Walk Among Heroes

Don’t miss the conclusion of our three-part series with World War II Medal of Honor recipient Hershel ‘Woody’ Williams.  In this episode, we resume our conversation on the eve of the invasion of Iwo Jima.  Woody takes us through the invasion, his actions on February 23, 1945, and a few other stories from those incredibly difficult days on Iwo Jima.  Woody closes the interview with his advice to our youth today, and also discusses his love for horses.  Following our interview with Woody, continue listening as we interview Woody’s grandson and CEO of the Hershel Woody Williams Medal of Honor Foundation, Chad Graham.  Chad tells us about the incredible work they’re doing, as well as few priceless stories about Woody.  

 A true legend, Hershel ‘Woody’ Williams served in the Marine Corps, 3rd Division,  21st Regiment, in the Pacific Theater during World War II.  Mr. Williams is one of only two living recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor (our nation’s highest military award) from World War II (the other is Mr. Charles H. Coolidge – a truly amazing man who was awarded the Medal of Honor for actions in Europe).  Woody earned his Medal of Honor for actions on February 23, 1945, during the invasion of Iwo Jima.  In an unbelievable span of several hours, Woody utilized a flame thrower to neutralize a network of concrete-reinforced Japanese pillboxes, under extremely heavy fire, after the majority of his company had been killed or wounded.  His actions in the face of ruthless enemy resistance allowed his company to reach its’ objective and ultimately secure one of the airfields on Iwo Jima.  

 Although Woody’s heroic actions on February 23, 1945, will never be paralleled or forgotten, he has never stopped serving our great nation.  Woody grew up on a dairy farm in Quiet Dell, West Virginia.  Like many young men growing up during the Great Depression, he lived a very simple life, and didn’t know (or care) much about what was happening in the rest of the world.  That is, until December 7, 1941.  After the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Woody embarked on a long journey of service that still continues today.  

 After joining the Marine Corps, and setting sail for the South Pacific, Woody landed in New Caledonia and was assigned to the 3rd Marine Division.  He experienced his first combat in Guam, and several months later, boarded a ship to invade Iwo Jima.  Following his career in the Marine Corps, Woody served 33 years in the VA, and in 2010 founded the Hershel Woody Williams Medal of Honor Foundation (http://www.hwwmohf.org/), an organization dedicated to honoring Gold Star Families.  

 Gold Star families have lost loved ones to military service, and Woody has dedicated his life to honoring them.  At age 97, Woody works tirelessly, day-in and day-out, to honor these families through the building of monuments.  At the time of this writing, Woody’s foundation has constructed 76 Gold Star Monuments, in all 50 U.S. states, with 74 additional monuments in-progress, and more being added each day.  We are currently working on building a monument in downtown San Antonio, Texas, to honor Gold Star families in Central and South Texas.  Candy and Ed Martin, parents of 1LT Tom Martin (who made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq in October 2007) are working closely with Woody and his foundation to ensure an incredible monument is constructed to honor Tom, and all Gold Star families in South/Central Texas.  

 Whether you spotted Woody visiting with the President on Air Force One this past September, or saw him on national television tossing the coin for Super Bowel LII, you can be sure of one thing:  Woody has more energy at 97 than most people half his age.  I am proud to share his story during this three-part interview

 We (Walk Among Heroes) would like to welcome an amazing man as our twentieth guest.  A true legend, Hershel ‘Woody’ Williams served in the Marine Corps, 3rd Division,  21st Regiment, in the Pacific Theater during World War II.  Part two of our three-part interview series discusses Woody's deployment to the South Pacific, assignment to 3rd Marine Division, combat in Guam, and preparation for the invasion of Iwo Jima.  

Mr. Williams is one of only two living recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor (our nation’s highest military award) from World War II (the other is Mr. Charles H. Coolidge – a truly amazing man who was awarded the Medal of Honor for actions in Europe).  Woody earned his Medal of Honor for actions on February 23, 1945, during the invasion of Iwo Jima.  In an unbelievable span of several hours, Woody utilized a flame thrower to neutralize a network of concrete-reinforced Japanese pillboxes, under extremely heavy fire, after the majority of his company had been killed or wounded.  His actions in the face of ruthless enemy resistance allowed his company to reach its’ objective and ultimately secure one of the airfields on Iwo Jima.  

 Although Woody’s heroic actions on February 23, 1945, will never be paralleled or forgotten, he has never stopped serving our great nation.  Woody grew up on a dairy farm in Quiet Dell, West Virginia.  Like many young men growing up during the Great Depression, he lived a very simple life, and didn’t know (or care) much about what was happening in the rest of the world.  That is, until December 7, 1941.  After the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Woody embarked on a long journey of service that still continues today.  

 After joining the Marine Corps, and setting sail for the South Pacific, Woody landed in New Caledonia and was assigned to the 3rd Marine Division.  He experienced his first combat in Guam, and several months later, boarded a ship to invade Iwo Jima.  Following his career in the Marine Corps, Woody served 33 years in the VA, and in 2010 founded the Hershel Woody Williams Medal of Honor Foundation (http://www.hwwmohf.org/), an organization dedicated to honoring Gold Star Families.  

 Gold Star families have lost loved ones to military service, and Woody has dedicated his life to honoring them.  At age 97, Woody works tirelessly, day-in and day-out, to honor these families through the building of monuments.  At the time of this writing, Woody’s foundation has constructed 76 Gold Star Monuments, in all 50 U.S. states, with 74 additional monuments in-progress, and more being added each day.  We are currently working on building a monument in downtown San Antonio, Texas, to honor Gold Star families in Central and South Texas.  Candy and Ed Martin, parents of 1LT Tom Martin (who made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq in October 2007) are working closely with Woody and his foundation to ensure an incredible monument is constructed to honor Tom, and all Gold Star families in South/Central Texas.  

 Whether you spotted Woody visiting with the President on Air Force One this past September, or saw him on national television tossing the coin for Super Bowel LII, you can be sure of one thing:  Woody has more energy at 97 than most people half his age.  I am proud to share his story during this three-part interview series.  Part one will discuss Woody’s upbringing and joining the Marine Corps.  Part two will cover his deployment to the South Pacific, combat in Guam, and preparation for Iwo Jima.  In part three, we’ll discuss his actions on February 23, 1945, as well as Woody’s love for horses and advice to young men and women just joining the military.  By the way, part two includes a fascinating description of the flame thrower and how it operate

We (Walk Among Heroes) would like to welcome a truly amazing man as our twentieth guest.  A true legend, Hershel ‘Woody’ Williams served in the Marine Corps, 3rd Division,  21st Regiment, in the Pacific Theater during World War II.  Mr. Williams is one of only two living recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor (our nation’s highest military award) from World War II (the other is Mr. Charles H. Coolidge – a truly amazing man who was awarded the Medal of Honor for actions in Europe).  Woody earned his Medal of Honor for actions on February 23, 1945, during the invasion of Iwo Jima.  In an unbelievable span of several hours, Woody utilized a flame thrower to neutralize a network of concrete-reinforced Japanese pillboxes, under extremely heavy fire, after the majority of his company had been killed or wounded.  His actions in the face of ruthless enemy resistance allowed his company to reach its’ objective and ultimately secure one of the airfields on Iwo Jima.  

 Although Woody’s heroic actions on February 23, 1945, will never be paralleled or forgotten, he has never stopped serving our great nation.  Woody grew up on a dairy farm in Quiet Dell, West Virginia.  Like many young men growing up during the Great Depression, he lived a very simple life, and didn’t know (or care) much about what was happening in the rest of the world.  That is, until December 7, 1941.  After the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Woody embarked on a long journey of service that still continues today.  

 After joining the Marine Corps, and setting sail for the South Pacific, Woody landed in New Caledonia and was assigned to the 3rd Marine Division.  He experienced his first combat in Guam, and several months later, boarded a ship to invade Iwo Jima.  Following his career in the Marine Corps, Woody served 33 years in the VA, and in 2010 founded the Hershel Woody Williams Medal of Honor Foundation (http://www.hwwmohf.org/), an organization dedicated to honoring Gold Star Families.  

 Gold Star families have lost loved ones to military service, and Woody has dedicated his life to honoring them.  At age 97, Woody works tirelessly, day-in and day-out, to honor these families through the building of monuments.  At the time of this writing, Woody’s foundation has constructed 76 Gold Star Monuments, in all 50 U.S. states, with 74 additional monuments in-progress, and more being added each day.  We are currently working on building a monument in downtown San Antonio, Texas, to honor Gold Star families in Central and South Texas.  Candy and Ed Martin, parents of 1LT Tom Martin (who made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq in October 2007) are working closely with Woody and his foundation to ensure an incredible monument is constructed to honor Tom, and all Gold Star families in South/Central Texas.  

 Whether you spotted Woody visiting with the President on Air Force One this past September, or saw him on national television tossing the coin for Super Bowel LII, you can be sure of one thing:  Woody has more energy at 97 than most people half his age.  I am proud to share his story during this three-part interview series.  Part one will discuss Woody’s upbringing and joining the Marine Corps.  Part two will cover his deployment to the South Pacific, combat in Guam, and preparation for Iwo Jima.  In part three, we’ll discuss his actions on February 23, 1945, as well as Woody’s love for horses and advice to young men and women just joining the military.  By the way, part two includes a fascinating description of the flame thrower and how it operates.  Amazing!

 Woody is an incredible man with an even more incredible story.  He is an inspiration to so many, and I’m honored to call him my friend.  Thank you for listening and sharing

Don't miss the incredible conclusion to our three-part interview with R.W. Pratt, United States Navy.  In this episode, Mr. Pratt takes us on a 'Star Wars'-like journey through the Pacific Theater, jumping from island-to-island, encountering Japanese, local natives, special operations forces, the invasion at Okinawa, and finally viewing the damage at Hiroshima first-hand, just weeks after the bomb was dropped.  

Mr. Pratt was born, raised, and still resides in San Antonio, Texas, today.  He commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Navy during World War II and was part of an LST (Landing Ship, Tank) crew in the Pacific Theater.  In 1944, Mr. Pratt commissioned LST 781, sailed down the Mississippi River, made a pit stop in New Orleans to arm his ship, then set sail for the Pacific.  LST 781 sailed throughout the Pacific, hopping from island-to-island re-supplying the invasion forces.  In April 1944, Mr. Pratt and his LST were part of the invasion into Okinawa, narrowly avoiding Japanese ‘one-way bombers,’ which destroyed many ships during that invasion.  

After the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and Japan finally surrendered, LST 781 was assigned minesweeping duty near Hiroshima.  Mr. Pratt and several of his ship-mates borrowed a Jeep and drove into Hiroshima just weeks after the bomb was dropped, becoming one of the first groups of Americans to witness the damage first-hand, on-the-ground.  Mr. Pratt’s description is chilling, and the men that visited Hiroshima with him have all since died from cancer, most likely a bi-product from the radiation they experienced, Mr. Pratt assumes.

This episode will consist of multiple parts.  Episode 19A discusses Mr. Pratt’s childhood, education, and joining the U.S. Navy.  

Mr. Pratt is an accomplished businessman and has one of the sharpest memories we’ve ever seen!  It’s truly an honor to visit with Mr. Pratt, and it’s an honor to share his story with you. 

Thank you, Shreyas Ganesh, for donating your time as sound engineer for this podcast.

We (Walk Among Heroes) are pleased to welcome R.W. Pratt as our guest for Episode 19.  Mr. Pratt was born, raised, and still resides in San Antonio, Texas, today.  He commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Navy during World War II and was part of an LST (Landing Ship, Tank) crew in the Pacific Theater.  In 1944, Mr. Pratt commissioned LST 781, sailed down the Mississippi River, made a pit stop in New Orleans to arm his ship, then set sail for the Pacific.  LST 781 sailed throughout the Pacific, hopping from island-to-island re-supplying the invasion forces.  In April 1944, Mr. Pratt and his LST were part of the invasion into Okinawa, narrowly avoiding Japanese ‘one-way bombers,’ which destroyed many ships during that invasion.  

After the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and Japan finally surrendered, LST 781 was assigned minesweeping duty near Hiroshima.  Mr. Pratt and several of his ship-mates borrowed a Jeep and drove into Hiroshima just weeks after the bomb was dropped, becoming one of the first groups of Americans to witness the damage first-hand, on-the-ground.  Mr. Pratt’s description is chilling, and the men that visited Hiroshima with him have all since died from cancer, most likely a bi-product from the radiation they experienced, Mr. Pratt assumes.

This episode will consist of multiple parts.  Episode 19A discusses Mr. Pratt’s childhood, education, and joining the U.S. Navy.  

Mr. Pratt is an accomplished businessman and has one of the sharpest memories we’ve ever seen!  It’s truly an honor to visit with Mr. Pratt, and it’s an honor to share his story with you. 

Thank you, Shreyas Ganesh, for donating your time as sound engineer for this podcast.

We (Walk Among Heroes) are pleased to welcome R.W. Pratt as our guest for Episode 19.  Mr. Pratt was born, raised, and still resides in San Antonio, Texas, today.  He commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Navy during World War II and was part of an LST (Landing Ship, Tank) crew in the Pacific Theater.  In 1944, Mr. Pratt commissioned LST 781, sailed down the Mississippi River, made a pit stop in New Orleans to arm his ship, then set sail for the Pacific.  LST 781 sailed throughout the Pacific, hopping from island-to-island re-supplying the invasion forces.  In April 1944, Mr. Pratt and his LST were part of the invasion into Okinawa, narrowly avoiding Japanese ‘one-way bombers,’ which destroyed many ships during that invasion.  

 After the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and Japan finally surrendered, LST 781 was assigned minesweeping duty near Hiroshima.  Mr. Pratt and several of his ship-mates borrowed a Jeep and drove into Hiroshima just weeks after the bomb was dropped, becoming one of the first groups of Americans to witness the damage first-hand, on-the-ground.  Mr. Pratt’s description is chilling, and the men that visited Hiroshima with him have all since died from cancer, most likely a bi-product from the radiation they experienced, Mr. Pratt assumes.

 This episode will consist of multiple parts.  Episode 19A discusses Mr. Pratt’s childhood, education, and joining the U.S. Navy.  

 Mr. Pratt is an accomplished businessman and has one of the sharpest memories we’ve ever seen!  It’s truly an honor to visit with Mr. Pratt, and it’s an honor to share his story with you. 

 Thank you, Shreyas Ganesh, for donating your time as sound engineer for this podcast. 

Don't miss the incredible conclusion to Walk Among Heroes' two-part interview with Mr. Floyd Blair!  Mr. Blair served in the U.S. Army Air Corps as a P-47 Thunderbolt fighter pilot in the 404th Fighter Group, a primarily tactical unit consisting of forty-eight, P-47 airplanes.  Mr. Blair arrived in Europe in April 1944, flew his first mission on May 1, 1944, and soon thereafter, flew two missions to provide ground support for invasion forces hitting Omaha and Utah Beach on D-Day, June 6, 1944.  Following D-Day, Mr. Blair continued to provide ground support for armor and infantry forces as they moved across Europe.  Mr. Blair participated in ALL of the major European battles including St. Lo, Falaise Gap, Operation Market Garden, Battle of the Bulge, and Rhine River crossing, to name a few.  

Mr. Blair received multiple decorations including the Air Medal with 15 Oak Leaf Clusters, Distinguished Flying Cross, and a Distinguished Unit Citation for action in Germany in September 1944.  Recently, he was awarded the French Legion of Honor, France’s highest military award, for his actions to liberate France in 1944.  Overall, Mr. Blair flew 100 combat missions, mostly low-level missions to support ground forces in-battle.  Today, Mr. Blair resides in Ocala, Florida, 

Episode 18 consists of two parts.  The first part (18A) will discuss Mr. Blair’s childhood, joining the military, and combat in Europe (D-Day through the end of the war).  The second part (18B) will focus on additional combat stories, as well as other interesting parts of Mr. Blair’s life.  

We’ve never met a man who has experienced such vast combat experience.  Mr. Blair has an incredible perspective on D-Day and so many other battles from World War II.  He recently turned 100, and his mind is sharper than ever.  We are honored to tell his story, and we hope you enjoy these words from an amazing man.  From an amazing generation, the Greatest Generation!

A special ‘thank you’ to Shreyas Ganesh for donating your time as sound engineer for this podcast.

We (Walk Among Heroes) are pleased to welcome Mr. Floyd Blair as our guest for episode 18.  Mr. Blair served in the U.S. Army Air Corps as a P-47 Thunderbolt fighter pilot in the 404th Fighter Group, a primarily tactical unit consisting of forty-eight, P-47 airplanes.  Mr. Blair arrived in Europe in April 1944, flew his first mission on May 1, 1944, and soon thereafter, flew two missions to provide ground support for invasion forces hitting Omaha and Utah Beach on D-Day, June 6, 1944.  Following D-Day, Mr. Blair continued to provide ground support for armor and infantry forces as they moved across Europe.  Mr. Blair participated in ALL of the major European battles including St. Lo, Falaise Gap, Operation Market Garden, Battle of the Bulge, and Rhine River crossing, to name a few.  

 Mr. Blair received multiple decorations including the Air Medal with 15 Oak Leaf Clusters, Distinguished Flying Cross, and a Distinguished Unit Citation for action in Germany in September 1944.  Recently, he was awarded the French Legion of Honor, France’s highest military award, for his actions to liberate France in 1944.  Overall, Mr. Blair flew 100 combat missions, mostly low-level missions to support ground forces in-battle.  Today, Mr. Blair resides in Ocala, Florida, 

 Episode 18 consists of two parts.  The first part (18A) will discuss Mr. Blair’s childhood, joining the military, and combat in Europe (D-Day through the end of the war).  The second part (18B) will focus on additional combat stories, as well as other interesting parts of Mr. Blair’s life.  

 We’ve never met a man who has experienced such vast combat experience.  Mr. Blair has an incredible perspective on D-Day and so many other battles from World War II.  He recently turned 100, and his mind is sharper than ever.  We are honored to tell his story, and we hope you enjoy these words from an amazing man.  From an amazing generation, the Greatest Generation!

 A special ‘thank you’ to Shreyas Ganesh for donating your time as sound engineer for this podcast.

 Walk Among Heroes is proud to welcome episode 17 guest, Forrest ‘Huff’ Huffstetler.  Mr. Huffstetler, a resident of San Diego, CA, is our first guest from the 82nd Airborne Division, one of the U.S. Army’s most decorated combat divisions.  During World War II, Mr. Huffstetler joined the 82nd Airborne Division and executed combat jumps into Sicily and Salerno, Italy, before withdrawing to Ireland and England to train for the largest invasion in history, known as Operation Overlord.  On June 6, 1944, D-Day, Mr. Huffstetler jumped into Normandy with the 3rd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR), 82nd Airborne Division, landing in Sainte-Mer-Eglise, the first French town liberated by the Allies.  In fact, Mr. Huffstetler served alongside LTC Edward Krause, commander of 3rd Battalion, when Krause declared Sainte-Mer-Eglise ‘liberated’ and hung the American flag in-town (that same flag still remains in Sainte-Mer-Eglise to this day).

 Mr. Huffstetler later fought in Operation Market Garden, as well as the Battle of the Bulge in Bastogne, before returning home and finally settling in Southern California.  In this episode, Mr. Huffstetler takes us through his Army Service, combat jumps, D-Day, Operation Market Garden, Bastogne, and finally his journey home.  Simply an incredible man, it is a true honor to share his story.

 A special ‘thank you’ to Shreyas Ganesh for donating your time as sound engineer for this podcast. 

Walk Among Heroes is honored to welcome episode 16 guest, Crosby ‘Bing’ Powell, of Topeka, Kansas.  Mr. Powell was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1943.  He deployed to North Africa and arrived at the end of the fighting in Tunisia.  He was assigned as a replacement in the 168th Regiment, 34th Infantry Division Red Bulls (the same exact regiment and division as Walk Among Heroes’ founder Jeff Wells’ grandfather).  Mr. Powell landed in Italy in September 1944 and was part of the brutal Italian campaign.  As the 34th Division attacked north, taking mountain-after-mountain from the Germans, the division suffered through brutal combat in one of the coldest winters Italy had ever seen. 

After crossing the Volturno River several times, the 34th Division found itself engaged in one of the most difficult and brutal battles in the history of modern warfare, the Battle of Monte Cassino.  Lasting more than four months, and consisting of four separate battles, Monte Cassino was the lynchpin of a stout German defensive network known as the Gustav Line.  If the Allies broke through the line, they would earn free passage into the Liri Valley and would easily capture Rome.  If the Germans continued to hold the Allies at Monte Cassino, they would create valuable time to reinforce their defensive lines in Italy and elsewhere in the world (Atlantic Wall, etc).

Mr. Powell is the only living member of the 34th Division we’ve met who fought in the mountains at Monte Cassino.  He participated in five days of attacks on the monastery in brutal conditions (reminiscent of World War I trench warfare), before being wounded by German artillery.  He saved another soldier’s life by pulling him out of German fire, before he succumbed to his own injuries and was evacuated on one of the mules used to transport supplies into the mountains (vehicles were unable to traverse the difficult mountainous terrain).  Also suffering from severe trench foot, Mr. Powell received treatment in Africa for three months before learning to walk again.  After rehabilitating from his injuries, he returned to combat with the 34th Division and continued fighting in Italy until the war ended in 1945.

Walk Among Heroes founder Jeff Wells learned about Mr. Powell from Mikell Burr.  Mikell, also a resident of Topeka, found a box of World War II documents and awards in her home that had been nearly buried for many years.  She tracked down Mr. Powell and returned the awards and documents.  Her grandfather also served in World War II as part of the 34th Division Red Bulls, making the encounter extremely special for her.  

This podcast episode was recorded on November 11, 2020 (Veteran’s Day), at Mr. Powell’s retirement home.  The episode is a conversation between Jeff Wells, Mikell Burr, and Mr. Powell.

As always, a very special ‘thank you’ to Shreyas Ganesh for donating your time as sound engineer for this podcast.