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And I hope it is awarded one day soon, an incredible story of heroism and sacrifice to save the lives of his fellow soldiers.
And if anyone out there wants to whine about 'political correctness' in regards to this situation, may I kindly remind them that this soldier's own commanding officer at the time wanted to award him the Distinguished Service Cross, the second highest combat award in the U.S. Army. And that someone above the C.O. wanted to award him the Medal of Honor. Somehow, that note got buried and forgotten, and only recently is his heroics starting to once again get the attention it deserves.
Also, it's interesting that people these days whine about political correctness run amok, yet there still exists this perception that no black soldiers served in Normandy on D-Day. Did anyone even see a single black person in "Saving Private Ryan," still the definitive movie about the D-Day landing on Omaha beach? For the record, over 2000 black soldiers were there that day on June 6, 1944.
There is a push to review the case of an African-American combat medic who was wounded off Omaha Beach on D-Day while still aboard his landing craft but who fought through the injuries and spent the next 30 hours saving lives until ultimately collapsing.
Cpl. Waverly B. Woodson Jr., an Army medic assigned to a segregated combat unit, the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion, was wounded by shrapnel in his groin and back as his landing craft crushed through the choppy waters off the coast of France on June 6, 1944.
“Corporal Woodson was a hero who saved dozens, if not hundreds, of lives on Omaha Beach. His courage deserves to be honored with the Medal of Honor, and I continue to work with the Army to make this a reality,” said Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., in a statement.
Heavy machine-gun fire greeted a nauseous and bloody Waverly B. Woodson, Jr. as he disembarked onto Omaha Beach the morning of June 6, 1944. A German shell had just blasted apart his landing craft, killing the man next to him and peppering him with so much shrapnel that he initially believed he, too, was dying.
Woodson, a medic with the lone African-American combat unit to fight on D-Day, nonetheless managed to set up a medical aid station and for the next 30 hours occupied himself removing bullets, dispensing blood plasma, cleaning wounds, resetting broken bones, and at one point amputating a foot. He also saved four men from drowning, reportedly pulling them from the waves and administering CPR after their guide rope broke on the way ashore.
I didn't even want to finish your post, because you're just bitching and trying to make it about politics while crying its political. That may work in other forums, but here in the military section, I'm going to give you a straight to the point, military response.
Seems to be a bot of an overreaction there, adriver. It is a known fact that discrimination kept black (and other) soldiers from receiving gallantry decorations that they earned.
Seems to be a bot of an overreaction there, adriver. It is a known fact that discrimination kept black (and other) soldiers from receiving gallantry decorations that they earned.
I agree. In my opinion the acts related here by him certainly deserve The MOH.
"The Profound Contradiction of Saving Private Ryan
Steven Spielberg's D-Day epic is a brutal, unpatriotic portrait of war—except for the notoriously sappy prologue and epilogue. What was the film really trying to say?"
"This historical inaccuracies can be forgiven because it is, after all, a fictional movie and is made for entertainment purposes. Like all movies, many details were dramatized to make it more interesting so it would make more money. Overall, Saving Private Ryan is ultimately a very accurate portrayal of World War II."
From the last para. "Another review, launched in 2002, found 24 men from World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War had been denied the award — again due to racism and ethnic discrimination. The review lasted 12 years, and Obama held a marathon ceremony in 2014 to honor the veterans and their families.
Even today, historians and scholars are combing through records to discover if racism prevented African-Americans from receiving recognition for their heroism during World War I.
Although some attempts have failed, the successful grassroot efforts to recognize war heroes provides some accountability — albeit delayed — in a system that could otherwise be corrupted. Such accountability serves as a reminder that regardless of who presents the medal, the credit belongs to the men who have actually earned it — who have risked their lives so that others might survive. "
"The Profound Contradiction of Saving Private Ryan
Steven Spielberg's D-Day epic is a brutal, unpatriotic portrait of war—except for the notoriously sappy prologue and epilogue. What was the film really trying to say?"
"This historical inaccuracies can be forgiven because it is, after all, a fictional movie and is made for entertainment purposes. Like all movies, many details were dramatized to make it more interesting so it would make more money. Overall, Saving Private Ryan is ultimately a very accurate portrayal of World War II."
From the last para. "Another review, launched in 2002, found 24 men from World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War had been denied the award — again due to racism and ethnic discrimination. The review lasted 12 years, and Obama held a marathon ceremony in 2014 to honor the veterans and their families.
Even today, historians and scholars are combing through records to discover if racism prevented African-Americans from receiving recognition for their heroism during World War I.
Although some attempts have failed, the successful grassroot efforts to recognize war heroes provides some accountability — albeit delayed — in a system that could otherwise be corrupted. Such accountability serves as a reminder that regardless of who presents the medal, the credit belongs to the men who have actually earned it — who have risked their lives so that others might survive. "
A friend of mine was in this battle. His company commander was awarded the MOH. In a conversation with him he made the comment that everyone there deserved that medal. I think a lot of times this is the case.
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