Veteran of Marines to be honored Friday in Eureka

Name: Tim Woolley

Service branch: Marines

Humboldt County’s August 2026 “Humboldt Hero” is Tim Woolley, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran whose 22-year military career was defined by leadership, courage and an unwavering commitment to service.

Woolley enlisted in the Marine Corps at age 17 — before he even graduated high school — and quickly distinguished himself as a leader.

His leadership was recognized early, and he was chosen to be a platoon squad leader while in boot camp. He graduated from boot camp as a private first class. He completed advanced infantry training and went on to military police school. He was assigned to Naval Air Station North Island, where he served for two years as a gate guard.

Over the course of his career, he served in infantry, military police, reconnaissance and training assignments, rising to the rank of Gunnery Sergeant. His extensive specialized training included mountain warfare, rappelling, amphibious operations and reconnaissance.

His service took him around the world and into some of the most demanding missions of his era. He participated in rescue and recovery efforts following the 1981 crash of an Air Force MC-130E in the South China Sea. Woolley, with some of his teammates and local fishermen, helped to recover the bodies of the 23 people killed onboard, and helped to save the one person able to survive the terrifying crash.

He served as a wildland firefighter during the historic 1988 Yellowstone fires, and led Marines into Mogadishu, Somalia, in support of Operation Restore Hope in 1992. He and his Marines participated in combat operations and were present during the events surrounding the tragic Black Hawk Down incident.

He also trained generations of Marines in amphibious and special operations skills.

Since retiring from the Marine Corps, Woolley has devoted countless hours to supporting fellow veterans, volunteering at community events, and quietly assisting those in need.

He can often be seen washing dishes at the monthly community breakfast fundraisers or quietly sweeping and vacuuming the floors of the veterans building in Fortuna.

In July, he received a letter informing him that he had been awarded the United Nations medal for Operation Restore Hope in Somalia.

His lifetime of service, both in uniform and in the Humboldt County community, exemplifies the highest ideals of the Marine Corps and makes him a deserving Humboldt Hero for August 2026.

If you go

What: Monthly Humboldt Heroes celebration.

When: Noon on Friday

Where: 537 7th St., Eureka.

Nominate a “Humboldt Hero”: “Humboldt Heroes” normally honors local veterans on the last Friday of the month. If you’d like to nominate a local veteran for recognition, or help sponsor the ongoing program, contact State Farm insurance agent Scott Hammond at 707-444-2504.