ISSUE 15 - SUMMER 2016
JAMES C . ROBERTS President
TIM HOLBERT Editor & Executive Director
WES SMITH Program Director
SETH NICHOLS Director of Development
TED GENEROUS Development Officer
MEGAN MAGGI
Content Manager
PETER TRAHAN
Website Manager
CHRIS GRAHAM Researcher
ADAM SYLVAIN
Associate Editor
MICHAEL PARADISO Publisher
ROB PERRY Creative Director
American Valor Quarterly
A quarterly publication of the American Veterans Center & World War II Veterans Committee 1100 N . Glebe Rd . Suite 910 Arlington , VA 22201 Telephone : 703-302-1012 Fax : 571-480-4141
American Valor Quarterly is mailed to donors to the American Veterans Center and World War II Veterans Committee who make a contribution of $ 50 or more per-year . Contributions help fund the AVC and WWIIVC ’ s various speaker conferences , student programs , the National Memorial Day Parade , documentary and oral history projects , and this publication .
To make a contribution or subscribe , call 703-302-1012 ext . 214 or e-mail info @ americanveteranscenter . org .
www . AmericanVeteransCenter . org www . WWIIVets . com
Letter from the President
Dear Friends :
In March of last year I had the opportunity to travel across the Pacific to take part in the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima . It was one of the great privileges of my life .
In our group of 500 people were approximately 50 veterans of that iconic battle . It was a very moving experience to see the honor paid those veterans — most in their 80s and 90s , many in wheel chairs or using walkers — at every stop along the way . At Los Angeles International Airport bagpipers played and a choir sang as we prepared to depart . In Honolulu fire trucks met us on the tarmac spraying streams of water over our plane in salute . Strangers came up to many vets and hugged and thanked them , some with tears in their eyes .
After three days in Guam our fleet of three commercial jets flew to Iwo Jima early in the morning . What a sight it was to slowly circle around the tiny island where so much blood had been spilled in the month-long battle to capture it . What an experience to walk on the famous black sands of the landing beaches ! What an incredible feeling to stand on Mt . Suribachi where the flag was raised and immortalized in one of the most famous photographs in history .
JIM ROBERTS WITH ONE OF THE FAMED NAVAJO CODE TALKERS ON IWO JIMA .
Both Japan and the U . S . sent highranking delegations to attend the joint ceremony of reconciliation . The American delegation included Gen . Joseph Dunford , then-Commandant of the Marine Corps , Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus and many other dignitaries . But the biggest star of all was Hershel “ Woody ” Williams , the last remaining Medal of Honor recipient ( out of a total of 27 ) from the battle of Iwo Jima .
Everyone wanted to meet Woody and to get their picture taken with him . He was toasted and saluted at practically every event . His amazing story truly embodies the sentiment of Admiral Chester Nimitz ’ s comment about those Americans who fought and died to take Iwo Jima : “ Uncommon valor was a common virtue .”
Woody Williams has been a good friend of the World War II Veterans Committee and the American Veterans Center for more than a decade and he tells his story in this issue of American Valor Quarterly .
Thank you for your support of the WWIIVC & AVC as we strive to fulfill our mission of honoring our veterans and preserving their legacy .
Sincerely , James C . Roberts
James C . Roberts is President of the American Veterans Center & World War II Veterans Committee
4 AMERICAN VALOR QUARTERLY