WASHINGTON — Waverly Woodson Jr., a medic who was a part of the one Black fight unit to participate within the D-Day invasion of France throughout World Conflict II, is being posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross in recognition of the heroism and willpower he confirmed treating troops below heavy enemy fireplace.
The announcement was made Monday by Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, who has been working for years with Woodson’s household for extra recognition of his exploits on that fateful day.
“This has been a very long time coming,” Van Hollen stated throughout an interview with The Related Press. “Woodson’s bravery on D-Day was heroic. We have now quite a few accounts of what he did to save lots of his fellow troopers at the same time as he was wounded. And so we’ve been pursuing this recognition for a very long time together with the household.”
The announcement comes simply days earlier than the eightieth anniversary of the June 6 anniversary of the assault that led to the liberation of France and the remainder of Western Europe from Nazi Germany.
Woodson was simply 21 years outdated when his unit, the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion, took half within the Allied operation. His battalion, the one African American fight unit there that day, was liable for establishing balloons to discourage enemy planes.
At a time when the U.S. army was nonetheless segregated by race, about 2,000 African American troops are believed to have taken half within the D-Day invasion.
Woodson died in 2005. He spoke to the AP in 1994 about how his touchdown craft got here below intense fireplace from the Germans because it approached the seaside.
“The tide introduced us in, and that’s when the 88s hit us,” he stated of the German 88mm weapons. “They have been homicide. Of our 26 Navy personnel there was just one left. They raked the entire high of the ship and killed all of the crew. Then they began with the mortar shells,” Woodson stated.
Woodson was wounded whereas nonetheless on the touchdown craft. However for the following 30 hours he handled 200 wounded males all whereas below intense small arms and artillery fireplace earlier than collapsing from his accidents and blood loss, in response to accounts of his service. On the time he was awarded the Bronze Star.
Though 1.2 million Black Individuals served within the army throughout World Conflict II, none was among the many authentic recipients of the Medal of Honor awarded within the battle. The Army commissioned a research within the early Nineteen Nineties to investigate whether or not Black troops had been unjustly neglected throughout an period of widespread racism and segregation within the army. In the end, seven Black World Conflict II troops have been awarded the Medal of Honor in 1997.
On the time, Woodson was thought of for the award and the authors interviewed him. However, they wrote, his ornament case file couldn’t be discovered and his personnel data have been destroyed in a 1973 fireplace at a army data facility.
His spouse reached out to Van Hollen’s workplace to hunt his help in serving to get Woodson’s the popularity she felt he deserved.
“Waverly would have felt honored to be acknowledged for what he knew was his obligation. However everyone knows it was excess of obligation; it was his need to at all times assist folks in want,” stated Joann Woodson within the announcement from the senator’s workplace.
Van Hollen stated he and Woodson’s household have been nonetheless working to have Woodson awarded the Medal of Honor however known as the awarding of the Distinguished Service Cross, the second-highest U.S. army honor, an “extraordinarily vital” second.
“This second is extraordinarily vital at overcoming what has been an historic injustice and righting this mistaken,” stated Van Hollen.
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