Woodson was an Army medic with the lone black combat unit to fight on D-Day. Upon arriving at Omaha Beach, the bloodiest of the five states invaded by the allies, Woodson's unit was greeted by a German-heavy machine gun fire. He was heavily injured, but set up a medical aid station for allied troops and over the next 30 hours treated over 200 soldiers. He also saved four men from drowning, pulling them from the waves and administering CPR. He then continued aiding fellow soldiers.
