Hershel "Woody" Williams, Chief Warrant Officer 4, Marine Corps
Williams, a native of Marrion County, was presented with the Medal of Honor by President Harry S. Truman on October 5, 1945, for his actions during the Battle of Iwo Jima. Williams arrived on the beach of Iwo Jima with 1st Battalion, 21st Marines on February 21, 1945. Two days later, tanks opening up a lane for the infantry encountered several concrete pillboxes that stalled their progress. U. S. forces were pinned down by machine gun fire and unable to advance. Williams, armed with a flamethrower and demolition charges and accompanied by four other Marines, spent four hours neutralizing the enemy pillboxes so that U.S. forces could advance. See his complete biography here.
Phill Gene McDonald, Private First Class, Army
President Nixon awarded McDonald, a McDowell County native, the Medal of Honor posthumously. He presented it to McDonald’s family at the White House for his exemplary actions as his platoon’s team leader in Vietnam. On June 7, 1968, McDonald’s platoon came under heavy fire and volunteered to escort two wounded comrades to an evacuation point. While protecting his platoon, he destroyed two enemy machine gun emplacements with grenades and provided cover fire so a wounded gunner could evacuate his position. His exceptional bravery was credited with saving the lives of an untold number of his platoon. Read more of his story here.