Saying Goodbye to a Friend Kenneth Riege

Saying Goodbye to a Friend

By Kenneth Reige USAF Veteran

This story is about an amazing hero, friend, father, grandfather and all-around inspiration to all who meet him. This is about my friend and the passing of WW2’s last Medal of Honor Recipient, Mr. Hershel Woodrow “Woody” Williams.

Woody (as he preferred to be called) was born on 2 October 1923 in Quiet Dell, West Virginia and passed on 29

Here is Woody and Hershey at that event. I apologize for the purple hue here. This is inside an American Airlines Hangar at DFW and no matter what, everyone’s pictures turn out this way.

June 2022 in Huntington, West Virginia. Woody was 98, and at the time of his passing was the oldest living Medal of Honor Recipient. After his passing that torch has now been passed to our beloved Hershey Miyamura who will be 97 on 6 October 2022.

I am extremely proud of this picture. This was at the 2017 MOH Convention in Pueblo, CO. Woody had just named me as an “honorary” board member for the Hershel Woody Williams Gold Star Family Foundation. He then presented me with a beautiful medallion to wear.

I first met Woody about 8 years ago through my travels with Hershey. I have talked about Woody for many years to my family and in March 2022 Retha got to meet Woody at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new National Medal of Honor Museum in Dallas.

As I have mentioned before, my family and I have been truly blessed. In 2019 I got to travel with Hershey and Woody to NYC for the 100th Anniversary Veterans Day Parade.

Woody had a passion for helping veterans. He served as a VSO (Veterans Service Officer) for the for 33 years. As a matter of fact, Woody lived in New Mexico from 1946 to I believe he told me 1949. He enjoyed

living here, but his wife wanted to move back to their beloved West Virginia.

Later in life his main focus was helping and honoring Gold Star Families. For more information on the Woody Williams Gold Star Family Memorials or to donate please visit the Woody Williams Foundation at: www.woodywilliams.org

Here is a picture of one of Woody’s Gold Star Families Memorials. I believe the Most Patriotic Small Town in America should work to get one of these. If interested, please let me know at kpriege@ yahoo.com

Another picture of two of the greatest heroes to ever walk this planet. Woody Williams MOH WW2 and Hershey Miyamura MOH Korea. This was taken at a VFW Post outside of NYC. I do apologize as I do not remember the town’s name. We had just attended a Memorial Service and were headed back to our hotel when we came across this place that was having an event and Woody and Hershey wanted to stop. What an amazing honor for this VFW Post to have these 2 guys come walking in.

I will close with a short story that Woody told me. We were just chatting, and I had presented him with a challenge coin that I had made in honor of my grandfather who fought with the 1st Battalion/5th Marines during WW1. Woody thanked me and then asked if I knew of the Marine Corps saying of “Once a Marine, Always a Marine?” I said yes sir and he said, well Ken, if you live long enough to hear this saying changed to: “A Marine is Always a Marine,” then you will know that I have come back as the Marine Corps Commandant. You see Woody’s belief was that while a person may become an Airman, a Sailor or a Soldier, you are born a Marine.

One last detail for this story. While over 16 million Americans served during WW2 only 473 Medal of Honor’s were conferred.

I am quite sure I have used Woody’s MOH Quote in the past, but for this story I will use it again.

Woody’s quote:

“You have never lived until you have almost died. For those who fight for it, life has a flavor the protected will never know.”