Curtis Tate Published

Manchin, Capito Pursuing Honor For Woody Williams At U.S. Capitol

Woody Williams Distinguished WVian.jpg

West Virginia’s U.S. senators say they’re trying to arrange for Woody Williams to lie in honor at the U.S. Capitol.

Williams, who died Wednesday at age 98, will receive a state funeral in West Virginia.

Sens. Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito say, as the last of nearly 500 Medal of Honor Recipients from the Second World War, Williams should be honored in the nation’s capital.

Very few Americans have been honored in this way. Among them: presidents, Senators, members of Congress, Supreme Court Justices and generals. Rosa Parks and Billy Graham were, too.

But lawmakers would need to change the rules to allow it for Williams. Preliminary plans are for his West Virginia funeral to take place this weekend.

“We’re going to see if that can be expedited,” Manchin said, “but we don’t have that to be a done deal yet.”

Manchin is on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, while Capito is on the Rules Committee.