80 Years After D-Day, Widow of Black Medic Honored with Heroism Medal

Waverly B. Woodson Jr., a member of the only African American combat unit involved in the D-Day invasion during World War II, spent over a day treating injured soldiers amidst heavy German gunfire, despite suffering injuries himself. Nearly two decades after his passing, his family received the long-overdue recognition that many Black service members were denied.

On Tuesday, Woodson’s 95-year-old widow, Joann, was honored with the posthumous Distinguished Service Cross, awarded for his exceptional bravery. A large number of Woodson’s family gathered to witness the ceremony, proudly wearing T-shirts emblazoned with his image and the words “1944 D-Day US Army Medic.”

“It’s been a long, long road to get to this day,” his son Steve Woodson conveyed to the attendees. He added that his father would have felt humbled by the honor.

This award, the Army’s second-highest distinction, represents a significant victory in a prolonged campaign initiated by Joann Woodson, military advocates, and Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen, aimed at securing further recognition for her husband’s valor on that fateful day.

The ultimate goal is to see Woodson elevated to the Medal of Honor, the highest military accolade given by the U.S. government—one historically denied to many Black soldiers who served during World War II.

Senator Van Hollen shared that he learned about Woodson’s story when Joann reached out to his office nearly a decade ago. He remarked on Woodson’s extraordinary courage, stating that the only barrier separating him from this prestigious honor was “the color of his skin.”

“Correcting this injustice is vital,” Van Hollen affirmed. “It matters for Waverly Woodson and his family, as well as for our nation as a whole, because our strength lies in recognizing and honoring our comprehensive history and all our heroes.” The senator addressed an audience that included members of Woodson’s unit, the First Army.

The timing of the award coincided with the 80th anniversary of the Allied forces landing at Normandy, France. Shortly before the ceremony, members of the First Army took the Distinguished Service Cross to France, laying the medal in the sands of Omaha Beach, where a young Woodson contributed to the war effort decades earlier.

During a time when the U.S. military was still racially segregated, approximately 2,000 African American soldiers participated in the invasion that became pivotal in combating the Nazi regime and facilitating the conclusion of World War II.

On June 6, 1944, Woodson’s unit, the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion, was tasked with setting up protective balloons to deter enemy aircraft. His landing craft was struck by two shells, injuring him even before reaching the beach.

The loss of power on his vessel forced them toward the shore, and Woodson likely had to wade ashore under heavy enemy fire. Reflecting on that day in a 1994 interview, he recounted, “The tide brought us in, and that’s when the 88s hit us. They were murder. Of our 26 Navy personnel, only one remained. They raked the whole top of the ship and killed all the crew.”

Over the next 30 hours, Woodson treated approximately 200 wounded soldiers while enduring ongoing small arms and artillery fire. He eventually collapsed from injuries and blood loss, and at that time, he was awarded the Bronze Star for his efforts.

Like many veterans of World War II, Woodson seldom spoke of his harrowing experiences in combat. Steve Woodson later shared that it wasn’t until a 50th-anniversary trip to France that his father started recounting his memories, including a haunting encounter with a mortally wounded soldier.

Steve remarked, “That memory troubled him throughout his life.”

Throughout an era marked by significant racial discrimination, none of the 1.2 million Black Americans who served in the military during World War II received the Medal of Honor. It was not until the early 1990s that the Army initiated a study to assess whether Black servicemen had been unjustly overlooked.

Ultimately, in 1997, seven Black World War II veterans received this distinguished medal. During the review process, Woodson was interviewed and considered, but the records needed for his case had been lost, partly due to a fire in 1973 at a military records facility.

Supporters of Woodson believe he is deserving of the Medal of Honor and suspect that a recommendation for it might have existed, though it has since been lost. U.S. First Army historian Captain Kevin Braafladt has committed to uncovering the truth behind Woodson’s experience, sifting through numerous army records in search of information.

His dedication to this cause is driven by a desire to reconcile this historical oversight rooted in bureaucracy and racism, an initiative Braafladt finds personally meaningful. “This is an opportunity to amend something that was wrong in the past,” he stated.

Source: AP