WEBVTT Kind: captions Language: en 00:00:02.171 --> 00:00:05.942 Hello everyone, thank you for joining us today, I'm Lisa Schmucki. 00:00:05.940 --> 00:00:10.971 I'm the founder of edWeb and it's my honor to be able to introduce today's presentation, 00:00:10.970 --> 00:00:16.800 which is going to be an interview presented by the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation 00:00:16.800 --> 00:00:20.457 with Hershel Williams as a recipient of the Medal of Honor. 00:00:20.450 --> 00:00:26.114 We're delighted that we can bring this interviews to teachers and students all around the country and the world 00:00:26.110 --> 00:00:31.714 so you hear about the experiences that lead to awarding, 00:00:31.710 --> 00:00:34.000 recipient Hershel Williams the Medal of Honor. 00:00:34.000 --> 00:00:38.114 Even more importantly the reflections on life going back 00:00:38.110 --> 00:00:45.428 and going forward that really can resonate with the challenges that students face in their own lives, 00:00:45.420 --> 00:00:48.685 the call upon them for courage and sacrifice. 00:00:48.680 --> 00:00:53.085 We're really, really delighted to have this presentation today. 00:00:53.080 --> 00:00:57.200 The interview is going to be conducted by Cathy Metcalf, 00:00:57.200 --> 00:01:01.714 who's the Vice President of Education with the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation. 00:01:01.710 --> 00:01:07.085 Before we begin, we just want to take a poll and learn a little bit more about our audience 00:01:07.080 --> 00:01:13.942 and who's joining us today because I know that classrooms are coming from all around the country with their students. 00:01:13.940 --> 00:01:17.657 If the team would pull up the poll [unintelligible 00:01:16]. 00:01:17.650 --> 00:01:23.142 You can click on the circle there next to the level of education 00:01:23.140 --> 00:01:29.371 that you maybe joining from if you're a teacher attending with your class. 00:01:29.370 --> 00:01:36.685 We'll just give this a few minutes to see what the results are. 00:01:36.680 --> 00:01:39.142 We know we have people from all levels of education. 00:01:39.140 --> 00:01:44.514 Looks like it's a little bit more high school and some other too. 00:01:44.510 --> 00:01:49.771 If you selected other, please post in the chat and tell us-- 00:01:49.770 --> 00:01:55.542 homeschooling, that's wonderful and hello from everywhere in the world where you're from. 00:01:55.540 --> 00:01:59.942 California, Virginia, Tennessee, New York. 00:01:59.940 --> 00:02:04.628 This is a great way for us all to be together 00:02:04.620 --> 00:02:09.714 and also be joined by a classroom as well for this presentation. 00:02:09.714 --> 00:02:11.710 I'm going to close the poll. 00:02:12.514 --> 00:02:18.457 Cathy I'm going to turn the presentation over to you and Medal of Honor recipient Hershel Williams 00:02:18.450 --> 00:02:23.600 and sit back and listen, thank you. 00:02:23.600 --> 00:02:26.285 - Thank you, Lisa. 00:02:28.057 --> 00:02:32.914 Hello teachers and students and other viewers. It's a privilege to be here today. 00:02:32.910 --> 00:02:39.257 I'm honored to be here with Hershel 'Woody' Williams who is a veteran from World War II, 00:02:39.250 --> 00:02:44.057 who has a Medal of Honor. I wasn't paying attention, you're not wearing your Medal of Honor. 00:02:44.050 --> 00:02:45.142 - I have it in my pocket. [chuckles] 00:02:45.140 --> 00:02:46.628 - Well we've loved to see it. [chuckles] 00:02:46.628 --> 00:02:48.620 - All right. 00:02:48.620 --> 00:02:56.342 - I should have done that, but we're coming to you today on a very, very special day from a very special place. 00:02:56.340 --> 00:03:02.342 We are here at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans Louisiana. 00:03:02.340 --> 00:03:08.857 This museum started out as the National D-Day Museum and is now recognized nation and worldwide 00:03:08.850 --> 00:03:16.857 as one of the premier institutions for keeping World War II history in the entire world. 00:03:16.850 --> 00:03:24.571 Woody was part of that, a very long time ago and in fact today he's celebrated his 95th birthday. 00:03:24.570 --> 00:03:32.400 Great opportunity for us to recognize you on your birthday and just to celebrate that you're still hanging around with us. 00:03:32.400 --> 00:03:33.371 - Well, thank you. 00:03:33.370 --> 00:03:35.085 - Good job and doing it well, too. 00:03:35.080 --> 00:03:38.742 This is goal right here, you're all looking at a goal 00:03:38.740 --> 00:03:44.057 and I also want to recognize students at Kaneland High School in the greater Chicago areas. 00:03:44.057 --> 00:03:46.050 Students, you want to say hello. 00:03:46.050 --> 00:03:50.514 They have been kind enough to let us see their faces today , it's always more fun. 00:03:50.510 --> 00:03:57.142 We appreciate all you who are logged on and we're watching the chats that you type in, 00:03:57.140 --> 00:03:59.600 but we can't see all your faces. 00:03:59.600 --> 00:04:04.000 Kaneland is presenting a face for you today so thank you everybody. 00:04:04.000 --> 00:04:08.057 Teachers and students this webinar is mainly for you, 00:04:08.050 --> 00:04:14.685 that's what we're here for, to give you an opportunity to chat with students Woody and for students to ask questions. 00:04:15.257 --> 00:04:20.057 We like to use this webinars to build the primary resource material 00:04:20.050 --> 00:04:23.600 that you wouldn't otherwise have access to. 00:04:23.600 --> 00:04:25.428 We're going to go ahead and get started. 00:04:25.420 --> 00:04:30.000 I'm going to ask you a few questions so we can get acquainted 00:04:30.000 --> 00:04:33.942 and then we'll take student questions and teacher questions. 00:04:33.940 --> 00:04:39.028 Just so you know, if there are others of you who write in, we always try to take student and teacher questions first. 00:04:39.020 --> 00:04:45.371 Okay, so to get started, happy 95th birthday. 00:04:45.370 --> 00:04:51.371 You grew up a very distant time from time that our children today are growing up. 00:04:51.371 --> 00:04:51.428 Both are young children, we have some elementary students [inaudible 00:04:54] a group from Kentucky You grew up a very distant time from time that our children today are growing up. 00:04:51.428 --> 00:04:56.685 Both are young children, we have some elementary students [inaudible 00:04:54] a group from Kentucky 00:04:56.680 --> 00:04:59.314 and I think [unintelligible 00:04:57] in California. 00:04:59.310 --> 00:05:03.771 They're definitely in a different time and even our high school students. 00:05:03.770 --> 00:05:09.942 Can you tell us a little bit what it was like growing up when you were a young man and a student in school? 00:05:09.940 --> 00:05:11.257 - Sure, yes. 00:05:11.250 --> 00:05:17.028 Well first of all let me say my theme for today is 'great to be alive at 95', 00:05:17.020 --> 00:05:19.828 that's my theme for today. 00:05:19.820 --> 00:05:26.171 This is the Medal of Honor. 00:05:27.542 --> 00:05:33.657 Let me explain the fact that there are three of these, each branch of the service, 00:05:34.514 --> 00:05:38.342 major branches of the service have a Medal of Honor. 00:05:38.340 --> 00:05:44.742 We have one for the Navy, Marine Corp and Coast Guard and that's this medal. 00:05:45.371 --> 00:05:53.771 Then there is a medal for the Army which is different and then a larger medal for the Air force. 00:05:53.770 --> 00:06:00.171 They had to make one bigger, because of big airplanes. [laughs] 00:06:00.857 --> 00:06:06.914 I grew up in the country. My life was a little different of course 00:06:06.910 --> 00:06:10.342 than those who were growing up in the City. 00:06:10.340 --> 00:06:15.371 Not a great deal because even in the cities in my day 00:06:15.370 --> 00:06:22.628 we had no grocery stores or markets that we could go to, 00:06:22.620 --> 00:06:27.714 to get stuff like butter and milk and stuff like that 00:06:27.710 --> 00:06:30.571 because we had no air-conditioning. 00:06:31.200 --> 00:06:35.542 It was one of those things that had to be done almost daily. 00:06:36.000 --> 00:06:41.085 I grew up on a dairy farm and we were the suppliers 00:06:41.080 --> 00:06:47.200 of milk and butter and eggs and vegetables to the people in town. 00:06:48.114 --> 00:06:54.685 We would every morning, seven days a week, we would take milk 00:06:54.680 --> 00:06:59.771 and produce to the families in the cities. 00:07:00.400 --> 00:07:04.857 We would deliver it to their homes 00:07:04.850 --> 00:07:12.742 and they would order whatever they needed for whatever occasion they were having. 00:07:12.740 --> 00:07:17.771 At Christmas time or holiday time 00:07:17.770 --> 00:07:23.142 they would order a lot more stuff than they would just naturally for everyday use, 00:07:23.140 --> 00:07:28.914 because they're having relatives come in and they're going to have a big gathering of family, 00:07:28.910 --> 00:07:30.914 so they needed a whole lot more stuff. 00:07:30.910 --> 00:07:35.657 The holidays were really very busy for us, 00:07:35.650 --> 00:07:42.914 but everyday we had to do that, we had to deliver their milk. 00:07:42.910 --> 00:07:47.828 The milk in those days didn't come in a carton, like it does today. 00:07:47.820 --> 00:07:52.457 It came in a milk bottle, a glass milk bottle. 00:07:52.450 --> 00:07:58.571 Once the bottle was empty, the would clean the bottle 00:07:58.570 --> 00:08:04.971 then we would pick it up, bring it home and we'd run it through a boiling process 00:08:04.970 --> 00:08:12.228 so that it would be clean and then refill it, and deliver it the next day back to them again. 00:08:12.685 --> 00:08:16.914 The bottle got used many, many times over. 00:08:17.885 --> 00:08:22.457 - Now, how old were you when you started working? You say we, so I presume it was family business. 00:08:22.450 --> 00:08:26.000 How old were you when you started working the family business with this? 00:08:26.000 --> 00:08:30.400 - Right, okay. When my father started the farm, 00:08:30.400 --> 00:08:37.200 I was three years old but when I reached my six year of age, 00:08:37.200 --> 00:08:42.457 then I became actually part of the farm operation. 00:08:42.450 --> 00:08:50.742 Each one of us had a duty assigned to us as to what we were to help out on the farm. 00:08:50.740 --> 00:08:56.114 As you got older, you assumed more duties. 00:08:56.110 --> 00:09:03.200 The milk that we used, and it actually came from cows like it does today but today 00:09:03.200 --> 00:09:07.657 it's extracted machine wise. 00:09:07.650 --> 00:09:13.771 In our day we couldn't do that because we didn't have the machines to do it, we did it by hand. 00:09:14.457 --> 00:09:21.714 Each person in the family, and there were five of us in the family, 00:09:21.710 --> 00:09:24.000 four boys and a girl. 00:09:24.000 --> 00:09:30.800 Each one of us had an assignment of how many cows we were responsible for. 00:09:33.142 --> 00:09:40.171 The older you got, the more cows you got that you had to milk everyday, twice a day, 00:09:40.170 --> 00:09:43.257 to supply the people in town. 00:09:43.250 --> 00:09:48.228 - Now when you started going to school, did you have to get up and do this before you went to school? 00:09:48.220 --> 00:09:49.200 - Absolutely. 00:09:49.200 --> 00:09:51.542 - Then did you have to do it again when you got home from school? 00:09:51.540 --> 00:09:53.200 - Absolutely, yes. 00:09:53.200 --> 00:09:56.285 - Okay, and the cows didn't take Saturday and Sunday off, did they? 00:09:56.280 --> 00:09:57.485 - No, they didn't. 00:09:57.480 --> 00:10:02.571 - Okay, so at what point were you in your life when World War II broke out 00:10:02.570 --> 00:10:05.942 and what prompted you to go join the service? 00:10:06.457 --> 00:10:10.571 - At my 16th birthday 00:10:11.600 --> 00:10:19.714 the government had started a program called Civilian Conservation Corps. 00:10:19.710 --> 00:10:27.257 Really it was to offer the youth of America those who wanted to volunteer 00:10:27.250 --> 00:10:33.542 to join a youth program and learn some kind of a trade. 00:10:33.540 --> 00:10:41.600 Something that they could use and do once they got out of the CCC's we called it. 00:10:41.600 --> 00:10:45.428 My brother next to me he went first. 00:10:45.420 --> 00:10:52.628 He enlisted into it and you had a one-year contract. You signed it for a year. 00:10:52.620 --> 00:10:56.571 If you didn't want to stay after a year then you can come home. 00:10:58.570 --> 00:11:06.171 They were paying money to those students or workers in the CCC. 00:11:06.170 --> 00:11:10.342 When I started it was $21 a month. 00:11:10.340 --> 00:11:14.742 That was a lot of money to us because we didn't have any money. 00:11:14.740 --> 00:11:19.142 - That was an effort to help break us out of the Great Depression 00:11:19.140 --> 00:11:23.257 because so many people had no jobs at all. 00:11:23.314 --> 00:11:25.542 The farms were really keeping us going at that point? 00:11:25.540 --> 00:11:32.685 - True. When I went in I thought I would stay right in my home state of West Virginia. 00:11:32.680 --> 00:11:38.171 That I wouldn't go anywhere else but I ended up in the state of Montana. 00:11:38.170 --> 00:11:43.714 I was in Montana when Pearl Harbor was bombed. 00:11:46.285 --> 00:11:51.085 At the time they were going to discontinue the Civilian Conservation Corps 00:11:51.080 --> 00:11:58.228 because they needed these same youth that were in that unit to go into the military 00:11:58.220 --> 00:12:01.085 so we could win the war. 00:12:01.080 --> 00:12:07.542 I instead of going straight in which I could have gone into the army, I didn't want to do that. 00:12:07.540 --> 00:12:12.114 I wanted to be a Marine. I came home and joined the Marine Corps. 00:12:12.110 --> 00:12:15.028 - Did you get in right away? 00:12:15.020 --> 00:12:20.914 - No. [laughs] I was only 17, I hadn't reached my 18th birthday yet. 00:12:20.910 --> 00:12:25.828 - Didn't you have to be 21 at the time to join? They already had lowered the age. 00:12:25.820 --> 00:12:31.771 - 18. If you were under 18 you had to have a parent consent. 00:12:31.770 --> 00:12:39.200 My father was deceased and my mother said no. When mom said no, you didn't argue, period. 00:12:39.200 --> 00:12:46.285 When I was 18 and reached by 18th birthday, one month after that I wanted to go to war. 00:12:46.280 --> 00:12:53.600 I didn't want to go to war to fight a war. I wanted to go to war to protect my country and my freedom. 00:12:53.600 --> 00:12:57.485 I didn't realize at that age 00:12:57.480 --> 00:13:04.114 and with no more knowledge that we had in the way of worldly things. 00:13:04.110 --> 00:13:09.257 I didn't know that I would have to go someplace else 00:13:09.250 --> 00:13:16.000 another country or another area and fight in a war. I didn't know that. 00:13:16.000 --> 00:13:21.942 My concept at the time of going in was all of us not just me. 00:13:21.940 --> 00:13:26.685 All the rest of us who were going in, would stay right here in the United States 00:13:26.680 --> 00:13:32.171 so that we could protect our country and our freedom. Nobody could take that away from us. 00:13:32.170 --> 00:13:40.171 Of course when I got the Marine Corps I learned that the war is over there and not thank goodness not here. 00:13:40.170 --> 00:13:42.514 - Thank goodness here but it meant you were going somewhere? 00:13:42.510 --> 00:13:43.314 - That's right. 00:13:43.310 --> 00:13:48.514 - I think at this point we probably are in a spot where we can take some questions 00:13:48.510 --> 00:13:55.371 from Kaneland because I know that they had some questions regarding things that were going on during World War II. 00:13:55.370 --> 00:13:59.885 If I could have a student from Kaneland offer a question? 00:14:01.428 --> 00:14:06.514 - My question is after seeing the outcome that previous men with flamethrowers faced. 00:14:06.510 --> 00:14:09.600 What gave you the courage to pick one up and charge into enemy lines? 00:14:09.600 --> 00:14:16.228 - Before you answer this I'll repeat the question but I missed in background here. 00:14:16.220 --> 00:14:21.085 I'm hoping all our viewers that you have had a chance to preview Woody's living history. 00:14:21.080 --> 00:14:24.457 It's on www.themedalofhonor.com. 00:14:24.450 --> 00:14:29.371 Also if you google Hershel Williams you will find that 00:14:29.370 --> 00:14:36.057 there are a lot of different interviews that you have conducted previously with the VFW and the VA and such. 00:14:36.050 --> 00:14:41.714 There are many stories of him relating what happened in Iwo Jima 00:14:41.710 --> 00:14:44.514 and the action for which he was awarded the medal. 00:14:44.510 --> 00:14:50.514 This question refers to that the weapon that you carried was a flamethrower. 00:14:50.510 --> 00:14:55.257 She was asking and correct me please if I got this wrong. 00:14:55.250 --> 00:14:59.828 Would you repeat your question so I can? 00:15:00.228 --> 00:15:04.857 - I said after seeing the outcome that previous men with flamethrowers faced. 00:15:04.850 --> 00:15:08.114 What gave you the courage to pick one up and charge into enemy lines? 00:15:08.110 --> 00:15:12.285 - This young lady's done her home work and knows that you had lost 00:15:12.280 --> 00:15:19.085 the six other people in your unit who carried the weapon known as the flamethrower. 00:15:19.080 --> 00:15:22.914 What gave you the courage to still pick one up and go on? 00:15:22.910 --> 00:15:28.114 - I'm not really sure that it is courage. 00:15:28.110 --> 00:15:34.685 I know that that's essential to whatever you do when you're in a situation like that. 00:15:34.680 --> 00:15:38.400 That was the thing that I was trained for. 00:15:38.400 --> 00:15:43.714 Marine Corps had spent many, many hours training me to do a particular task. 00:15:43.710 --> 00:15:48.742 That was my job. I gave it no thought whatsoever 00:15:48.740 --> 00:15:53.714 as to what I'm getting into or what may or may not happen. 00:15:53.710 --> 00:16:00.571 That's what I was trained to do. I had taken on that responsibility, that obligation. 00:16:00.570 --> 00:16:06.171 It was just go do it. Like anybody would go do their job 00:16:06.170 --> 00:16:11.542 whatever it maybe and the circumstances be gone. 00:16:11.540 --> 00:16:16.114 I gave it no thought. It was just part of the job. 00:16:16.110 --> 00:16:18.000 - Part of the job. Thank you. 00:16:18.000 --> 00:16:23.942 I hear that and if we could have another question from Kaneland as well we'll follow up. 00:16:23.940 --> 00:16:30.857 I hear that many times from Medal of Honor recipients that in regards to the action 00:16:30.857 --> 00:16:35.485 that resulted in the Medal of Honor that you felt you were just doing your job. 00:16:35.480 --> 00:16:39.828 Doing what needed to be done in the circumstances. Thank you. 00:16:39.828 --> 00:16:41.820 Another question please? 00:16:42.285 --> 00:16:46.114 - How has the combination of your work with the VA 00:16:46.110 --> 00:16:49.428 and your war experience shaped your views on the way America treats our veterans? 00:16:51.420 --> 00:16:57.314 - You're asking about his work with the VA and how [inaudible 00:16:55] thoughts about veterans? 00:16:57.371 --> 00:17:02.285 I think we're going back a little ways or maybe jumping ahead in our discussion. 00:17:02.280 --> 00:17:06.057 We may circle back to your question. 00:17:06.050 --> 00:17:13.650 Again this class has done their homework and I guess they know that you worked as a Veteran's service officer. 00:17:13.650 --> 00:17:13.771 You did that but how long ago has it been since you did that? Again this class has done their homework and I guess they know that you worked as a Veteran's service officer. 00:17:13.771 --> 00:17:19.657 You did that but how long ago has it been since you did that? 00:17:19.657 --> 00:17:21.650 When did you retire from that? 00:17:21.650 --> 00:17:29.142 - I retired in 1959. I've retired long time ago but very well remember. 00:17:29.140 --> 00:17:33.371 Getting the football at home 00:17:34.057 --> 00:17:41.657 by somebody I'd never heard tell off to work for the Veterans Administration we called it VA. 00:17:41.650 --> 00:17:46.114 They said if you would like to have a job 00:17:46.110 --> 00:17:51.885 and you would come to our place which was 230 miles away. 00:17:51.880 --> 00:17:56.057 I didn't have a car and I'd just married. 00:17:56.050 --> 00:18:04.171 If you would like to come to our place we will give you a job and train you to be a veteran's counselor. 00:18:04.170 --> 00:18:08.133 I said I don't think I want to do that. 00:18:08.130 --> 00:18:13.666 They said well, the pay is pretty good. 00:18:13.660 --> 00:18:19.066 It pays $2,980 a year. 00:18:20.133 --> 00:18:26.533 I want that to soak in, $2,980 a year. 00:18:26.530 --> 00:18:32.333 I said I'm coming because I had never seen that much money 00:18:32.330 --> 00:18:37.200 and not never certainly had hope of ever receiving that money from working. 00:18:37.866 --> 00:18:40.933 - That was when you left the Marine Corps and went to work for the VA. 00:18:40.930 --> 00:18:44.266 - No. I was already out [crosstalk] I was just [unintelligible 00:18:43]. 00:18:44.260 --> 00:18:49.733 - Then to follow up on that question you spent years working with veterans 00:18:49.730 --> 00:18:52.533 and counselling them about their opportunities. 00:18:52.530 --> 00:18:56.933 What do you think about the way we're dealing with veterans now? 00:18:57.600 --> 00:19:03.800 - It's amazing. It really is a wonderful thing that we're doing today. 00:19:03.800 --> 00:19:08.333 When I came home and this was true in most states. 00:19:09.866 --> 00:19:18.933 Most states only had one VA. We called it VA or Veterans Administration facility in the state. 00:19:18.930 --> 00:19:26.800 It generally was a hospital so that veterans who needed medical care would have someplace to go. 00:19:26.800 --> 00:19:35.333 As I said it was 230 miles from my home to where that VA medical hospital was. 00:19:35.330 --> 00:19:42.200 Of course I'd never heard tello. I didn't even know it existed and neither did any of the other veterans in our area. 00:19:42.200 --> 00:19:48.200 Today we have just in my state alone of West Virginia 00:19:48.200 --> 00:19:53.733 we have four huge VA medical centers to take care of veterans. 00:19:53.730 --> 00:19:59.800 Then a whole bunch of satellite places out where they can go 00:19:59.800 --> 00:20:04.800 and received medical care without having to go to a hospital. 00:20:04.800 --> 00:20:09.066 The amount of service has been furnished today 00:20:09.060 --> 00:20:12.333 compared to what we had is monumental. 00:20:12.330 --> 00:20:15.733 Absolutely a great, great thing. 00:20:15.730 --> 00:20:21.200 - We're definitely moving in the right direction and I'm going to put a feather in your cap for you. 00:20:21.200 --> 00:20:26.466 One of those being [inaudible 00:20:22] Virginia was just recently dedicated and named after you. 00:20:26.466 --> 00:20:28.460 - Yes, it was. 00:20:28.460 --> 00:20:32.466 - Good recognition of ongoing service to veterans. 00:20:32.460 --> 00:20:36.400 That's one of the things that I've seen with most Medal of Honor recipients 00:20:36.400 --> 00:20:39.600 as well is it not only did you serve at great sacrifice 00:20:39.600 --> 00:20:44.400 and a gentle sacrifice during your consulate but you continue to serve afterwards. 00:20:44.400 --> 00:20:48.866 Not just the country as a whole but specifically veterans. Thank you for that question. 00:20:48.860 --> 00:20:53.933 Do we have any more questions from Kaneland say specifically about going back to World War two for a bit 00:20:53.930 --> 00:20:57.200 before we [inaudible 00:20:55] in life again? 00:20:57.200 --> 00:20:59.800 Here comes a young man. Thank you, sir. 00:21:01.800 --> 00:21:08.800 - While you were on the ship as a reserve did you want to go ashore onto Iwo Jima? 00:21:10.800 --> 00:21:17.466 - Yes I guess I did. Here again, that was what we were there for. 00:21:17.460 --> 00:21:22.933 We were there to win the war. The only way you could win the war 00:21:22.930 --> 00:21:26.000 is to overpower the other people. 00:21:28.800 --> 00:21:34.933 We looked like or looked at it as a responsibility 00:21:34.930 --> 00:21:42.866 and whatever it takes to save our freedom and save our country we're going to do that 00:21:42.860 --> 00:21:49.000 because those are the most precious things that we have other than life itself. 00:21:49.000 --> 00:21:55.733 We had no question about whether or not we would go in to combat. 00:21:55.730 --> 00:22:02.466 That's what we were trained for, that was the obligation we accepted and we were always ready. 00:22:03.466 --> 00:22:09.466 - Thank you. Good question and good answer. 00:22:09.460 --> 00:22:15.666 I would ask you to pull up another question related to World War II and while somebody else is getting ready for that 00:22:15.660 --> 00:22:20.066 I want to ask, did you have any idea in relation to this young man's question, 00:22:20.060 --> 00:22:27.266 did you have any idea when you were waiting on that ship to find out if you're going on what would be in store for you when you landed? 00:22:27.866 --> 00:22:35.133 - I had a little bit of an idea. Every island that we took was a little bit different. 00:22:35.130 --> 00:22:41.200 They weren't all the sam e didn't involve the same pattern each time. 00:22:41.933 --> 00:22:48.666 I don't think we had any doubt that we wouldn't be successful 00:22:48.660 --> 00:22:57.666 that we do what we were supposed to do. We had just the year before or a few months before actually, 00:22:57.660 --> 00:23:02.600 taken the island of Guam back from the enemy 00:23:02.600 --> 00:23:08.733 and that was the step in the direction of finally getting this thing over. 00:23:08.730 --> 00:23:11.066 There was no question. 00:23:11.060 --> 00:23:16.066 - A good step in a much, much larger circumstance. 00:23:16.060 --> 00:23:21.733 Notice, student, that he said in getting this thing over. That goes to the entire war in the Pacific 00:23:21.730 --> 00:23:26.666 keeping in mind, of course, that at the same time there was more of the war going on in Europe. 00:23:26.660 --> 00:23:31.266 I want to draw attention for just a minute to this map that [inaudible 00:23:30] here on the wall. 00:23:31.260 --> 00:23:37.200 This is a really special map. As you'll see Pacific in the far east 00:23:37.200 --> 00:23:44.866 and right here this dot out here completely surrounded by ocean is Iwo Jima. 00:23:44.860 --> 00:23:50.266 Guam is down here. You can see where our troops were operating out here in the Pacific. 00:23:50.260 --> 00:23:56.266 I want to draw attention to these dots because for those of you who are animal lovers and dog owners 00:23:56.266 --> 00:24:00.666 these dots represent the first canine platoons 00:24:00.660 --> 00:24:07.800 that our armed services used. The green dots are army dog platoons 00:24:07.933 --> 00:24:10.800 and the red dots are marine corps dog platoons. 00:24:10.800 --> 00:24:15.933 That is a map from World War II that features that. 00:24:15.930 --> 00:24:20.666 This is where were talking about right now it says Volcano Island 00:24:20.660 --> 00:24:25.400 that's where Iwo Jima was out there in the middle of absolutely nowhere. 00:24:25.400 --> 00:24:32.400 Do we have another question related to the war or to Woody's action from Kaneland? 00:24:32.400 --> 00:24:34.400 Good morning. 00:24:34.400 --> 00:24:41.000 - Hi, how did it feel when you saw the flag being raised? 00:24:43.000 --> 00:24:46.200 - How did it feel when you saw the flag being raised? 00:24:46.200 --> 00:24:49.933 Now the question is did you actually see the flag being raised? 00:24:49.930 --> 00:24:53.333 - No, I really didn't see the flag go up. 00:24:54.000 --> 00:25:01.800 My memory tells me that the flag was already up 00:25:01.800 --> 00:25:07.133 but the Marines around me and we're still in battle 00:25:07.130 --> 00:25:13.333 they're still dropping mortars on us and artillery and we're in battle. 00:25:13.330 --> 00:25:20.466 The Marines around me began yelling and firing their weapons into the air. 00:25:21.000 --> 00:25:23.333 - Yikes, that's dangerous. 00:25:23.330 --> 00:25:31.666 - Well, it was but it was also a celebration because Old Glory was flying up on Mount Suribachi 00:25:31.660 --> 00:25:39.066 which meant we were winning because now our flag is flying over this isle. 00:25:39.060 --> 00:25:46.466 It was really Old Glory that brought Iwo Jima to the forefront 00:25:46.460 --> 00:25:54.533 because every island that we took we always put up a flag once we were in the position to do so 00:25:54.530 --> 00:26:04.133 because we were going to occupy that island and we were going to be in control of it so Old Glory is going to be flying everyday. 00:26:04.130 --> 00:26:08.733 On Iwo, the thing that made it so iconic was 00:26:08.730 --> 00:26:15.333 this is the first actual enemy territory that we were capturing. 00:26:15.330 --> 00:26:21.466 All the other islands that we had taken in the Pacific and that was quite a number of them 00:26:21.460 --> 00:26:23.933 belong to some other country. 00:26:23.930 --> 00:26:30.866 The Japanese had taken them and occupied them but they didn't own the island 00:26:30.866 --> 00:26:32.860 they were just occupants. 00:26:32.860 --> 00:26:38.333 Iwo was their island it was part of their country [inaudible 00:26:38] 00:26:38.330 --> 00:26:46.800 Old Glory we went up on Suribachi on that island that meant to us and I think all of America, 00:26:46.800 --> 00:26:54.800 "Hey, we're winning this thing" We are going to achieve our goal of saving our freedom and our country. 00:26:54.800 --> 00:26:57.933 - Great question. Thank you for bringing that up. 00:26:57.930 --> 00:27:02.933 Students, that gives you some things to think about in terms of how powerful that symbol is 00:27:02.930 --> 00:27:08.000 and I love that you've got the flag hanging in the back of the classroom there on clear display. 00:27:08.000 --> 00:27:11.866 Thank you for that. How inspiring that symbol was 00:27:11.860 --> 00:27:15.866 for the troops who were fighting so hard to maintain that symbol. 00:27:15.860 --> 00:27:20.000 I'd mentioned earlier that World War II Museum 00:27:20.000 --> 00:27:23.733 with those budding issues on their equipment and from where were broadcasting today 00:27:23.730 --> 00:27:25.933 started as the national D-Day museum. 00:27:25.930 --> 00:27:32.600 Everybody thinks of June 6, 1944, Normandy, France when they hear D-Day museum. 00:27:32.600 --> 00:27:38.733 This museum covers the war from before we got into it, 00:27:38.730 --> 00:27:43.000 the United States got into it on through post-war at this point. 00:27:43.133 --> 00:27:49.466 They have a pavilion dedicated to both the road to Berlin and the road to Tokyo. 00:27:49.460 --> 00:27:57.466 There's a map on display here that shows D-Day landings in the Pacific. 00:27:57.460 --> 00:28:03.666 The first time I saw that map I was struck by the fact you mentioned there were lots of little islands 00:28:03.660 --> 00:28:08.800 [inaudible 00:28:03] When you hear lots you might be thinking 15, 20, 50. 00:28:08.800 --> 00:28:14.200 When that map it was an interactive map that when you pressed a button it would light up the D-Days, 00:28:14.200 --> 00:28:17.000 the dedicated landing days in the Pacific. 00:28:17.000 --> 00:28:22.800 There were over 400 lights that popped up on that map of islands 00:28:22.866 --> 00:28:25.466 that we had landed on in the Pacific. 00:28:25.460 --> 00:28:30.200 Of those aside from the fact that it was enemy territory, 00:28:30.200 --> 00:28:35.533 showed that we were making progress why else was Iwo Jima so important? 00:28:35.530 --> 00:28:41.600 Our B-29s, huge aircraft 00:28:41.600 --> 00:28:47.333 that had 11 or 12 highly skilled trained Americans on it 00:28:47.330 --> 00:28:53.133 were flying back and forth from the islands of Guam and Saipan 00:28:53.130 --> 00:29:01.666 all the way to Japan to drop bombs to try to influence them to surrender. 00:29:01.660 --> 00:29:06.333 They were making trips back and forth constantly 00:29:06.330 --> 00:29:11.133 and we couldn't send fighter planes with them to protect them 00:29:11.130 --> 00:29:18.000 because the fighter planes didn't have enough fuel to fly where they did. 00:29:18.000 --> 00:29:23.866 Some of them were injured by aircraft [unintelligible 00:29:23] 00:29:23.860 --> 00:29:28.400 or ac-ac guns we called it or they ran out of fuel 00:29:28.400 --> 00:29:35.600 and they had to ditch in the ocean and there was no way of rescuing them so we lost them. 00:29:35.600 --> 00:29:41.133 Iwo Jima was only 600 miles from Japan. 00:29:41.130 --> 00:29:44.333 Once we got it we could put fighter planes there 00:29:44.330 --> 00:29:48.066 and protect those B-29s flying back and forth. 00:29:48.060 --> 00:29:56.866 It became a huge airbase as a result of our taking it and saved thousands and thousands of lives. 00:29:58.333 --> 00:30:03.333 - Thank you. Good question to bring up and a good piece of history there. 00:30:03.330 --> 00:30:07.800 I'd like to turn a little [inaudible 00:30:05] history questions now. 00:30:07.800 --> 00:30:10.400 Some of the questions that some students send in 00:30:10.400 --> 00:30:16.600 that have to do with one of the things that we deal with the Medal of Honor Foundation representing the society. 00:30:16.600 --> 00:30:20.533 That's the values embodied in the Medal of Honor. 00:30:20.530 --> 00:30:25.800 One of those of course is courage. There's commitment, integrity, sacrifice of course 00:30:25.800 --> 00:30:28.000 and citizenship and patriotism. 00:30:28.000 --> 00:30:30.933 You've already touched on most of those in one way or the other. 00:30:30.930 --> 00:30:36.200 One student wrote in and asked, what gave you the strength to get through each day? 00:30:39.933 --> 00:30:47.333 - You're going to think this is silly but I was engaged to one of the most beautiful women in the world 00:30:47.333 --> 00:30:49.330 as far as I was concerned. 00:30:49.330 --> 00:30:55.666 My desire was to stay alive so I could come back to her. I wanted to marry that young lady. 00:30:55.660 --> 00:31:03.800 It gave me courage and a purpose. 00:31:03.800 --> 00:31:12.466 I would never permit myself to think or let it go through my mind over and over that I'm not going to make it. 00:31:12.460 --> 00:31:20.533 I did the opposite of that. I kept thinking I'm going to do this. I'm going to survive. I am going to get home. 00:31:20.530 --> 00:31:25.800 That gave me courage to do whatever I had to do. That was my goal. 00:31:25.800 --> 00:31:32.733 - That's super. Greater purpose. Now we know some of your motivation to get home 00:31:32.730 --> 00:31:38.466 and a related question that was also sent in before we started today said, 00:31:38.460 --> 00:31:43.400 why did you put others before yourself when you could have chosen to play it safe? 00:31:43.400 --> 00:31:44.933 I don't know if you actually had a choice. 00:31:44.930 --> 00:31:48.666 Do your commanding officer said, "Do you think you couldn't do something?" 00:31:48.660 --> 00:31:53.133 We got a quick question here. Did you marry that girl? 00:31:53.130 --> 00:31:58.600 - I did it and we were married for 63 years and had two beautiful daughters. 00:31:58.600 --> 00:32:04.466 Now I got five grandsons and two great grandsons. I'm the happiest man in town. 00:32:04.466 --> 00:32:06.460 - [laughs] That is wonderful. 00:32:06.460 --> 00:32:11.333 Even though you had that as your goal to get home 00:32:11.330 --> 00:32:18.800 you still took a job that was incredibly you knew you had seen six people before you not make it out. 00:32:18.800 --> 00:32:22.866 You were willing to accept that job? 00:32:24.860 --> 00:32:27.666 - That is a difficult question. It really is. 00:32:27.660 --> 00:32:38.466 Here again I guess I felt as a youth that I owed something to my country. 00:32:38.533 --> 00:32:46.600 I had a teacher her name was Nelma Morgan, Miss Nelma Morgan. 00:32:46.600 --> 00:32:54.066 She devoted her whole life to teaching. She is the one that really taught me 00:32:54.060 --> 00:33:00.600 the pledge of allegiance to the flag. My folks didn't do it and probably your folks are not doing it either 00:33:00.600 --> 00:33:07.400 because it's just something that families normally will not do. The other thing she taught me was 00:33:07.400 --> 00:33:16.533 how important it was to be proud that I was in America that I lived in a free country. 00:33:16.530 --> 00:33:24.466 That perhaps I owed something back in some way 00:33:24.460 --> 00:33:33.533 for all the privileges that others had given me because before I got here and certainly before you got here, 00:33:33.530 --> 00:33:42.600 there had been those that had sacrificed their lives just so we could have all that that we have today. 00:33:42.600 --> 00:33:42.666 The privileges and a free country and all the good things. there had been those that had sacrificed their lives just so we could have all that that we have today. 00:33:42.666 --> 00:33:48.466 The privileges and a free country and all the good things. 00:33:48.460 --> 00:33:55.333 She taught me all of that and that stuck with me . I felt an obligation 00:33:55.330 --> 00:34:00.800 that when somebody is trying to take something valuable away from you 00:34:00.800 --> 00:34:07.933 you've got to do something about that. I went for it. 00:34:07.930 --> 00:34:12.733 As I said I did not go to keep [inaudible 00:34:09]. I didn't know I was going to have to do that. 00:34:12.730 --> 00:34:17.333 I didn't realize I was going to have to do that until I got in the Marine Corps. 00:34:17.330 --> 00:34:24.600 Those who had already been there were teaching us what it is going to be like once we get there. 00:34:24.600 --> 00:34:31.466 Then I realized in order for us to win they cannot. 00:34:33.460 --> 00:34:39.466 - Good lessons. Good things for our students to hear. T hank you for that. 00:34:39.460 --> 00:34:53.200 Did you have any idea that your service could end up with this? 00:34:53.200 --> 00:34:54.666 - Absolutely not. 00:34:54.660 --> 00:34:56.266 - Did you even know what it was? 00:34:56.266 --> 00:34:58.260 - Never heard of it. 00:34:58.260 --> 00:35:03.066 The day I received that on the White House lawn 00:35:03.060 --> 00:35:07.133 presented to me by President Harry S Truman, 00:35:07.130 --> 00:35:11.600 even though he put the ribbon around my neck and congratulated me 00:35:11.600 --> 00:35:15.000 and even made the statement to me as he did to others. 00:35:15.000 --> 00:35:20.733 I would rather have this medal than to be President of the United States. 00:35:20.730 --> 00:35:28.266 That's the value that he placed on the medal he being a World War I veteran himself. 00:35:28.260 --> 00:35:34.666 He knew the value and the obligation 00:35:34.660 --> 00:35:41.666 that we were going to assume the minute we received that medal. I've never heard tell of it. 00:35:41.660 --> 00:35:49.800 I didn't know what impact it was going to have on my life. It actually changed my life. 00:35:49.800 --> 00:35:54.666 I became a different person because when I received this medal 00:35:54.660 --> 00:35:58.666 I didn't receive it just because of what I did. 00:35:58.660 --> 00:36:07.400 I received it because of what others had done. Others made it possible for me to receive the Medal of Honor. 00:36:07.400 --> 00:36:12.333 Had they not recommended-- had my commanding officer not recommended it, 00:36:12.330 --> 00:36:17.333 had my fellow Marines had not been willing to substantiate 00:36:17.330 --> 00:36:23.400 what he said took place that particular day, I couldn't have received the Medal of Honor. 00:36:23.400 --> 00:36:29.533 I have said ever since I realized the impact of it 00:36:29.530 --> 00:36:34.666 the obligation that I had to assume the moment I received it. 00:36:34.660 --> 00:36:43.666 Once I realized that then its significance grew monumentally absolutely. 00:36:43.660 --> 00:36:49.733 I have said many, many times in my life 00:36:49.730 --> 00:36:55.933 I don't wear the medal for what I did. I was just doing that for which the Marine Corps trained me to do 00:36:55.930 --> 00:37:02.666 that's what I'm supposed to do. I'll wear it for those who never got to come home. 00:37:02.660 --> 00:37:10.333 Those who sacrificed their lives so that I could come back home to a free country. 00:37:11.666 --> 00:37:18.066 - I'm trusting here that most of our audience knows that the Medal of Honor is 00:37:18.060 --> 00:37:25.133 the only medal for which servicemen and women are put in for that medal by the people who were with them 00:37:25.130 --> 00:37:31.266 on the front lines in the action at the time as opposed to by a commanding officer 00:37:31.260 --> 00:37:32.800 sitting in the back somewhere. 00:37:32.800 --> 00:37:37.866 That's part of what differentiates it from the others. 00:37:37.860 --> 00:37:43.333 - Let me mention. There is one lady with the Medal of Honor. 00:37:43.330 --> 00:37:48.533 - Yes from the Civil War and that we have a lesson on that by the way 00:37:48.530 --> 00:37:52.266 in both the elementary and secondary kids. 00:37:52.260 --> 00:37:55.666 Teachers go out there and look that up and find out about Dr. Mary Walker. 00:37:55.666 --> 00:37:57.660 - That's right. 00:37:57.660 --> 00:38:01.666 - More recently though because the medal was codified in 00:38:01.660 --> 00:38:07.133 during World War I as a specific combat medal and because women were not allowed in combat. 00:38:07.130 --> 00:38:12.466 That's why we have not had more with being awarded the medal but now that we allow women in combat 00:38:12.460 --> 00:38:17.600 that certainly that could change. It is definitely a combat medal. 00:38:17.600 --> 00:38:22.200 The Medal of Honor you said then changed your life 00:38:22.200 --> 00:38:27.733 because you had a little [inaudible 00:38:24] the president one day and you were impressed by that. 00:38:27.730 --> 00:38:33.333 Then the next day I believe you had a chat with your more immediate boss, the Commandant of the Marine Corps 00:38:33.330 --> 00:38:35.066 or he had a chat with you? 00:38:35.066 --> 00:38:37.060 - I think he had a chat with me. 00:38:37.060 --> 00:38:39.060 - Could you share that with us. 00:38:39.060 --> 00:38:46.333 - As a Marine enlisted person I never dreamed that I would ever 00:38:46.330 --> 00:38:49.933 be in the presence of the Commandant of the United States Marine Corps. 00:38:49.930 --> 00:38:55.666 He was on a pedestal that I didn't think I could ever even get close to 00:38:55.660 --> 00:39:03.200 but all of us Marines who received the medal the same day I did. 00:39:03.200 --> 00:39:08.866 There were actually 13 of us received the medal the same day. 00:39:08.860 --> 00:39:17.666 Of the 13 there were 9 Marines 00:39:17.660 --> 00:39:22.600 and the rest of them were Navy corpsman 00:39:22.600 --> 00:39:29.400 that belonged or worked with the Marines as a medic and took care of us who were wounded and hurt. 00:39:29.400 --> 00:39:36.266 All the Marines had to appear individually before the Commandant of the Marine Corps. 00:39:36.260 --> 00:39:45.066 I was literally frightened half to death because I just never thought I would be in the presence of that person. 00:39:45.060 --> 00:39:49.533 Much of what he said to me that day I don't even remember. 00:39:49.530 --> 00:39:52.600 I was too scared I think. 00:39:52.600 --> 00:39:57.600 One of the things that I do remember was that he said, 00:39:57.600 --> 00:40:05.733 "That medal does not belong to you. It belongs to all those Marines who never got to come home. 00:40:05.730 --> 00:40:14.000 Don't ever do anything that would tarnish"- a word that has been lost to history, 00:40:14.000 --> 00:40:19.333 "that would tarnish that medal," meaning disgrace it in some way 00:40:19.330 --> 00:40:25.866 or have something that would reflect badly upon it. 00:40:25.860 --> 00:40:29.066 I remember those words very, very well. 00:40:29.060 --> 00:40:32.266 - Sounds like it made a huge impression. 00:40:32.260 --> 00:40:33.133 - It did. 00:40:33.130 --> 00:40:38.200 - Yes definitely. I would like for us to take a couple more questions from Kaneland if we could, 00:40:38.200 --> 00:40:41.533 says somebody got a question ready for us there? 00:40:43.530 --> 00:40:48.533 Thank you for thank you for sharing that about the-- I think it's interesting 00:40:48.530 --> 00:40:52.866 that you didn't say anything about being scared when you were on Iwo Jima 00:40:52.860 --> 00:40:55.400 - but you sound like you were quivering in your boots 00:40:55.400 --> 00:40:57.266 when you were talking to the Commandant of the Marine Corps. 00:40:57.266 --> 00:40:59.260 - You're right. 00:40:59.260 --> 00:41:04.133 - Marine Corps, thinking here yes. Young lady would you please [unintelligible 00:41:03] your question. 00:41:04.130 --> 00:41:08.200 You mentioned an obligation that comes with the medal. 00:41:08.200 --> 00:41:11.066 Can you tell us about some of those obligations? 00:41:11.060 --> 00:41:14.866 - Great question. Obligations that come with the medal. 00:41:14.866 --> 00:41:14.933 - Okay. Well, I like all the others who have received the Medal of Honor, - Great question. Obligations that come with the medal. 00:41:14.933 --> 00:41:21.600 - Okay. Well, I like all the others who have received the Medal of Honor, 00:41:21.600 --> 00:41:28.333 could not have received it unless an officer recommended it. 00:41:29.533 --> 00:41:34.333 An enlisted person in our military service cannot recommend 00:41:34.333 --> 00:41:36.330 someone for the Medal of Honor. 00:41:36.330 --> 00:41:38.330 It must come from an officer. 00:41:38.330 --> 00:41:45.666 The second requirement is that there must be these two witnesses 00:41:45.660 --> 00:41:49.000 that can confirm or verify 00:41:49.000 --> 00:41:53.333 what the commanding officer has written as his recommendation. 00:41:55.933 --> 00:42:03.133 Once you receive the medal, and most Medal of Honor recipients will tell you this, 00:42:03.130 --> 00:42:08.400 they don't wear it for themselves. They wear it for others. 00:42:08.400 --> 00:42:13.533 Which means that you're taking on an obligation 00:42:13.530 --> 00:42:19.266 to pay tribute and high respect to the medal itself 00:42:19.260 --> 00:42:22.933 and to all of those who may be in possession of it, 00:42:22.930 --> 00:42:28.866 and not to do anything that would reflect badly 00:42:28.860 --> 00:42:33.066 upon that person or the medal itself. 00:42:34.000 --> 00:42:38.933 - There's a related question here from a listener in California. 00:42:38.930 --> 00:42:42.733 When has been the most difficult part of wearing that medal? 00:42:45.800 --> 00:42:54.466 I think adjusting your life because the minute you receive the medal, you become a public figure 00:42:54.460 --> 00:43:02.266 whether you want to or not. You may not want to do that, and there are those who would not ever accept it. 00:43:02.260 --> 00:43:06.200 You know some of those. 00:43:06.200 --> 00:43:10.066 The minute you received a medal, you become a public figure 00:43:10.060 --> 00:43:15.133 and that means that you're going to be called upon 00:43:15.133 --> 00:43:17.130 to do what we're doing here today. 00:43:17.130 --> 00:43:24.533 If you had asked me before I went to Marine Corp, I'd ever be talking to a group of students, 00:43:24.530 --> 00:43:26.333 I would have said absolutely no. 00:43:26.933 --> 00:43:30.000 They know more than I do, so I'm not going to do it. 00:43:30.000 --> 00:43:34.533 - Not to mention that most people are more scared of public speaking than they are of death. 00:43:34.530 --> 00:43:40.466 - That's right. So that's an obligation that you assume 00:43:40.460 --> 00:43:46.666 or accept because just because you received the medal. 00:43:47.333 --> 00:43:51.400 - Well the flip side of the difficulty of wearing that Medal of Honor, 00:43:51.400 --> 00:43:55.933 what have been some of the absolute highlights of wearing that Medal of Honor? 00:43:55.930 --> 00:44:02.666 - The privileges that have come to me as a result of having the medal are so numerous 00:44:02.660 --> 00:44:06.400 I could take out the rest of your time telling you. 00:44:06.400 --> 00:44:11.800 One of the things that sticks in my mind and comes there first 00:44:11.800 --> 00:44:19.000 is from the time President Kennedy was [inaudible 00:44:17] 00:44:19.000 --> 00:44:25.733 we met a lot of recipients, who were invited to come to the Inaugural 00:44:25.730 --> 00:44:29.533 in Washington DC which happens every four years. 00:44:29.530 --> 00:44:35.866 It's something that takes place in America that does not take place anyplace else in the world, 00:44:35.860 --> 00:44:39.133 it is unique and different. 00:44:39.130 --> 00:44:44.200 So we're invited to attend those inaugurals. 00:44:44.266 --> 00:44:51.666 I have had every member of my family to be able to attend those inaugurals over the years, 00:44:51.660 --> 00:44:56.533 and we've never missed one. Well without having received the Medal of Honor, 00:44:56.530 --> 00:45:01.600 that invitation would have never been there and certainly as an individual 00:45:01.600 --> 00:45:08.933 not having any power or position of any kind, I could have never arranged for that. 00:45:08.930 --> 00:45:18.400 - The other thing of course is there are things in my State that carry my name on them. 00:45:18.730 --> 00:45:25.800 Like what used to be National Guard Armory now is a Armed Forces training center. 00:45:25.800 --> 00:45:31.733 Meaning that all branches of service use this training center to train their people, 00:45:31.730 --> 00:45:37.400 that has my name on it. That could have never happened without the Medal of Honor. 00:45:37.400 --> 00:45:39.400 - In fact I hear you have a boat. 00:45:39.400 --> 00:45:42.133 - [laughs] Yes I have it. 00:45:42.130 --> 00:45:47.600 It's a little boat, it only weighs 90,000 tons, 00:45:47.600 --> 00:45:53.866 that's only 825 feet long 00:45:53.860 --> 00:45:58.466 and it carries a whole bunch of helicopters, Osprey 00:45:58.460 --> 00:46:01.533 and Blackhawks and all those helicopters. 00:46:01.533 --> 00:46:03.530 It's just a little teeny thing. 00:46:03.530 --> 00:46:05.666 - It's called the USS? 00:46:05.660 --> 00:46:07.800 - No it's not yet. 00:46:07.800 --> 00:46:08.800 - Not yet. 00:46:08.800 --> 00:46:13.666 - In May of next year, it will become a USS ship. 00:46:13.660 --> 00:46:19.600 There's a difference between the USS ship and a regular Navy ship. 00:46:19.600 --> 00:46:25.600 Right now it's considered a Navy ship, because it's not a ship of war. 00:46:25.600 --> 00:46:30.733 Doesn't have armor on it so it can be able war ship. 00:46:30.730 --> 00:46:39.066 - But once it becomes a USS ship, then it will be a warship and could participate in war. 00:46:39.060 --> 00:46:43.600 - Okay. Well, congratulations on that recognition. That was pretty exciting. 00:46:43.600 --> 00:46:45.600 - I would correct a lady. 00:46:45.600 --> 00:46:52.133 - [laughs] I needed that information. You educated me [unintelligible 00:46:51] 00:46:53.266 --> 00:46:59.866 I would suggest a change in language. That's not correction, that's its exact. 00:46:59.860 --> 00:47:06.866 The VA Medical Center in my hometown, just recently they was voted by the Congress 00:47:06.860 --> 00:47:10.133 to put my name on that Medical Center. 00:47:10.130 --> 00:47:16.200 Well, what I'm honored. I never dreamed anything in my life could possibly happen like that, 00:47:16.200 --> 00:47:20.133 and boy often people will say as she did. 00:47:20.130 --> 00:47:28.066 It is named after me. No, it's named for me because I'm still here. 00:47:28.060 --> 00:47:33.266 - [laughs] Good point. We hope you're going to stick around a lot longer. 00:47:33.260 --> 00:47:38.266 One of the things that I want to play out, I'm going to change direction a little bit here. 00:47:38.260 --> 00:47:43.600 I mentioned earlier that you have lived a full life of service in addition to 00:47:43.600 --> 00:47:47.800 service with veterans and your service directly to this country as a Marine. 00:47:47.800 --> 00:47:53.266 Also as service to the Medal of Honor Society as their chaplain, 00:47:53.260 --> 00:48:00.733 and the terrific grandfather and great-grandfather that you are and father, 00:48:00.730 --> 00:48:06.666 all kinds of life of service but you in these last few years who have taken up yet another service. 00:48:06.660 --> 00:48:13.266 I want to give students a little background that you may not know about , something I learned just in the last few days is that, 00:48:13.260 --> 00:48:17.733 before you went into the service you delivered telegrams 00:48:17.730 --> 00:48:20.133 at the start of World War two. 00:48:20.130 --> 00:48:25.466 Those telegrams included notices of families wounded and killed in action. 00:48:25.460 --> 00:48:31.800 - Yes. I wanted to go into Marine Corp 00:48:31.800 --> 00:48:35.800 here again to save my country and my freedom. 00:48:35.800 --> 00:48:43.266 I'd already enlist them but there were so many young people wanting to get in to war, 00:48:43.260 --> 00:48:47.866 because we've got to win this thing or we're going to lose everything. 00:48:47.860 --> 00:48:57.000 So they were coming in so rapidly that the Armed Forces couldn't find enough people to train them. 00:48:57.000 --> 00:49:04.666 So we had a waiting period and I had to wait a little better than two months 00:49:04.660 --> 00:49:12.533 before they could actually accept me and five other guys that were going into the Marine Corps from my area. 00:49:12.530 --> 00:49:19.933 During that period of time, I'd already quit my previous job. I got a job driving a taxicab. 00:49:19.930 --> 00:49:27.533 I was working from 6:00 in the evening till 6:00 in the morning, a 12-hour shift every night. 00:49:27.530 --> 00:49:33.000 At that time, the notice of someone being killed in the Armed Forces 00:49:33.000 --> 00:49:39.600 was notified by the delivery of a telegram to the family. 00:49:39.600 --> 00:49:45.866 That's the way we did it in World War I, would continue to do it in World War II. 00:49:45.860 --> 00:49:51.400 Those telegrams would come in to the western union office 00:49:51.400 --> 00:49:56.800 or the message would and then fix up a telegram, then they would call a cab company 00:49:56.800 --> 00:50:02.933 because the western union office didn't any cars or people. They'd call the cab company and say, 00:50:02.930 --> 00:50:06.600 "We have a telegram to be delivered to such and such address." 00:50:06.600 --> 00:50:12.000 We cab drivers were the people who were delivering those messages. 00:50:12.000 --> 00:50:18.466 The people in the community, once they saw the envelope which was a different color 00:50:18.460 --> 00:50:22.066 than any other envelope, they already knew. 00:50:22.060 --> 00:50:27.933 Once they saw that envelope, they knew it was bad news. 00:50:28.666 --> 00:50:33.933 Somebody in the family had been killed. I delivered some of those. 00:50:33.930 --> 00:50:40.066 I was 19 years old at the time. It was very traumatic 00:50:40.060 --> 00:50:44.666 because as a 19-year-old boy, I didn't know what to do. 00:50:44.660 --> 00:50:50.400 I didn't know how to talk to people or assist them in their grief 00:50:50.400 --> 00:50:53.800 or in the traumatic experience that they just had. 00:50:53.800 --> 00:51:00.533 It left a lasting impression on me. From that, I think over the years, 00:51:00.530 --> 00:51:05.400 it influenced my thinking to get into the program that we are in now. 00:51:05.400 --> 00:51:09.733 - To connect, to give students a little more idea about this, 00:51:09.730 --> 00:51:14.200 probably many of you have seen the movie <i>Saving Private Ryan</i>. If you haven't, you should. 00:51:14.200 --> 00:51:18.266 There is a scene in that movie where from the camera angle, 00:51:18.260 --> 00:51:23.866 the audience is looking out through a screen door like a screened in porch 00:51:23.860 --> 00:51:27.400 out onto the steps down to a sidewalk. 00:51:27.400 --> 00:51:34.200 That scene took me right back. That was exactly what my grandma's house looked like. 00:51:35.333 --> 00:51:39.066 My grandma had all three sons in World War II. 00:51:39.060 --> 00:51:45.200 As I was watching that movie, the young man came up the sidewalk and turned 00:51:45.200 --> 00:51:51.800 holding that Western Union telegram and walked up to the front door and I thought at that moment, 00:51:51.800 --> 00:51:58.600 "My gosh, my grandmother lived that because she lost one of her sons at the D-Day invasion." 00:51:58.600 --> 00:52:05.333 I want to make that connection so that you can see that and see the intensity of that moment 00:52:05.330 --> 00:52:07.666 and then think about what he's doing now. 00:52:07.660 --> 00:52:12.200 He has started a Gold Star families recognition program 00:52:12.200 --> 00:52:16.133 and I would like you to tell them a little bit about that. 00:52:16.130 --> 00:52:19.866 - Well, let's go one back to World War I. 00:52:19.860 --> 00:52:25.466 In World War I, Mama's, mothers of those who were-- 00:52:25.460 --> 00:52:29.466 who lost a son in World War I, 00:52:29.460 --> 00:52:35.600 they decided they wanted something to show that they had lost a loved one and they develop 00:52:35.600 --> 00:52:38.000 what is known as a Gold Star Flag. 00:52:38.000 --> 00:52:43.933 If a home lost a loved one, they'd put this in the window or on the front door 00:52:43.930 --> 00:52:50.933 so that people in the community would know that this home lost somebody in war. 00:52:50.930 --> 00:52:57.333 That [inaudible 00:52:52] during World War I. After World War I, we didn't use it anymore. 00:52:57.330 --> 00:53:04.800 Those that were lost during the period between World War I, World War II and we had some. 00:53:04.800 --> 00:53:11.333 The Gold Star Flag wasn't used because they were not killed in war. 00:53:11.330 --> 00:53:17.466 Then when World War II came along, the Gold Star Flag came back into play again 00:53:17.460 --> 00:53:23.866 because we were losing not only sons but fathers and brothers. 00:53:31.460 --> 00:53:36.266 somebody came up with the idea, "Well, that's good. That's what we should do 00:53:36.260 --> 00:53:44.066 but we should also let people know that we have some [inaudible 00:53:40] serving in the war that's protecting our freedom". 00:53:44.060 --> 00:53:48.066 The Blue Star Flag was developed. 00:53:48.060 --> 00:53:54.133 These hung in the window of those who had somebody serving in the armed forces, any branch. 00:53:54.130 --> 00:53:58.266 My mother had three of these hanging in her front window. 00:53:59.400 --> 00:54:03.200 Two of my brothers were in Europe and I was in the Pacific 00:54:03.266 --> 00:54:10.733 so they hung there all throughout the time we were gone and fortunately we all got home. 00:54:11.600 --> 00:54:19.400 A child boyhood friend that he and I had gone to school together for about seven years, 00:54:19.400 --> 00:54:24.400 his family had two of these Blue Stars in their window, 00:54:24.400 --> 00:54:30.000 but Leonard, my buddy, he didn't get home. 00:54:30.066 --> 00:54:36.466 They had to change the blue to the gold because they lost a son. 00:54:36.460 --> 00:54:42.733 From that, there was never any recognition in the country 00:54:42.730 --> 00:54:46.733 of those families that made that sacrifice. 00:54:48.466 --> 00:54:53.600 Gold Star Mothers are pretty well recognized around over the country. 00:54:53.600 --> 00:54:57.200 The name itself is pretty well recognized, 00:54:57.200 --> 00:55:04.600 but probably the most of us have never even heard the term Gold Star Dad. 00:55:04.600 --> 00:55:10.000 For whatever reason, we didn't use that term. 00:55:11.400 --> 00:55:18.466 Finally, it's certainly dawned on me, a dad came to me and said-- 00:55:18.460 --> 00:55:24.400 he had just lost a son in Afghanistan and he said, 00:55:24.400 --> 00:55:28.466 "Dads cry also." 00:55:29.933 --> 00:55:34.800 From that, we began working on trying to get some sort of a memorial 00:55:34.800 --> 00:55:39.866 that would honor the families that sacrifice for us. 00:55:39.860 --> 00:55:44.066 We started a program to do that very thing 00:55:44.060 --> 00:55:49.200 and I'm very proud to say that in our little State of West Virginia, 00:55:49.200 --> 00:55:55.466 we had the first one ever done in the United States and from that, 00:55:55.460 --> 00:56:01.733 we have five in various communities around [unintelligible 00:56:00] 00:56:02.800 --> 00:56:10.133 in the process and we'll find to get one on the Capitol grounds and we just dedicated one here 00:56:10.130 --> 00:56:13.866 on the Capitol grounds of Baton Rouge. 00:56:13.860 --> 00:56:17.733 The first one on Capitol grounds. 00:56:17.730 --> 00:56:23.200 We have about 42 of these throughout the country some place. 00:56:23.200 --> 00:56:27.200 Various states, 36 states involved so far, 00:56:27.333 --> 00:56:31.600 but every state has these who have lost a loved one. 00:56:31.600 --> 00:56:34.066 Let me ask a question to the students here. 00:56:34.060 --> 00:56:41.066 Do any of you, or do you know, of any relative of any degree, 00:56:41.060 --> 00:56:48.466 regardless of the relationship that somewhere in the background of your family or relations, 00:56:48.460 --> 00:56:54.266 that somebody went to war or went to the military and never got home? 00:56:54.260 --> 00:56:56.333 How many? Is there any in this group? 00:56:56.330 --> 00:56:58.266 - There are. - There are. 00:56:58.260 --> 00:57:00.800 - Quite a few. - Quite a few. 00:57:00.800 --> 00:57:06.066 We find these in every group. They've never been recognized. 00:57:06.060 --> 00:57:14.600 This is to honor them for their sacrifice because they gave up more than we did. 00:57:15.533 --> 00:57:20.866 - You can go online and look for the Hershey-- the Hershel 'Woody' Williams foundation 00:57:20.860 --> 00:57:24.200 and you'll be able to see the monuments and read about them. 00:57:24.200 --> 00:57:27.533 There's news coverage from Sunday when they dedicated the monument 00:57:27.530 --> 00:57:31.666 here in Louisiana and you can see if there's already one in your state. 00:57:31.660 --> 00:57:35.733 This hour has flown by. We're only getting started. 00:57:35.730 --> 00:57:40.466 It's 95 years and we did it in an hour. Before we sign off, 00:57:40.460 --> 00:57:44.266 I know there's a message waiting from the class from Kaneland 00:57:44.260 --> 00:57:47.066 and probably from every side as well. 00:57:47.066 --> 00:57:49.060 Do you want to say something? 00:57:49.060 --> 00:57:52.200 - Happy birthday Woody. 00:57:52.200 --> 00:57:53.666 [laughter] 00:57:53.666 --> 00:57:55.660 - Thank You. 00:57:57.400 --> 00:58:00.600 - Great. It's been wonderful having everybody on here today. 00:58:00.600 --> 00:58:03.933 I apologize that we didn't get you more questions there are lots of great questions. 00:58:03.930 --> 00:58:07.800 An hour is just too short. Maybe we'll do another one of these sometimes, 00:58:07.800 --> 00:58:09.333 I don't know if we'll have to do that. 00:58:09.400 --> 00:58:14.400 - Thanks all of you for your time and all that you do for us. 00:58:14.400 --> 00:58:18.600 We have some information slides up here at the end 00:58:18.600 --> 00:58:21.533 for teachers to get your CE certificate. 00:58:21.530 --> 00:58:27.866 For this webinar, it will be emailed automatically if you were here for the entire program. 00:58:27.860 --> 00:58:33.800 If you log on afterwards, you need to take the CE quiz and all the information is there on edweb.net. 00:58:33.800 --> 00:58:35.200 We want to thank Edward for doing that. 00:58:35.200 --> 00:58:39.866 We really want to give a big shout out to the World War II Museum once more 00:58:39.860 --> 00:58:44.466 for letting us broadcast from here at their home. It's great. 00:58:44.460 --> 00:58:50.466 You can also go on the Medal of Honor Foundation website www.themedalofhonor.com 00:58:50.460 --> 00:58:54.000 to request more information about the character development program 00:58:54.000 --> 00:58:59.600 and also to go back and review this webinar live 00:58:59.600 --> 00:59:01.400 and sign up for the next one. 00:59:01.400 --> 00:59:04.000 We have another one in a month. 00:59:04.000 --> 00:59:08.200 We will be interviewing Medal of Honor recipient Robert Modrzejewski, 00:59:08.200 --> 00:59:13.066 Vietnam Medal of Honor recipient on Thursday, November 15. We will be doing that from-- 00:59:13.060 --> 00:59:16.600 we'll actually be broadcasting from a classroom in Southern California. 00:59:16.600 --> 00:59:20.933 Thank you all for your time. Woody thank you so much, happy birthday 00:59:20.930 --> 00:59:23.066 Let's do it again on 100. 00:59:23.066 --> 00:59:23.133 - Thank you, I'm willing. Let's do it again on 100. 00:59:23.133 --> 00:59:24.666 - Thank you, I'm willing. 00:59:24.660 --> 00:59:28.733 - Super Thanks all.