U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, U.S. Rep. Evan Jenkins, Medal of Honor recipient Woody Williams, Secretary of the Navy Roy Mabus and Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin pose with an image of the USNS Hershel Woody Williams (T-ESB 4) during a special ceremony on Thursday, Jan. 14, 2016, at the Capitol Complex in Charleston.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — He has one of the most well-known names in West Virginia, and on Thursday, the name Hershel “Woody” Williams became one step closer to becoming better known throughout the world.
U.S. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus officially announced the naming of the USNS Hershel “Woody” Williams during a ceremony at the West Virginia Culture Center in Charleston.
Williams, the last surviving Congressional Medal of Honor recipient who fought in the Battle of Iwo Jima during World War II, will have his name on the expeditionary sea base ship about 18 years after Ron Wroblewski, president of the West Virginia Marine Corps Coordinating Council, began a seemingly impossible campaign to have a ship named for Williams following a family vacation to Virginia Beach in 1997.
More than 70,000 signatures from 48 states later, a photo representation of what the ship will look like with Williams’ name on it was on display, and Mabus announced its name…
