--- title: "WWII Marine Medal of Honor recipient welcomes great-grandson to the Corps" description: "Cedar Ross is following in the footsteps of a Corps legend, Hershel “Woody” Williams, who was awarded the Medal of Honor in WWII." date: "2021-06-22" modified: "2021-06-23" authors: - name: "David Roza" job_title: "YouTube Writer/Editor" link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/david-roza.md" url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/marine-corps-hershel-woody-williams-boot-camp-great-grandson/" categories: - "History" - "Marine Corps" - "Military Branches" - "News" - "Past Conflicts" - "World War II" --- # WWII Marine Medal of Honor recipient welcomes great-grandson to the Corps ![]() *Marine Corps legend Hershel "Woody" Williams shares a laugh with his great-grandson, Cedar Ross, who graduated Marine Corps boot camp at Parris Island last week (Screenshot / CBS News video)* Cedar Ross was halfway through boot camp at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island when his drill instructors realized he was the descendant of a living Marine Corps legend. Ross’ great-grandfather, Hershel “Woody” Williams, was awarded the Medal of Honor for repeatedly assaulting Japanese positions during the battle of Iwo Jima in February 1945. Armed with a flamethrower and demolition charges, Williams attacked a series of pillboxes, [fighting the enemy at close range]() when they charged him with bayonets. 76 years later, Williams has a [Navy ship]() and a Veterans Affairs center named after him, a [foundation]() for erecting monuments to honor fallen service members, and a lifetime of helping military families. It’s quite a reputation to live up to, but Ross is prepared for the burden. "The chief drill instructor told me, 'Ross, you're going to have big shoes to fill,'" the young Marine told [CBS News](). "I said, 'Yes, sir. Thankfully, I wear size 15.'" https://twitter.com/CBSEveningNews/status/1407110706588176387?s=20 Ross graduated from boot camp last week after completing the grueling 13-week journey that turns everyday men and women into U.S. Marines. Ross had some words of wisdom from his great-grandfather to get him through it. "The only advice I think I gave him was to do the very best that he could and then to do a little more," said Williams, who, at 97 years old is the last living World War II Medal of Honor recipient, but still showed up to Parris Island see his great-grandson graduate. Ross is the latest of many who have followed the footsteps of their older, highly-decorated relatives into the military. Last July, [Pfc. Andrew Cashe]() graduated the Army's 22-week infantry training course at Fort Benning, Georgia, nearly [15 years after his father, Sgt. 1st Class Alwyn Cashe](), died walking through the fire of his burning Bradley Fighting Vehicle to help get his men out during an ambush in Iraq. Cashe was awarded a posthumous Silver Star, and there is a campaign to upgrade that award to the Medal of Honor. There are also military dynasties like that of the late Arizona Senator John McCain, who came from a long line of Navy officers and who accumulated his own legendary service record and survived six years as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam. McCain's son Doug was a Navy pilot, his son [Jack]() flies helicopters in the Navy Reserve, and his son James served with the Marines in Iraq. Ross' graduation ceremony last week was also a major occasion for the families of the 350 other young Marines who graduated with Ross, as it was the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began last year that all family members were allowed to attend boot camp graduation. "They have said, 'By taking that oath that you can take my life but you cannot take my country or my freedom,'" Williams said. ### Watch next: Naturalization through military service ***Related: [What it was like fighting on Iwo Jima, according to a Marine Medal of Honor recipient]()*** ## Author David Roza is a former scriptwriter and reporter for the Task & Purpose YouTube channel, and he also wrote articles about military pay, benefits, health care, child care, culture, and other personnel topics on a freelance basis. Roza previously covered the Air Force and Space Force for Task & Purpose from 2019 to 2023 and for Air & Space Forces Magazine from 2023 to 2025. In the course of that reporting, he has set off a ‘Hollywood explosion’ with Air Force bomb techs, turned the (unarmed) keys of a nuclear missile bunker, hovered over the Nevada desert on an Air Force rescue helicopter, and got the best sleep of his life on the floor of a C-17 over the central Pacific. Share tips and story ideas with David at [david.roza@teamrecurrent.io]()