As a hospital corpsman in World War II’s Pacific theater, Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Jack Williams’ job was to save the lives of the Marines who fought around him. During the bloody Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945, Williams saved more than a dozen Marines and sacrificed his own life so they could live. His selflessness led him to receive a posthumous Medal of Honor.
Williams was born Oct. 18, 1924, in Harrison, Arkansas, to William and Dorothy Williams. He had a younger sister named Fern.
During high school, Williams worked at a local theater and was a member of the Future Farmers of America. As World War II raged during his senior year, he registered in the Selective Service System but didn’t wait to be drafted. As soon as he graduated in June 1943, he enlisted in the Naval Reserve.
Within a few months, Williams had completed training to become a hospital corpsman. By May 1944, he’d reached the rank of pharmacist’s mate 3rd class and was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 28th Marines, 5th Marine Division.
In late December 1944, the division deployed to Hawaii and began training for the invasion of Iwo Jima, a tiny island in the Pacific with strategic airfields that could better position the Allies for an assault on mainland Japan.
Williams’ unit arrived off the volcanic island’s coast in mid-February and was part of the first assault waves to land there. Over the next several days, the 28th Marines took part in efforts to isolate and secure Mount Suribachi, where the now-iconic photo of Marines raising a U.S. flag was taken.
On March 3, 1945, the unit had moved into rugged terrain to continue fighting an entrenched enemy. Williams had already given aid to more than a dozen wounded Marines, but when he saw his friend, Marine Corps Pfc. James Naughton, lying in no-man’s-land after being wounded in a fierce grenade battle, he ran to him.
Williams dragged Naughton to a shallow depression and knelt to give him first aid, using his own body as a screen from the continued enemy fire, which hit Williams in the abdomen and groin three times.
Williams was momentarily stunned, but he quickly recovered and finished aiding Naughton before applying bandages to his own wounds.
Despite needing urgent medical attention himself, Williams continued his work. He stayed in the perilous, fire-swept area to help yet another Marine he found there. Through his pain and profuse bleeding, Williams dressed that man’s wounds before trying to make his way to the rear of the fight to get aid for himself. Along the way, he was struck down by a Japanese sniper bullet.
Williams collapsed and later died, giving his life to help his fellow warfighters survive. For his sacrifice, he was awarded a posthumous Medal of Honor, presented to his mother at the family home March 8, 1946.
Williams is buried in Springfield National Cemetery in Springfield, Missouri.
In total, 27 Medals of Honor were awarded to men who fought on Iwo Jima, the most of any World War II battle. Aside from Williams, three other pharmacist’s mates received the medal: Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Junior Pierce, Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class George Wahlen and Navy Petty Officer 1st Class John Willis.
To honor Williams, the Navy commissioned a guided missile frigate, the USS Jack Williams, in 1981. The ship was in service until 1996, when it was sold to Bahrain’s navy. According to the Central Arkansas Library System’s Encyclopedia of Arkansas, the ship’s bell was removed after service and now resides in the lobby of the county courthouse in Harrison.
Just a few years ago, Williams’ hometown also opened the Jack Williams Veterans Resource Center as a place to serve local veterans.
This article is part of a weekly series called “Medal of Honor Monday,” in which we highlight one of the more than 3,500 Medal of Honor recipients who have received the U.S. military’s highest medal for valor.
