The final living Medal of Honor recipient of World War II was at Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport on Thursday. Hershel "Woody" Williams promoted the establishment of a "Gold Star Families Memorial Monument" in the Quad Cities. "Gold Star" families are those that have experienced the loss of a relative while serving in our armed forces.
In 2013, the Hershel "Woody" Williams Medal of Honor Foundation began constructing monuments across the country to honor those families. Since then, the foundation has dedicated 47 nationwide in 42 different states with 61 more on the way.
Williams says he realized the loss impacts the entire family of the military member and decided they deserved to be honored.
"Up until then, the country as a whole, society, and we as a people had not done anything in the way of paying tribute and honor to the families who sacrificed a love one in the armed forces of our country."
The monument has four different sections, representing homeland, family, their patriotism, and sacrifice. With help from the Rock Island Arsenal Chapter of the Association of the United States Army (RIA AUSA), Williams believes the Quad Cities is an ideal location for a memorial.
"With the history of this community? My goodness. What a perfect place it would be to have a monument that honors those families."
To learn more about the monuments, visit hwwmohf.org.