WASHINGTON – This week, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) hosted a ceremony on Capitol Hill to present the Distinguished Service Cross to the family of Maryland World War II veteran Waverly B. Woodson, Jr. for the valor he displayed in saving countless lives on D-Day.
The Senator was joined by U.S. Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth and First Army senior officers as he presented this posthumous award. This event came after Senator Van Hollen and Army officials announced earlier this year that Woodson was approved for the honor following years of advocacy by the Woodson family, First Army, historians, Senator Van Hollen, and others to recognize Woodson’s heroic D-Day actions that were overlooked due to his race. Woodson’s widow, Joann, a resident of Clarksburg, Maryland, was presented with a WWII-era Distinguished Service Cross, which the First Army placed in the sand on Omaha Beach on the 80th anniversary of D-Day at the site where Woodson set up his first aid station.
“On D-Day, Waverly Woodson’s valor stood out. That day, he saved dozens of lives, despite being injured himself, and even then, word of his heroism made it all the way across the Atlantic. But at that time, one thing stood in the way of the true recognition he deserved: the color of his skin. It’s past time we right this wrong, and that’s why we’ve been fighting for years to secure the acknowledgment Mr. Woodson’s actions so clearly merited. The awarding of the Distinguished Service Cross is a long-sought and hard-earned triumph in recognition of Waverly Woodson’s valor and heroism, and I’m pleased to have worked alongside Joann Woodson, the Woodson family, historians and others to bring us to this important milestone,” said Senator Van Hollen.
“I know what Waverly meant to me and what he gave for the country. It feels so good to finally have him recognized in this way after all these years, and to see how he continues to inspire people to this day,” said Joann Woodson.
“Our family is so grateful for the recognition for what my father saw as his duty. We are thankful to Senator Van Hollen and staff and the leadership of the 1st ARMY. As a family the greatest honor is to see his legacy presented and preserved for eternity,” said Steve Woodson, Waverly Woodson’s son.
“This day has been a long time in coming. I’m the fourth First Army commander to have helped with this upgrade effort. This has been a true team effort to honor and acknowledge one of the great heroes of our historic organization. In the Army, we say we stand on the shoulders of giants. Staff Sergeant Waverly Woodson is truly one of ours. Correcting this historical wrong is incredibly satisfying for all of us,” said acting First Army Commanding General, Lieutenant General Mark Landes.
“There are many of us who thought this day would never come. Many thanks to Sen. Chris Van Hollen and his team, and all of those who cared enough to restore Waverly Woodson to his place in history,” said Linda Hervieux, a journalist who has written on the heroic actions of Black American soldiers on D-Day, including those of Waverly Woodson.
Mr. Woodson served with First Army, the historic unit that commanded all ground and airborne forces on D-Day. As a 21-year-old medic in the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion – the only all-Black unit to storm the beaches of Normandy in “Operation Overlord” – Woodson treated countless fellow soldiers for over 30 hours amid intense combat and saved an estimated 200 lives, even though he was seriously injured himself when his boat hit a German mine in the ocean as it approached the beach.
The presentation of Woodson’s Distinguished Service Cross is a significant development after years of work by Senator Van Hollen, the Woodson family, and historians to grant Woodson the military’s highest distinction: the Medal of Honor. Despite his heroic sacrifice, Woodson never received it, even though records from that period show the recommendation was made. In fact, of the hundreds of Medals of Honor conferred soon after World War II, not one Black soldier who deserved the highest U.S. military recognition was awarded it – revealing a clear pattern of racism in the decision-making process at that time. It was not until 1997 that President Clinton retroactively awarded seven Black servicemembers the Medal of Honor. Woodson made the shortlist for this ceremony but was not selected due to a lack of documentation; critical paperwork was lost in a fire at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Mo., in the early 1970s.
Although contemporary news reports and other documents reflect Woodson’s heroism and his commander’s intent to recommend him for the Medal, this case lacks the documentation typically required for retroactive Medal of Honor upgrade requests. The Army has determined the documentation available to be insufficient to satisfy the standard used in other cases of retroactive medal upgrades. To meet this standard, historian-journalist Linda Hervieux, and later First Army Captain Kevin Braafladt, among others, have spent countless hours searching archives for more evidence.
With the documentation they have uncovered, Senator Van Hollen – alongside Woodson’s 95-year-old widow, Joann, son Steve, and other members of his surviving family – has led the fight in Congress for the Medal of Honor upgrade for Woodson, who died at the age of 83 in 2005. Then-Congressman Van Hollen initially began working with the Woodson family in 2015. Senator Van Hollen’s actions since have included:
- Writing to three Secretaries of the Army – twice under then-President Trump and later under President Biden – arguing Woodson’s case for the Medal of Honor;
- Leading bicameral, bipartisan legislation to authorize the President to award the honor based on the overwhelming public knowledge of Woodson’s valor;
- Speaking with Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth directly on multiple occasions regarding the evidence for Woodson’s Medal of Honor eligibility; and
- Securing language in the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) empowering the President to confer the Medal of Honor without waiting for Congressional action. Previously, if a medal was recommended by the Army more than five years after the soldier’s service, Congress was required to pass a law waiving the time limit.
These actions, in conjunction with the persistent efforts of the family and historians, have cleared the path for Woodson’s Distinguished Service Cross upgrade. This upgrade follows the conferring of Woodson’s Bronze Star and Combat Medic Badge to his family at an official First Army ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery in October 2023. The upgrade to the Medal of Honor remains the final step in the decades-long pursuit of justice and the recognition befitting of Woodson’s valor. The Senator, Woodson’s family, and others will continue fighting for Woodson to be awarded the Medal of Honor. If awarded the Medal of Honor, Joann Woodson has said she intends to donate it to the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
The full video of the event can be found HERE.
