U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin is joining officials for the naming of a Navy ship after Medal of Honor recipient Hershel “Woody” Williams.
A ceremony is set for Thursday aftern
oon at the state Culture Center in Charleston. The Navy’s newest Expeditionary Sea Base ship will be named the USNS Hershel Woody Williams.
Manchin requested the naming last February in a letter to Navy Secretary Ray Mabus. Manchin said naming a ship after the Fairmont native would not only honor his legacy, but also the legacy of scores of other West Virginia veterans and their families.
The 92-year-old Williams is the last living Medal of Honor recipient from the Battle of Iwo Jima during World War II. After retiring from the Marines, he worked for the Veterans Affairs Administration for 35 years.