'It's Past Time:' Senator Pushes To Honor Black WWII Hero

GERMANTOWN, MD — It was June 6, 1944. The beginning of the end for Adolf Hitler's Nazi Germany.

In the predawn darkness, tens of thousands of U.S. soldiers stormed Normandy's beaches on the French coast, only to be greeted by a hailstorm of German bullets and bombs. Among them was Cpl. Waverly Woodson Jr., an Army medic for the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion. As a member of the only all-Black U.S. combat unit to storm the beaches on D-Day, Woodson was willing to risk his life for a country that saw him as a second-class citizen.

Woodson's landing craft hit a submerged mine as it approached Omaha Beach. A German shell exploded nearby and sliced open his leg and groin.

Despite being critically injured, Woodson darted for Omaha Beach, hauling a 125-pound gas bag designed to deter enemy aircraft.

He then set up a medical station and spent the next 30 hours treating as many as 200 men before collapsing from his injuries. For his heroic efforts, Woodson received a Bronze Star and a recommendation for the Medal of Honor, which is the nation's highest award for military valor.

But he never received that medal.

The World War II veteran died in Clarksburg in 2005. His heroic story, however, received renewed attention five years ago in a book by Linda Hervieux titled "Forgotten: The Untold Story of D-Day's Black Heroes, at Home and at War."

In the years since the book was published, U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland has urged the Army to consider Woodson for the medal, including in a letter he wrote with members of the Congressional Black Caucus in 2019.

Since the Army has not taken action, the Democrat from Kensington is pushing legislation that will authorize the president to award a posthumous Medal of Honor for the WWII vet.

"Cpl. Waverly Woodson's bravery during the D-Day invasion saved dozens — if not hundreds — of American lives. But his valor was never fully recognized due to the color of his skin. That's unacceptable. It's past time that we right this historical wrong and provide Cpl. Woodson and his family with the recognition that his heroism merits," Van Hollen said Tuesday. "I was proud to announce this legislation alongside Mrs. Joann Woodson today after she has fought so many years for her late husband's cause. We'll be pushing to pass this bill immediately."

The bipartisan, bicameral bill is cosponsored by Sens. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Ben Cardin (D-Md). In the House, the legislation is cosponsored by Reps. Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.), Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas), Gwen Moore (D-Wis.), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md.), John Sarbanes (D-Md.), and Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.).

"This is a chance to preserve Waverly's legacy and correct history," Woodson's widow said. "He felt serving was his duty to his country. I want to thank everyone working in this effort to right this wrong and get my husband the recognition he deserves."