Speaker 1: all those years that we talked about God Star mothers, 227 00:14:45,080 --> 00:14:50,440 Speaker 1: and some communities erected memorials and tributes to gold Star mothers. 228 00:14:51,000 --> 00:14:57,200 Speaker 1: Nobody ever mentioned gold Star Dad or any member of 229 00:14:57,400 --> 00:15:02,120 Speaker 1: the family, the widow, the children, the grandparents, cousins, the aunts, 230 00:15:02,240 --> 00:15:07,000 Speaker 1: the uncles. Nobody ever talked about them. But when you 231 00:15:07,080 --> 00:15:09,840 Speaker 1: lose a loved one as a member of your family, 232 00:15:10,120 --> 00:15:13,840 Speaker 1: regardless of how host you may be, you're still related, 233 00:15:14,360 --> 00:15:16,920 Speaker 1: and there is a certain amount of grief takes place. 234 00:15:17,680 --> 00:15:21,120 Speaker 1: But we've never done anything in this country to honor 235 00:15:21,200 --> 00:15:25,400 Speaker 1: the families of those who sacrificed our lives. But we 236 00:15:25,520 --> 00:15:30,480 Speaker 1: took on the project of having communities where these people 237 00:15:30,640 --> 00:15:36,760 Speaker 1: live to an all Star family memorial monument that pays 238 00:15:36,840 --> 00:15:41,680 Speaker 1: tribute to those families, and we did the first one 239 00:15:41,760 --> 00:15:46,720 Speaker 1: in West Virginia on October second, twenty thirteen. We did 240 00:15:46,720 --> 00:15:52,960 Speaker 1: it selfishly for West Virginia families because we have a 241 00:15:53,040 --> 00:15:57,360 Speaker 1: memorial on our capitol grounds and has eleven thousand, four 242 00:15:57,440 --> 00:16:01,720 Speaker 1: hundred and twenty four names inscribed on it of West 243 00:16:01,800 --> 00:16:07,520 Speaker 1: Virginians who have sacrificed their lives in the armed forces, 244 00:16:07,640 --> 00:16:11,280 Speaker 1: and we had never done anything to pay tribute to 245 00:16:11,320 --> 00:16:15,560 Speaker 1: those families. So I decided. I came up with the 246 00:16:15,680 --> 00:16:20,640 Speaker 1: idea and presented to a group of people, and they said, well, yes, 247 00:16:20,760 --> 00:16:22,760 Speaker 1: that we need to do that. We should have done 248 00:16:22,760 --> 00:16:27,320 Speaker 1: it a long time ago. I designed the memorial and 249 00:16:27,480 --> 00:16:29,880 Speaker 1: we built the first one. The second one was done 250 00:16:29,880 --> 00:16:33,640 Speaker 1: at Valley Forge. Now we have forty seven of them 251 00:16:33,800 --> 00:16:39,480 Speaker 1: somewhere in the country, from Guam to California and New 252 00:16:39,560 --> 00:16:44,040 Speaker 1: York to Florida and Texas and all over paying tribute 253 00:16:44,080 --> 00:16:47,920 Speaker 1: to those families in those communities. And West Virginia, I'm 254 00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:52,120 Speaker 1: very proud to say we already have five in various 255 00:16:52,200 --> 00:16:56,800 Speaker 1: communities of our state. We've got two more in the process, 256 00:16:56,880 --> 00:17:01,120 Speaker 1: and in October, the second coming up this year, we 257 00:17:01,160 --> 00:17:04,600 Speaker 1: will dedicate one that is twice the size of any 258 00:17:04,600 --> 00:17:08,680 Speaker 1: other in the country on our capital grounds to pay 259 00:17:08,800 --> 00:17:14,080 Speaker 1: tribute to all families, every family in the state but 260 00:17:14,280 --> 00:17:18,000 Speaker 1: lost a loved one for our freedom and for America. 261 00:17:18,240 --> 00:17:20,840 Speaker 1: That's really great, And people who'd like to help with 262 00:17:20,920 --> 00:17:25,000 Speaker 1: this project can go to the herschel Woody Williams Congressional 263 00:17:25,040 --> 00:17:29,160 Speaker 1: Medal of Honor Education Foundation can support you, Yes, indeed, 264 00:17:29,760 --> 00:17:31,960 Speaker 1: and we'd love to have that because we have no 265 00:17:32,040 --> 00:17:36,639 Speaker 1: means of actual support We go to these communities and 266 00:17:36,760 --> 00:17:39,880 Speaker 1: I do a lot of speaking engagements, and they do 267 00:17:40,040 --> 00:17:43,199 Speaker 1: give us honorariums occasionally, and I devote all of that 268 00:17:43,320 --> 00:17:46,840 Speaker 1: to the Foundation, because that needs to be done. And 269 00:17:47,520 --> 00:17:51,960 Speaker 1: even today, mister speaker, in the capital of our great 270 00:17:52,119 --> 00:17:56,560 Speaker 1: United States of America, we do not have one single 271 00:17:56,720 --> 00:18:00,679 Speaker 1: thing of all the monuments or memorials, We do not 272 00:18:00,840 --> 00:18:04,879 Speaker 1: have one thing in this capital or this country that 273 00:18:05,000 --> 00:18:08,760 Speaker 1: pays tribute and honor to the families who have sacrificed 274 00:18:08,880 --> 00:18:12,159 Speaker 1: more than any of us. Nothing. For me, that is 275 00:18:12,200 --> 00:18:15,280 Speaker 1: just a total shame, because that ought to be the 276 00:18:15,359 --> 00:18:20,439 Speaker 1: center point where our country would recognize all of these 277 00:18:20,520 --> 00:18:25,200 Speaker 1: families over the history of our country that have given 278 00:18:25,960 --> 00:18:29,720 Speaker 1: one of their own, part of themselves so we could 279 00:18:29,760 --> 00:18:33,960 Speaker 1: be free rights. And thank you so much for sharing 280 00:18:34,080 --> 00:18:45,480 Speaker 1: your life with us. Thank you, sir. Herschel Woody Williams 281 00:18:45,520 --> 00:18:49,520 Speaker 1: now lies in state inside the West Virginia Capitol Rotunda 282 00:18:49,560 --> 00:18:53,320 Speaker 1: in Charleston. The public is invited to pay their respects 283 00:18:53,640 --> 00:18:57,520 Speaker 1: on Sunday from ten am to two pm. His funeral 284 00:18:57,840 --> 00:19:01,359 Speaker 1: his planned for Sunday, July third, from four pm to 285 00:19:01,520 --> 00:19:06,240 Speaker 1: five fifteen pm at the West Virginia Culture Center in Charleston. 286 00:19:06,840 --> 00:19:11,040 Speaker 1: We honor his legacy and his service to our country. 287 00:19:14,119 --> 00:19:17,520 Speaker 1: News World is produced by Gingwish three sixty and iHeartMedia. 288 00:19:18,000 --> 00:19:22,760 Speaker 1: Our executive producer is Garnsey Sloan, our producer is Rebecca Howe, 289 00:19:22,960 --> 00:19:26,720 Speaker 1: and our researcher is Rachel Peterson. The artwork for the 290 00:19:26,720 --> 00:19:30,919 Speaker 1: show was created by Steve Penley. Special thanks to the 291 00:19:30,960 --> 00:19:34,760 Speaker 1: team at Gingwig three sixty. If you've been enjoying Newtsworld, 292 00:19:35,080 --> 00:19:38,160 Speaker 1: I hope you'll go to Apple Podcast and both rate 293 00:19:38,240 --> 00:19:41,320 Speaker 1: us with five stars and give us a review so 294 00:19:41,480 --> 00:19:44,880 Speaker 1: others can learn what it's all about. Right now, listeners 295 00:19:44,880 --> 00:19:47,639 Speaker 1: of news World can sign up for my three free 296 00:19:47,680 --> 00:19:52,480 Speaker 1: weekly columns at Gingwich three sixty dot com slash newsletter. 297 00:19:52,880 --> 00:19:55,280 Speaker 1: I'm Newt Gingrich. This is news World.