Staff Sergeant Waverly Woodson treated hundreds of wounded soldiers on Omaha Beach on D-Day. Wounded himself by enemy fire, he dodged bullets and bombs while tending to the injuries of others. For years his family has sought recognition for his bravery.
On Monday, Senator Chris Van Hollen’s office announced Woodson will posthumously receive the Distinguished Service Cross, the second-highest U.S. military honor.
Senator Van Hollen praised Woodson, “Waverly Woodson earned a place among the most noble of American War heroes for his courageous display of valor on D-Day, but he has never received the full recognition that his actions clearly merited – largely due to the color of his skin. The awarding of the Distinguished Service Cross…recognizes his bravery and selfless service and marks a major step forward in our efforts to right this historic wrong.”
His widow, 95-year-old Joann Woodson said, “Waverly would have felt honored to be recognized for what he knew was his duty. But we all know it was far more than duty; it was his desire to always help people in need.”
Woodson’s son Steve added, “Hopefully this will pave the way for further recognition of his heroism on D-Day, for saving lives in the pursuit of freedom for the oppressed; that recognition deserves the Medal of Honor.”
Woodson lived and worked in Montgomery County for decades. He worked at National Naval Medical Center and NIH in Bethesda. Woodson retired in 1980 and died in 2005.
Later this week, on D-Day, First Army Soldiers will take a World War II-era Distinguished Service Cross with them to Normandy for the 80th anniversary. They will lay the medal on the beach where Woodson ministered to so many others that historic day. That medal will be presented to the Woodson family later this summer.
Last October The First Army awarded the Bronze Star and Combat Medic Badge to Woodson in a ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. The Medal of Honor remains the final upgrade in a decades-long pursuit of recognition for Staff Sergeant Waverly Woodson’s unquestionable bravery.
