Greg Fulton: Recognizing one last hero from D-Day

“You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hope and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you.”

These are the first lines of a short message from Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower to his troops on the eve of D-Day, June 6, 1944, the largest land, sea and air invasion in history.

Today is the 80th anniversary of D-Day, recognized by many as the turning point for the Allies in World War II. On that date in 1944 almost 160,000 Allied troops participated in the invasion of Normandy. Almost half of that number, 73,000, were American soldiers.

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• Hour by hour: A brief timeline of the Allies' June 6, 1944, D-Day invasion of occupied France

There were many acts of heroism on that day, and 12 soldiers whose deeds were deemed extraordinary would be presented with our nation’s greatest award for bravery in battle, the Medal of Honor. All of those individuals were deserving of this venerated honor for their actions on that day, but many believe that one more soldier should have been awarded a Medal of Honor for his heroism on that day.

Sgt. Waverly Woodson Jr.’s story is one of extraordinary courage, selflessness, determination and love for his fellow soldiers.

Woodson was a medic in the all-Black 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion of the First Army. The armed forces were still segregated at the time, and they were the only Black troops to participate in the landing.

Woodson’s day started like thousands of other GIs on June 6, with him climbing into a landing craft that would take him to shore for the assault on the beach. It was a terrifying ordeal; many had never seen combat.

Before the landing crafts reached the beach, they came under a heavy hail of machine gun, mortar and artillery fire. On that first day, 4,414 Allied troops were killed, including 2,500 Americans; an additional 5,000 were wounded. The bravery of these soldiers was incredible, as they ran onto the beaches after watching many of their friends and fellow soldiers fall. One account estimated that 90% of the first wave of soldiers in some companies were killed or wounded.

Woodson’s landing craft was struck by an artillery shell as it approached the beach, killing the soldier next to him and seriously wounding Woodson, with shrapnel in his thigh and buttocks. When the door opened, Woodson saw a vision that some GIs described as “hell on earth,” with the beach already littered with dead and wounded soldiers.

He realized the magnitude of the task ahead of him and immediately set up a first aid station. For 30 straight hours, Woodson provided medical attention to both Black and white soldiers while being under enemy fire much of the time. It is estimated that he treated more than 200 men that day. In addition, he saved three soldiers from drowning. Woodson only stopped treating soldiers after he collapsed from exhaustion and loss of blood from his wounds.

Woodson was transferred to a hospital ship for treatment, and after a few days, he asked to be returned to the front so that he could continue to help his fellow soldiers.

Woodson’s bravery did not go unnoticed. A recently discovered memo reveals that Woodson’s commanding officer recommended him for the Distinguished Service Cross, the second-highest military award, which he finally received this month. Woodson’s next in command, Gen. John Lee, believed his actions warranted the the Medal of Honor and nominated him. Woodson’s nomination never moved forward.

Over the years, there have been efforts to have the military award Woodson the Medal of Honor. In 2023 the Army held a special ceremony and formally presenting Woodson’s widow and son with the Bronze Star and Combat Medic Badge for his valor on D-Day.

In 2015 a bipartisan effort to award Woodson the Medal of Honor was launched in Congress, with Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Maryland, leading the charge. Van Hollen said that Woodson “displayed extraordinary valor on D-Day” but “his heroic actions never received the full recognition they merited, due to the color of his skin. It’s overdue that we right past wrongs and award Staff Sgt. Woodson with the Medal of Honor — a recognition he so clearly earned.”

This effort fell short as an independent board rejected the request based on a lack of information and eyewitness confirmation to support the case for a Medal of Honor. Unfortunately, Woodson’s records and any supporting documents associated with his actions on D-Day were lost in a fire that destroyed the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis in 1973.

Van Hollen, Woodson’s family and others remain determined to recognize Woodson for his valor on D-Day.

Today only a few veterans of D-Day are still alive, with the youngest of them being in their late 90s. Woodson isn’t one of them, having passed in 2005. Before the last of these brave soldiers pass, it would be appropriate to honor one of their own for his extraordinary valor and acts. It’s time to award Woodson with the Medal of Honor and right a wrong before this chapter of history closes.

Greg Fulton is a New Castle native living in Denver.