On Tuesday, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed HR 186, a bill with a West Virginia connection. The legislation locates a Medal of Honor Monument on the National Mall, near the Lincoln Memorial.
The monument will honor the extraordinary acts of valor, service and sacrifice displayed by Medal of Honor recipients. The bill itself is named after the late Marine Corps veteran Hershel “Woody” Williams, who was the last surviving World War II Medal of Honor recipient. The Cabell County resident died in 2022 at age 98.
Williams’ grandson, Chad Graham, is the executive director of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society and a member of the board of directors for the Woody Williams Foundation. Graham says his beloved “papaw” knew before he passed of the monument’s theme and true nature.
“It was something that he was aware of prior to going to his final duty station,” Graham said. “He was really excited about it. Woody wore the Medal of Honor not for himself, but those that did not get to come home. He would want this monument to elevate and celebrate the values of the medal, not just for his individual action.”
Williams received the Medal of Honor for his heroic bravery during the battle of Iwo Jima. After the war, he founded the national Woody Williams Foundation, dedicated to the honor and support of Gold Star Families. Gold Star Family members and relatives are those who have sacrificed a loved one serving in the armed forces of the United States.
The National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation will be the key entity in establishing the monument. Graham says his family, the Congressional Medal of Honor Society and the Woody Williams Foundation will offer support in the design of the monument.
“The design is still pending, but this will really be more about the medal than individuals, so it won’t have individual names on it,” Graham said. “When you look at the concentration of 61 living Medal of Honor recipients alive right now and just over 3,500 total, and consider the millions and millions of men and women who have worn the cloth of this nation, it’ll really be about that.”
U.S. First District Representative Carol Miller (R-WV), is a resolution co-sponsor. House Resolution 186 now goes to the U.S. Senate for consideration.