Family and supporters of a Black combat medic who treated 200 troops on D-Day under intense enemy fire are gathering to honor him
FILE - First Army's Command Sgt. Maj. Chris Prosser, left, presents Joann Woodson with her husband's Combat Medic Badge during a posthumous medal ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery Oct. 11, 2023 in Arlington, Va. 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.
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.
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 ceremonyAt a time when the U.S. military was still segregated by race, about 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.“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.
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