On this Fourth of July we honor the last surviving Medal of Honor recipient from World War II. Marine veteran Hershel “Woody” Williams died Wednesday at 3:15 a.m. and was 98 years old. Williams died at the Huntington, West Virginia, Veterans Affairs hospital named after him, according to a statement from his foundation.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced Sunday that Williams will lie in honor at the U.S. Capitol.

The Marine Corps Times writes about the honorable veteran and his Medal:

Born in 1923 on a dairy farm in Quiet Dell, West Virginia, Williams was the youngest of 11 children, according to the Weirton, West Virginia, Daily Times.

Initially disqualified for being too short, Williams enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1943, according to his biography. The demolition sergeant landed on Iwo Jima on Feb. 21, 1945, with 1st Battalion, 21st Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division.

Two days later, on Feb. 23, 1945, he famously destroyed enemy emplacements with a flamethrower, going forward alone into machinegun fire, covered only by four riflemen.

His citation states, “he fought desperately for 4 hours under terrific enemy small-arms fire and repeatedly returned to his own lines to prepare demolition charges and obtain serviced flamethrowers,” before wiping out one enemy position after another.

On one occasion, he “daringly mounted a pillbox to insert the nozzle of his flamethrower through the air vent,” which killed all enemy occupants and silenced its gun.

Williams received the Medal of Honor from President Harry S. Truman at the White House in October 1945 for “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty.”

God Bless Woody Williams and his family.

America is great because of heroes like him. https://t.co/QxAFMWDMYH

— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) June 30, 2022