Waverly Bernard Woodson, Jr. graduated from Overbrook High School in Philadelphia, Pa., and was in his sophomore year at Lincoln University in Oxford when the United States became involved in the war. He chose to leave his premed studies and join the Army along with his brother, Eugene.
He became one of only two African Americans to join the Aircraft Artillery Officer Candidate School, but upon completing his studies, was told he would not be able to be a part of the Artillery Corps because of his race.
Undaunted in his efforts, young Woodson simply retrained as a combat medic and became a part of the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion. The only training camp was in the South at Paris, Tennessee. Having been reared and schooled in the North, Woodson may have been surprised by the discrimination he faced, but it did not prevent him from obtaining the rank of Corporal by the time he was a part of D-Day.
His role and actions on D-Day is the stuff of which heroes are made. Woodson was a member of the only African American battalion to participate in D-Day. He was on a LCT (Landing Craft Tank) in the third wave to come ashore at Omaha Beach. As his craft neared the shore, fighting against the waves and surf, it hit a mine and lost power. Drifting towards the shore, it was hit again by a shell from a German 88 aimed from the pill box defenses on the cliffs.
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