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Hershel Williams

WWII | 1st Battalion, 21st Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division

Hershel Williams had no trouble in boot camp, thanks to the upbringing by his no nonsense father. He did have trouble realizing he may have to actually kill someone else. Later, in combat, he would come up with a way to get past this. His training wrapped up at Camp Pendleton where he nearly missed shipping out with his unit. (6:58)
The ship was crowded and hot. Marine Hershel Williams was headed to a destination unknown in the Pacific and he had worked out a system with his girlfriend to get past the censorship of letters home. When he learned the names of his first two destinations, he knew he was going to be writing some long letters. (6:28)
The first stop for the new Marines was New Caledonia. They were only in transit so they had some free time and Hershel Williams and some buddies decided to go to the beach and get a coconut. Bad idea. (6:16)
On a secured Guadalcanal, Marine Corporal Hershel Williams was selected to be a flamethrower and demolition operator. When the weapon was unpacked, it was a big mystery, but through trial and error, an effective method of use was devised. The results were deadly. (6:18)
His gunnery sergeant was named Albert Daniel Hemphill. Hershel Williams remembers him as a "China Marine." They were a different breed and this story about a drunken leave in China comes straight from the source. (4:44)
The flamethrowers were useless on Guam. There were no caves and pillboxes to speak of, just deep jungle. Hershel Williams set them aside after two days and got an M-1. Also, there were frogs, really big frogs. (4:18)
What did Hershel Williams learn from his first combat experience on the island of Guam? His answer is thoughtful, but he is not so sure what to think about the Japanese code of honor that leads to Banzai charges and suicidal attacks. (6:06)
Hershel had seen a diagram aboard ship of the island of Iwo Jima; the basic layout and where the airfield was. Coming ashore the third day, his unit was stalled by a group of pillboxes blocking the way. His commander asked him if he could take some of them out with the flamethrower. What he did then resulted in him being awarded the Medal of Honor. (7:50)
Hershel Williams was wounded, but he refused to move to the rear on Iwo Jima. Once he saw that his friend Vernon Waters had been killed, there was no way. (2:59)
He was preparing to cross the airfield on Iwo Jima when Hershel Williams heard Marines yelling. He looked up and joined in what would become an iconic moment, the raising of the flag on Mount Suribachi. (2:03)