[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 2]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 2264]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




          HONORING WAVERLY WOODSON DURING BLACK HISTORY MONTH

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                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 25, 2016

  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, as a young soldier in the Korean War, I was 
honored to follow in the footsteps of many Blacks in the military who 
exhibited extraordinary heroism and patriotism abroad despite facing 
discrimination and challenges at home. I would not be where I am today 
if it were not for my service in the Army. During our annual 
celebration of Black History Month, I would like to honor an unsung 
hero from West Philadelphia named Waverly ``Woody'' Woodson, Jr., who 
served as a young medic of World War II.
  This summer will mark the 72nd anniversary of the historic D-Day 
invasion of World War II. Nearly three-quarters of a century later, the 
event is still revered by all Americans as an example of our military's 
strength and bravery. However, the life-risking efforts of thousands of 
Black veterans from the war have gone unnoticed.
  The 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion, a unit of all-Black soldiers, 
landed in France ahead of the main invasion force. The battalion's job 
was to deploy and man an aerial barrage of massive helium-filled 
balloons to protect the American forces from enemy bomber airplanes. 
The balloons forced enemy pilots to fly their planes at higher 
altitudes to avoid becoming entangled and made it harder to effectively 
aim their bombs.
  Among the 320th was Waverly Woodson, who enlisted in the Army on Dec. 
15, 1942, during his second year of his pre-medical studies. He did not 
wait to be called by the draft; rather he decided to sacrifice his 
career, comfort and life for his country and the world. Woodson's 
enlistment placed him in the Anti-Artillery Officer Candidate School 
but he was told upon completion of his training that there was no spot 
open for him. Instead, he was sent for medic training with the 320th 
Barrage Balloon Battalion. He was one of five medics aboard a Landing 
Craft Tank that left England on June 5, 1944, for a ninety-mile journey 
towards Omaha Beach.
  Woodson's voyage on June 6, 1944, was commenced by a violent charge 
towards the shore. Along with his unit, he valiantly stormed Omaha 
Beach in the midst of mines, mortar shells and heavy ammunition, with 
eyes fixes upon the mission of freedom that lay ahead. As a medic, 
Woodson risked his life to save the crippled and bleeding out American 
warriors clinging to their last thread of consciousness. He patched and 
resuscitated dozens if not hundreds of soldiers while he himself was 
wounded by the shrapnel ripping away at his legs. Woodson's determined 
efforts directly influenced the result of this battle.
  Though he was segregated into a racially organized regiment, he saved 
the lives of numerous soldiers regardless of their skin color. Woodson 
would later say, on that day ``they didn't care what my skin color 
was'' and obviously he did not care either. He was bonded to his men by 
the camaraderie that only war can provoke and a steadfast allegiance to 
defending the greatest country in the world. His dedication broke down 
racial divides that day, and this is history that truly deserves 
recognition.
  Waverly Woodson Jr. was previously nominated for the Medal of Honor, 
but he never received it. Instead, he was given the Bronze Star, the 
fourth-highest military honor. There exists no record of what happened 
to his nomination for the Medal of Honor. Not one of the thousands of 
Black soldiers who served in World War II received a Medal of Honor in 
the immediate wake of the war. Something is detrimentally wrong with 
that.
  However, we can always remedy the mistakes of our past. In 1995, I 
was honored to bring Woodson and a group of African-American World War 
II veterans to the floor of the House Chamber and recognize these 
unsung heroes for their forgotten service. As a veteran myself, I was 
moved to see that their sacrifice was no longer overlooked but there is 
more work that we must do.
  Black History Month must continue to play a pivotal role in helping 
all of us remember, preserve, and honor the accomplishments and 
contributions of the Black leaders of America. The annual celebration 
serves as a poignant reminder of how much Black history has been lost, 
forgotten, or in some cases, deliberately erased from the record. The 
nation's commemoration of Black history is not for the Black community 
alone, but for our collective and cohesive recognition of American 
history as a whole.

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