State Funeral for WWII Veterans Issues George Marshall Award

NEW ORLEANS – February 21, 2022 – The State Funeral for World War II Veterans organization announced today that United States Senator from West Virginia, the Honorable Joe Manchin, III (D-WV) will receive the 2022 National George Marshall Award. The honor recognizes a patriotic American who best celebrates the sacrifice, resilience, and service of the 16 million women and men who served in our Armed Forces during World War II.  Previous winners of the award include fellow West Virginia World War II Medal of Honor recipient Hershel “Woody” Williams in 2020, Congressman Steve Scalise (R-LA) in 2019 and World War II Medal of Honor recipient Charles Coolidge in 2021.

Five Star U.S. Army General George Marshall led the American military during World War II.  British Prime Minister Winston Churchill called him “the organizer of the Allied Victory in the Second World War.”  He was Army Chief of Staff from 1939 till 1945. Marshall later served as Secretary of State under President Truman where he crafted the Marshall Plan for the economic recovery of Europe. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1953.

Presenting the award will be retired U.S. Marine Corps Corporal Hershel “Woody” Williams, the only living holder of the Medal of Honor from the Second World War.  The presentation will take place at Charleston West Virginia offices  of Senate Joe Manchin, located at 900 Pennsylvania Ave at 9:15am on Tuesday February 22, 2022.

The press are invited to attend.

United State Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) presented the 2021 award to Technical Sergeant Coolidge on Signal Mountain, Tennessee, last March 15, 2021.  Congressman Scalise (R-LA) received his award at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans in 2019. 

State Funeral for WWII Veterans Honors Senator Joe Manchin

Senator Manchin has been a champion of the World War II Veteran during his 11 years on Capitol Hill.  He and United State Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO) introduced the HIRE Veterans Act in 2017. In 2019 he co-sponsored the VA Provider Accountability Act that made it easier to remove employees from the VA who were not attending to the needs of Veterans. He convinced the United States Navy to name their $498 million dollar assault ship the “USS Hershel “Woody” Williams in 2016. 

Born in 1947, Mr. Manchin was taught in his formative years by scout leaders, football coaches, and Sunday school teachers who were World War II Veterans.  He grew up hearing stories about local heroes like Private Richard Earl Gregor who was born in Farmington in 1926. He joined the Army in 1945 and was killed in action in Okinawa, Japan on May 1st, 1945.

In January of 2019 he spearheaded a West Virginia Congressional delegation letter to the White House calling for a State Funeral for the Final Medal of Honor recipient from World War II.

In May of 2019 United States Senators Manchin and Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) introduced a resolution calling for a State Funeral for the last MOH recipient from World War II.  In January of 2021, Senator Manchin, joined by Senators Capito and Mitt Romney (R-UT) reintroduced the resolution calling for a State Funeral

Senator Manchin attended West Virginia University on full football scholarship.  His coach was Jim Carlen.  Since childhood he has maintained his friendship with Alabama Head Football Coach Nick Sabin.

In total, 473 Americans received given our nation’s highest military honor during the Second World War. Today, only one remains, Corporal Hershel “Woody”  Williams.

“The approximately 300,000 remaining veterans of the Second World War will benefit from a State Funeral in Washington D.C. for the final Medal of Honor recipient from World War II,” said Lee William “Bill” McNutt, Co-Founder and National Chairman. “This will be a final salute to the greatest generation.”

Medal of Honor recipient Hershel Williams said the following upon receiving the award in 2020.  “Soon the World War II generation will be extinct.  A State Funeral for the last of us to go will be part of history that cannot be erased.  We can never do enough to thank the World War II Generation who gave us the world we enjoy today.”  

Todd Morris, the West Virginia Chairman of State Funeral for World War II Veterans said “State Funeral for World War II Veterans are organized in 46 states and have over 13,000 petitions to the White House to support their mission. It is impressive that over a dozen state legislatures have pass a resolution calling on the White House to make this happen.“

This effort is the brainchild of McNutt’s 10-year-old daughter, Rabel, a public- school student, in honor of her godfather, United States Army Staff Sergeant Walter Ehlers, the oldest holder of the Congressional Medal of Honor when he died in 2014. He received the medal for his gallantry during The Battle for Normandy in France, June 1944.

Senator Manchin and the entire West Virginia Delegation is encouraging President Biden to use his sole authority under American law to designate a State Funeral in Washington DC for the final Medal of Honor holder from World War II and to do so as soon as possible.

Mr. Brent Casey, grandson of “Woody” Williams, and State Funeral for World War II Chair in Kentucky said “It is fitting that this national George Marshall award, that has been presented to two World War II Medal of Honor recipients in the past, would honor a great bi-partisan American leader like Senator Manchin today. “

Media Contact:

David Oates, APR
(858) 750-5560
[email protected]
www.worldwar2salute.org

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