This is a thread about people that have gone above and beyond to help others. On the cusp of the 80th anniversary of D-Day this story came to my attention and I wanted to share it. I truly hope our country can continue to produce people like Cpl. Waverly B. Woodson Jr. Even if they don’t get the recognition they truly deserve(though the French stepped up), their actions inspire me to be a better person.
“He’d stay there on the sandy and rocky beach, treating the wounded, for the next 30 hours, working through the day, the night and nearly all of the next day — all while trying to treat his own shrapnel injuries to his groin and back — before he was evacuated himself. Woodson comforted and collected the injured, administered sulfa powder, bandaged wounds, tightened tourniquets, dispensed plasma, removed bullets and even amputated one soldier’s foot. As a historical commission that examined his record later summarized, ‘For 30 continuous hours while under enemy fire, Woodson cared for more than 200 casualties. Even after being relieved at 4:00 p.m. on 7 June, Woodson gave artificial respiration to three men who had gone underwater during a [landing craft’s] landing attempt. Only then did Woodson seek further treatment’ Over the course of his time on the beach, Woodson almost certainly saved dozens or even scores of lives.'”
Just another quote from the beginning of that article:
Cpl. Waverly B. Woodson Jr. arrived on Omaha Beach sometime around 10 a.m. on June 6, 1944, about three hours after U.S. troops had launched their D-Day landing. He was wounded even before he hit the shore — his landing craft hit a mine in the choppy green water as it neared the beach. Woodson, all of 21 years old and part of the only Black combat unit to land on D-Day, found himself amid almost unspeakable carnage. The first waves of the Omaha Beach landing had floundered, devastated by German fire from 14 “resistance nests” protecting the beach.
By 10 a.m., small pockets of shell-shocked U.S. troops had rallied and fought their way to the cliffs overlooking Omaha Beach, but the beach behind was a chaotic scene of wounded men and discarded equipment; bodies of the dead and the nearly dead rolled in the surf. As Woodson recounted, “There was a lot of debris and men were drowning all around me. I swam to the shore and crawled on the beach to a cliff out of the range of the machine guns and snipers. I was far from where I was supposed to be, but there wasn’t any other medic around here on Omaha Beach. … I had pulled a tent roll out of the water and so I set up a first-aid station. It was the only one on the beach.”
Thank you for starting this thread, @GKUnion. I appreciated learning about Cpl. Waverly B. Woodson, Jr. and his inspiring actions at D-Day.
It reminded me of this thread I read yesterday that first started in 2012 that has had a few updates over the years, with the most recent this week. It features CC poster @MITChris and one might want to keep a tissue handy.
It also reminded me of this story about a farmer in Alabama that was also quite heartwarming.
I look forward to reading more stories that others share on this topic.
ETA:
I finished reading the original article about Cpl. Woodson, and found that this quote really resonated with me.
Thomas S. James Jr., the commanding general of the First Army, the unit that Woodson used to serve with, saying Woodson’s story “has moved me — and broken my heart — more than any other.”
But in reading about all the efforts to try and right the wrong of Woodson being passed over, it again made me think of the title, that not all heroes wear capes. The people who kept investigating and fighting for Woodson may not have been on a battlefield, but they helped to fight injustice and they are heroes, too.
Last August, we visited a church in France, Eglise Saint-Come-et-Saint-Damien d’Angoville-au-Plain.
During the Normandy invasion, the Americans took over the church and used it to treat injured soldiers. Two medics went out, under fire, to bring guys to safety. They also had a few Germans they treated - they just put them on the other side of the chapel.
After awhile, they were told they needed to evacuate because the Germans were retaking the area. The medics said, nope, we’re staying - these men are too fragile to move safely.
Sure enough, before long, a German officer came in. He quickly realized that the Americans were helping some of their enemies, and made sure the church was not taken or bombed.
You can see blood stains on some of the pews. The church members put in stained glass windows that honor the medics and the paratroopers.
I think every American should visit the Normandy beaches. It’s probably one of the most moving trips I’ve ever taken. We were in the area for five days and took a full two-day tour of the beaches.
Dwight Winbush, a 12-year -old, rose to the occasion when both he and his mother were in grave danger. He escaped the car in the water, swam to shore, then flagged down a police officer.
Good Samaritans, like Mr. Munguia, also stepped up to help a stranger in her time of need.
It’s good to see people working together for a common good.
Thank you @GKUnion for continuing to share positive stories on this thread. All too often, good news doesn’t get the attention it deserves. A 9-year old being able to raise five months of daycare tuition is amazing (though the reason why the fundraising was needed was sad). The first female air[wo]man to receive a Silver Star. Organizations providing free homes to veterans. I’m glad that you are continuing to highlight these stories.
Sometimes heroes have a couple capes to choose from.
“Meet Calley Thierfelder. This Connecticut teen spends her time traveling from school to the firehouse, then from the firehouse to the police department.”
