Recognition for Waverly Woodson at Arlington National Cemetery
Army Command Sgt. Maj. Chris Prosser presents JoAnn Woodson with the Bronze Star and Combat Medic Badge earned by her husband, Army Staff Sgt. Waverly Woodson Jr., during a ceremony at Arlington National Department of Defense photo: Cemetery, Arlington, Va., Oct. 11, 2023. Woodson was part of the first wave of soldiers who stormed Omaha Beach in Normandy, France on D-Day, June 6, 1944. He was cited for bravery, attending to soldiers as well as saving wounded men from drowning, all after being wounded himself. Woodson was never formally presented the Bronze Star because he left Europe quickly to deploy for Japan. He was just approved for the Combat Medic Badge in August.