This week, after a disaster, can comics help set the record straight? Also, sifting through Hurricane Helene’s debris, one group tries to reunite keepsakes with their owners, including love letters. And, a cafe in Virginia feeds the hungry and tries to destigmatize homelessness. For its outreach manager, whose brother lived on the streets for years, it’s personal.
Us & Them Talks With Medal Of Honor Recipient Woody Williams
Hershel Woodrow “Woody” Williams, the last surviving World War ll U.S. Marine recipient of the Medal of Honor.Cameron Donohue/TEDxMarshallU
Listen
Share this Article
Us & Them host Trey Kay honors Veterans Day with a remarkable conversation with the last surviving World War ll U.S. Marine recipient of the Medal of Honor.
Hershel Woodrow “Woody” Williams grew up as a farm kid in the Mountain State and enlisted in the Marine Corps just after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He served in the Pacific campaign and fought in the Battle of Iwo Jima. Williams received the Medal of Honor for fighting against enemy positions to open a lane for infantry soldiers. For four hours under heavy fire, he used a flamethrower against reinforced concrete pillbox defenses.
After leaving active service, Williams created a foundation to honor the families of service people lost in battle and offer scholarships to the children of fallen soldiers.
Williams, who is 98, says his goal is to ride a horse on his 100th birthday.
This episode of Us & Them is presented with support from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, the CRC Foundation and the West Virginia Humanities Council.
Subscribe to Us & Them on Apple Podcasts, NPR One, RadioPublic, Spotify, Stitcher and beyond.
Cameron Donohue/TEDxMarshallU
/
Trey Kay, host of Us & Them with Hershel Woodrow “Woody” Williams, the last surviving World War ll U.S. Marine recipient of the Medal of Honor. Kay and Williams spoke at TEDx event at Marshall University in March 2020.
Letter from Woody Williams
Add WVPB as a preferred source on Google to see more from our team
Like many U.S. cities, Morgantown has a growing homeless population with far more people in need than shelters can take in. On this episode of Us & Them, host Trey Kay moderates a community conversation about the city’s camping ban, the shortage of housing and meaningful solutions for the future.
Many West Virginians have trouble with their teeth. In fact, there’s a big gap between the folks who can reliably access an affordable dentist and those who can’t. But as Us & Them host Trey Kay learns in this award-winning encore episode, there are new approaches that aim to change some old habits.
West Virginia leads the nation in overdose deaths, but not everyone experiences the crisis the same way. In this Regional Edward R. Murrow Award-winning episode of Us & Them, Trey Kay examines the unique challenges Black West Virginians face in addiction treatment and recovery — and what happens as the state changes how those services are funded.
Daniel Johnston recorded songs in his parents' basement in rural West Virginia that would eventually inspire artists such as Kurt Cobain, Beck, Wilco, and Sonic Youth. In this award-winning episode of Us & Them, host Trey Kay explores the life, art, and enduring legacy of the late singer-songwriter and visual artist whose creative genius and struggles with bipolar disorder made him one of America's most influential outsider artists.