Black D-Day Hero Finally Receives Medal After Family Pushes for Recognition

Waverly B. Woodson Jr., a Black World War II combat medic who served in the only African American unit involved in the D-Day invasion, is finally being awarded a medal decades after his death.
At a ceremony on Tuesday in Washington, D.C., hosted by Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen, Woodson’s widow, Joann and their son, Steve, received the Distinguished Service Cross on his behalf, recognizing his heroism on the shores of Normandy, France, under relentless German fire.
Woodson, who died in 2005, was part of the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion, tasked with deploying large balloons to defend Allied forces from enemy planes.
On June 6, 1944, D-Day, his landing craft was hit by two German shells, leaving him wounded before reaching the shore. Despite his injuries, he spent the next 30 hours treating 200 fellow soldiers, even as artillery and small-arms fire rained down on Omaha Beach. His actions saved countless lives.
However, his efforts on D-Day went largely unrecognized for decades. Recent years have seen a renewed push for acknowledgment of his bravery by Woodson’s family, Van Hollen, and supporters, who spearheaded a campaign for his medal.
Tuesday’s award ceremony is pivotal for his family and supporters, who ultimately would like to see him honored with the Medal of Honor, the highest military decoration that the U.S. government can award and one long denied to Black troops who served in World War II.
While the Army awarded seven Black World War II veterans the Medal of Honor in 1997 following an inquiry into racial disparities in military decorations, Woodson’s case was hindered by the loss of his records in a 1973 fire.
Van Hollen said in a statement that the Medal of Honor would be the “final step in the decades-long pursuit of justice and the recognition befitting of Woodson’s valor. ”
Newsweek reached out to Van Hollen’s office via online email form for comment.
Woodson previously received the second-highest honor that can be bestowed on an Army member in June, just days before the 80th anniversary of Allied troops landing in Normandy.
Troops from Woodson’s former unit, the First Army, symbolically brought the Distinguished Service Cross to the very sands of Omaha Beach, where 21-year-old Woodson fought so bravely. They laid the medal to honor his sacrifice and service, a long-overdue tribute to one of the many Black soldiers who fought for a country that had not yet fully embraced them.
Although the military remained segregated at the time, around 2,000 African American troops took part in D-Day, contributing to the eventual victory over Nazi forces and the end of the war.
His family and advocates now hope that the Medal of Honor will be the final chapter in the pursuit of justice.
This article includes reporting from the Associated Press.