Trump signs U.S. Sen. Justice’s Medal of Honor memorial bill
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CHARLESTON – On the eve of the 25th commemoration of the lives lost on 9/11, President Donald Trump signed U.S. Sen. Jim Justice’s first bill paying tribute to the heroes, alive and deceased, who have been honored with the nation’s highest military tribute.
Trump signed S. 858, the Hershel “Woody” Williams National Medal of Honor Monument Location Act, in a ceremony Thursday afternoon at the National Medal of Honor Museum in San Antonio, Texas. Justice and Williams’ family members joined the president for the bill signing.
“With a new monument in Washington D.C., America will never, ever forget what they did, what they risked and how much they risked, what they've meant to their families and what they’ve meant to our country,” Trump said during remarks prior to the bill signing. “We’ll get back to Washington. We’ll get you set up. We’ll get you the best site in all of Washington.”
"Today, we got it done, and I couldn't be prouder,” said Justice, R-W.Va., in a prepared statement Thursday. “The service members who earned the Medal of Honor gave everything they had for this country. They didn't ask for recognition. They just stepped up, answered the call, and put America and their fellow Americans ahead of themselves. We owe them a debt we can never repay. Now we can give these heroes a place on the National Mall that will stand for generations.”
The bill authorizes the creation of a new monument in Washington, D.C., honoring recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor. It permits the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation to bypass certain land-use restrictions to establish this monument within the National Mall's Reserve. The monument will be paid for from private donations
“The Monument ensures the service and sacrifice of Medal of Honor Recipients, and all those we served alongside, will forever have a place of honor in America's front yard, inspiring generations to come with the timeless values of courage, commitment, integrity and patriotism,” said retired Maj. Gen. and Medal of Honor Recipient Patrick Brady, a member of the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation board of directors. “This Monument is about values over valor - the American ideals we all strive to live up to. I'm eternally grateful to everyone who made this day possible,"
Justice, who introduced the bill last year, named the bill for Williams, who was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions on Iwo Jima in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II and spent the remainder of his life working on behalf of veterans and Gold Star families whose loved ones died while serving in the military.
Williams died in June 2025 at the VA Medical Center in Huntington, a facility that bears his name. He was 98. Trump said before his death, Woody was the last surviving Medal of Honor recipient from World War II.
“(He had) one of the most dangerous jobs of war, and that’s operating a flame thrower,” Trump said. ” They say it is one of the most dangerous jobs, very dangerous for the people on the other end too. In the battle of Iwo Jima, he carved a path to American victory ... so soldiers could get in and win. Through a deadly gauntlet of enemy strongholds, back and forth he went ... They said Woody, take it easy. ‘No, no, I can’t. I have to clear the path.’ One machine gun nest after another he knocked down.”
"The establishment of the National Medal of Honor Monument on the National Mall is a powerful and fitting tribute -- not only to Woody, but to every American who has received our nation's highest military honor and to the courage, sacrifice and selfless service they represent,” said Brent Casey, co-founder and former president/CEO of the Woody Williams Foundation. “It is especially meaningful that this legislation bears the name of a proud West Virginian who dedicated his life to serving veterans, honoring Gold Star Families and reminding our nation that freedom is not free.”
The Congressional Medal of Honor is the nation's highest military decoration for members of the U.S. Armed Forces, awarded for extraordinary acts of valor and bravery. According to the Medal of Honor Historical Society, there have been 3,552 of the medals awarded. The awards are presented to the honorees or posthumously to their families by the president.
“When folks walk by that monument, I want them to stop, look at those names, and understand the kind of courage it took to earn that Medal,” Justice said. “To have this moment tied to my dear friend Woody Williams makes it extra special, and I know he's smiling down on us. I am grateful to President Trump for signing this bill and ensuring we never, ever forget Woody and our Medal of Honor recipients.”