Oral History Interview with Hershel Woodrow 'Woody' Williams, February 18, 2005

Oral History Interview with Hershel Woodrow 'Woody' Williams, February 18, 2005

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Description

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Hershel Woodrow ""Woody"" Williams. Williams quit high school I nWest Virginia to join the Civilian Conservation Corps, which assigned him to Montana. He was there when Pearl harbor was attack and resigned from the CCC to joint the Marine Corps. The Marine recruiter told him he was too short, so Williams headed back to West Virginia. When the Marine Corps lifted the height requirement, he enlisted in May, 1943. After boot camp, he joined a newly-established flame thrower demolition special weapons unit in the 1st Battalion, 21st Regiment … continued below

Physical Description

29 p.

Interviewers

Publisher

National Museum of the Pacific War
Place of Publication: Fredericksburg, Texas

Audiences

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Provided By

National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Established in 1967, the Museum honors the 8 million Americans who served in WWII in the Pacific Theater by sharing their stories with the world. Located in Fredericksburg in the restored Nimitz "Steamboat" Hotel, the Museum partners with the Texas Historical Commission to preserve the historical resources of the era.

Description

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Hershel Woodrow ""Woody"" Williams. Williams quit high school I nWest Virginia to join the Civilian Conservation Corps, which assigned him to Montana. He was there when Pearl harbor was attack and resigned from the CCC to joint the Marine Corps. The Marine recruiter told him he was too short, so Williams headed back to West Virginia. When the Marine Corps lifted the height requirement, he enlisted in May, 1943. After boot camp, he joined a newly-established flame thrower demolition special weapons unit in the 1st Battalion, 21st Regiment of the Third Marine Division and began training with them at Guadalcanal. From there, Williams went to recapture Guam. With Guam secure, Williams's unit went to Iwo Jima. He finally got ashore on 21 February. On 23 February, Williams used six flamethrowers to destroy seven fortified enemy-help positions that opened a gap in the Japanese line of defense. This action allowed more Marines and tanks to get farther inland and earned Williams the Medal of Honor. He also speaks of losing his good friend on Iwo Jima and retrieving the man's ring in order t oreturn it to his parents in Montana.

Physical Description

29 p.

Subjects

Keywords

Library of Congress Genre/Form Terms

Library of Congress Subject Headings

World War, 1939-1945

University of North Texas Libraries Browse Structure

Language

English

Item Type

Text

Identifier

Unique identifying numbers for this text in the Portal or other systems.

Accession or Local Control No: OH01320
Archival Resource Key: ark:/67531/metapth1604705

Relationships

Oral History Interview with Hershel Woodrow 'Woody' Williams, February 18, 2005 - ark:/67531/metapth1608519

Collections

This text is part of the following collections of related materials.

National Museum of the Pacific War Oral History Collection

This oral history collection depicts an instrumental era in American history. In these transcripts of interviews with World War II veterans are personal experiences with the war, from the Doolittle Raid and D-Day to the Battle for Bataan.

National Museum of the Pacific War Digital Archive

The Digital Archive presents digitized collections from the Center for Pacific War Studies collections at the National Museum of the Pacific War. Collections and material are continuously being added and represent only a small portion of the archives' physical holdings.

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