Current:Home > MarketsFamily of Black World War II combat medic will finally receive his medal for heroism -ProfitPoint
Family of Black World War II combat medic will finally receive his medal for heroism
View
Date:2025-04-13 22:23:46
WASHINGTON (AP) — Waverly B. Woodson Jr., who was part of the only African American combat unit involved in the D-Day invasion during World War II, spent more than a day treating wounded troops under heavy German fire — all while injured himself. Decades later, his family is receiving the Distinguished Service Cross he was awarded posthumously for his heroism.
Woodson, who died in 2005, received the second-highest honor that can be bestowed on a member of the Army in June, just days before the 80th anniversary of Allied troops’ landing in Normandy, France.
His widow, Joann, his son Steve and other family will be presented with the medal Tuesday during a ceremony in Washington hosted by Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen.
The award marked an important milestone in a yearslong campaign by his widow, Van Hollen and Woodson’s supporters in the military who have pushed for greater recognition of his efforts that day. Ultimately, they would like to see him honored with the Medal of Honor, the highest military decoration that can be awarded by the U.S. government and one long denied to Black troops who served in World War II.
If Woodson is awarded the Medal of Honor, it would be the “final step in the decades-long pursuit of justice and the recognition befitting of Woodson’s valor,” Van Hollen said in a statement.
Troops from Woodson’s former unit, First Army, took the Distinguished Service Cross — which is awarded for extraordinary heroism — to France and in an intimate ceremony laid the medal in the sands of Omaha Beach, where a 21-year-old Woodson came ashore decades earlier.
At a time when the U.S. military was still segregated by race, about 2,000 African American troops are believed to have taken part in the invasion that proved to be a turning point in pushing back the Nazis and eventually ending World War II.
On June 6, 1944, Woodson’s unit, the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion, was responsible for setting up balloons to deter enemy planes. Two shells hit his landing craft, and he was wounded before even getting to the beach.
After the vessel lost power, it was pushed toward the shore by the tide, and Woodson likely had to wade ashore under intense enemy fire.
He spoke to the AP in 1994 about that day.
“The tide brought us in, and that’s when the 88s hit us,” he said of the German 88mm guns. “They were murder. Of our 26 Navy personnel, there was only one left. They raked the whole top of the ship and killed all the crew. Then they started with the mortar shells.”
For the next 30 hours, Woodson treated 200 wounded men — all while small arms and artillery fire pummeled the beach. Eventually, he collapsed from his injuries and blood loss, according to accounts of his service. At the time, he was awarded the Bronze Star.
In an era of intense racial discrimination, not a single one of the 1.2 million Black Americans who served in the military during World War II was awarded the Medal of Honor. It wasn’t until the early 1990s that the Army commissioned a study to analyze whether Black troops had been unjustly overlooked.
Ultimately, seven Black World War II troops were awarded the Medal of Honor in 1997.
At the time, Woodson was considered for the award and he was interviewed. But, officials wrote, his decoration case file couldn’t be found, and his personnel records were destroyed in a 1973 fire at a military records facility.
Woodson’s supporters believe not just that he is worthy of the Medal of Honor but that there was a recommendation at the time to award it to him that has been lost.
veryGood! (1)
Related
- Civic engagement nonprofits say democracy needs support in between big elections. Do funders agree?
- Billy Bean, second openly gay ex-MLB player who later worked in commissioner’s office, dies at 60
- Judge rejects bid by Judicial Watch, Daily Caller to reopen fight over access to Biden Senate papers
- Algerian boxer Imane Khelif has a shot at Olympic gold after semifinal win
- Residents worried after ceiling cracks appear following reroofing works at Jalan Tenaga HDB blocks
- See damage left by Debby: Photos show flooded streets, downed trees after hurricane washes ashore
- FACT FOCUS: False claims follow Minnesota governor’s selection as Harris’ running mate
- Climate Advocates Rally Behind Walz as Harris’ VP Pick
- Average rate on 30
- Texas schools got billions in federal pandemic relief, but it is coming to an end as classes begin
Ranking
- Current, future North Carolina governor’s challenge of power
- Georgia attorney general says Black studies course can be taught under racial teaching law exemption
- US ambassador to Japan to skip A-bomb memorial service in Nagasaki because Israel was not invited
- Where JoJo Siwa Stands With Candace Cameron Bure After Public Feud
- Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
- PHOTO COLLECTION: AP Top Photos of the Day Tuesday August 6, 2024
- Officials begin to assess damage following glacial dam outburst flooding in Alaska’s capital city
- 2024 Olympics: Michael Phelps Pretty Disappointed in Team USA Men's Swimming Results
Recommendation
Can Bill Belichick turn North Carolina into a winner? At 72, he's chasing one last high
Olympic medals today: What is the medal count at 2024 Paris Games on Wednesday?
Why Kit Harington Thinks His and Rose Leslie's Kids Will Be Very Uncomfortable Watching Game of Thrones
Study Links Permian Blowouts With Wastewater Injection
Rylee Arnold Shares a Long
The Best Crystals for Your Home & Where to Place Them, According to Our Experts
Data shows Rio Grande water shortage is not just due to Mexico’s lack of water deliveries
Disney returns to profit in third quarter as streaming business starts making money for first time