CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia’s U.S. senators are backing a resolution allowing a state funeral for Medal of Honor recipient Woody Williams.
Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., on Monday announced the measure.
Williams, a West Virginia native, is one of three remaining Medal of Honor recipients from World War II.
If the resolution were to pass, it would include ceremonies and funeral processions in West Virginia and Washington, D.C., in which a body would lie in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol. Such event could last up to 10 days.
The president must call for a state funeral to be held.
“This may be our last chance to come together as a country and salute the Greatest Generation with our nation’s highest honor,” Manchin said. “The women and men, like Woody Williams, who answered the call to service during WWII ensured that our democracy and our way of life prevailed. Their sacrifices and the hardships they have endured allow the rest of us to enjoy the unique freedoms that make this country the best on earth.”
Capito said such event “reflects the respect and gratitude” the country has toward World War II veterans.
“I’m proud to join my colleagues in cosponsoring this bill that would allow Americans across the country a very special opportunity to pay tribute to the Greatest Generation,” she said.
The 95-year-old Williams currently travels the country advocating for monuments honoring Gold Star families.