When he arrived at Iwo Jima, he was one of several demolition sergeants, but that number dwindled down until he was the only one left. As a demolition sergeant, one of Williams’ responsibilities was to take out pillboxes that were protecting Japanese airfields. “Bazookas and that sort of thing had no effect on them, because they were so thick and well built,” Williams said in a 2017 interview, according to DoD. “The only way to actually eliminate the enemy inside those pillboxes was by flamethrower.” As the only demolition sergeant left at Iwo Jima, Williams went forward with four riflemen to protect him and took out seven pillboxes. That helped to neutralize the Japanese strongholds, according to the DoD feature. “That made a hole big enough that [the company] could go through and get behind any other pillboxes that were in that area,” Williams told the Department of Defense. “Once you got behind the pillboxes, then we had the advantage.” Former President Harry Truman awarded Williams the Medal of Honor for those actions.
Semper Fi Woody! A job well done! Thank you for all you have done for this country!
Medal of Honor. The ultimate American man status award. Man. I hate this generation is leaving us so fast. God bless sir.
Fair winds and following seas sir.
I rode with the group of motorcycles that follow the hearse from Huntington to Charleston on the 2nd.
When he arrived at Iwo Jima, he was one of several demolition sergeants, but that number dwindled down until he was the only one left. As a demolition sergeant, one of Williams’ responsibilities was to take out pillboxes that were protecting Japanese airfields.
“Bazookas and that sort of thing had no effect on them, because they were so thick and well built,” Williams said in a 2017 interview, according to DoD. “The only way to actually eliminate the enemy inside those pillboxes was by flamethrower.”
As the only demolition sergeant left at Iwo Jima, Williams went forward with four riflemen to protect him and took out seven pillboxes. That helped to neutralize the Japanese strongholds, according to the DoD feature.
“That made a hole big enough that [the company] could go through and get behind any other pillboxes that were in that area,” Williams told the Department of Defense. “Once you got behind the pillboxes, then we had the advantage.”
Former President Harry Truman awarded Williams the Medal of Honor for those actions.
Totally fearless.
Semper fi Marine ur time is done now report to ur final duty station