What is the monument’s design and how is Woody being honored?

The monument design features components relevant to the City of Elkins, Randolph County and the surrounding area as stipulated in Woody’s original concept. It also features the emblems of the military services, including the nation’s newest service, the Space Force. Unique to this monument, the National Guard emblem stands at the center of the service symbols, since in West Virginia, it is the predominant military service component.

The monument is positioned on a landscaped plaza approximately 25’ in diameter and contains three marble benches signifying the contributions of Rotary District 7545 (the monument’s sponsor), The Rotary Club of Elkins (the monument’s home club) and The Rotary Club of Milton WV (Woody’s home club). Emblazoned on the three benches are the core values of the United States Marine Corps in which Woody served: Honor, Courage and Commitment. The plaza also features three granite markers: one honoring Woody’s life of service, one describing the monument itself and one acknowledging major donors to the project.

A unique feature of this monument is incorporated in its construction. The concrete upon which the monument sits was mixed with sand from Iwo Jima where Woody’s heroic actions resulted in him being recognized with the nation’s highest combat award, the Medal of Honor. The concrete is also mixed with water produced aboard the USS HERSHEL “WOODY” WILLIAMS, Expeditionary Sea Base 4, the ship that bears Woody’s name, while operating in support of special operations units in the European theater.

By incorporating these features, the monument pays tribute to Woody’s life of service that stretched from his heroic actions in Iwo Jima to operations being conducted even today by the ship that carries his name, a lasting tribute to Woody’s vision of honoring and serving Gold Star families as well as his life of service above self.