Hershel "Woody" Williams, Chief Warrant Officer 4, Marine Corps
Williams, a native of Marrion County, was presented with the Medal of Honor by President Harry S. Truman on October 5, 1945, for his actions during the Battle of Iwo Jima. Williams arrived on the beach of Iwo Jima with 1st Battalion, 21st Marines on February 21, 1945. Two days later, tanks opening up a lane for the infantry encountered several concrete pillboxes that stalled their progress. U. S. forces were pinned down by machine gun fire and unable to advance. Williams, armed with a flamethrower and demolition charges and accompanied by four other Marines, spent four hours neutralizing the enemy pillboxes so that U.S. forces could advance. See his complete biography here.