Woody Williams Statue Approved For Capitol

During its special session this week, the legislature passed a resolution to honor one of West Virginia’s most notable veterans.

Both chambers of the legislature approved a resolution to place a statue of Hershel “Woody” Williams inside the U.S. Capitol.

That resolution came up during the regular session earlier this year but didn’t make it to the finish line.

Williams, who died in 2022 at age 98, was the last surviving Medal of Honor recipient from World War II. Williams, who lived in Barboursville, was a Marine Corps veteran who served in combat in the Pacific.

The statue of Williams will replace one of John Kenna, a Confederate veteran who represented West Virginia in the U.S. House and Senate.

Kenna’s statue, which has stood in the Capitol’s Statuary Hall since 1901, will be moved to the Culture Center in Charleston.