Hello Fellow Legionnaires, Veterans, Neighbors and Friends –
As most of you have learned by now, we lost one of our nation’s special heroes this past week when Hershel “Woody” Williams, the last Medal of Honor recipient from World War II, a 72-year member of American Legion Post 177 in Barboursville, W.Va., died this past Wednesday, June 29 at age 98.
Our Frisco Community is especially blessed to be one of the sites selected by the Woody Williams Foundation to have a Gold Star Families Memorial Monument (GSFMM) honoring the families of servicemen and women who sacrificed their lives while serving in the military. I am personally honored to have met Woody at the Monument Dedication Ceremony, thanks to our friends Chuck Wright and Rob Altman, who were among those serving on the local monument committee. Most of those who attended the dedication ceremony enjoyed this opportunity as well – Woody was very sociable and accessible. As the Frisco Post Commander and a proud Frisco resident, I am extremely grateful for the gift that Woody has bestowed on both our Gold Star Families and our entire community. Our Gold Star Monument will continue to serve as both a remembrance of the sacrifices of our local heroes and an inspiration to all of us to continue serving our Veteran community and our entire community.
I believe the best way we honor the legacy and spirit of Woody Williams is to continue to seek out opportunities to serve our local Frisco community, help our fellow Veterans and senior Frisco residents, and inspire our next generation of young men & women to serve our nation – to create their own legacies.
Thank you, Woody, for giving our Frisco community both a place to remember what you provided us, and the challenge to keep your spirit of service going!
In Gratitude,
John S. Stammreich
Commander, Peter J Courcy American Legion Post 178
“Fortune Favors the Bold” – USNA 1992