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Two more soldiers from the Elgin area took part in the Normandy landing. They were from Post Oak Island and their names were Virgil Ray Gage and Alfred Streit. Streit will be featured in the article next week.
Gage was born at Post Oak Island on August 15, 1919, and died on July 6, 1994. His parents were Wilburn Hurchel Gage and Minnie H. Holman and he was already married to Bonnie Fay Brown when he enlisted on March 19, 1942, at Ft. Sam Houston.
Gage assisted the medical surgeon, Dr. William McConahey, in operating on and treating the wounded.
He participated in five major campaigns and returned home with a Bronze Star with two Oak Leaf Clusters and a Purple Heart.
Gage was honored by a commendation from French General Charles Andre DeGaulle for his service in the 90th Division, 257th Medical Detachment that landed on Utah Beach on June 7, 1944. Carl Kermit Nygard, featured in last week’s article, landed on Omaha Beach.
The Beaches
There were five Normandy beaches. Besides Utah and Omaha, the beaches were named Gold, Juno, and Sword. The British landed on Gold Beach while Canadians landed on Juno. Sword Beach was the beach farthest to the east and it was landed on by British and French troops. Sword was the closest to the important city of Caen with only nine miles separating the beach from the city.
Americans were landed on Utah and Omaha. Utah Beach was the farthest to the west and Omaha Beach was next to it on its east side. The two beaches, although adjacent to each other were markedly different. Utah Beach, the farthest west was about three miles wide. It was sandy with sand dunes and strong currents. The low-lying areas behind it were flooded by the enemy.
Omaha Beach, about five miles wide, on which Kermit Nygard landed was very different from Utah Beach in that it, besides having a rough surf, was surrounded by steep towering chalk cliffs a hundred feet tall and it was heavily defended. It was also heavily mined and there were thirteen strong points called Widerstandsnester (resistance nests) and an extensive trench system. The bloodiest of the five beaches, it was a killing zone. About 2,400 US troops lost their lives there. The western third of the beach was backed by a seawall ten feet high, and the whole beach was overlooked by the cliffs like those at Dover in England.
A medic on Omaha Beach
A medic and brother of a Tuskegee Airman also landed on Omaha Beach. He was premed- student Waverly Woodson with the lone African-American combat unit, the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion. Although wounded, he treated at least 200 men regardless of race. He removed bullets, dispensed blood plasma, cleansed wounds, and reset broken bones, He was praised by General Eisenhower for his courage and for having shown extraordinary valor, however he didn’t receive the Medal of Honor, because it was still during the height of the Jim Crow era. Waverly Woodson married in 1952 and had three children. An electronics whiz, according to the website HISTORY by Jesse Greenspan, he photographed and gardened at his home after retirement in Maryland. The French government presented him with a medallion in Normandy in 1994 as part of the 50th anniversary of D-Day. From the US, he received a Bronze Star and Purple Heart. Recommended for the Army’s 2nd Highest Medal the Distinguished Service Cross – his commanding general wanted his medal upgraded to the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Charlene Hanson Jordan wrote the above narrative as the latest in a weekly column based on new research. Each story along with photographs/supplemental history, as well as new stories, and articles about local Swedes and Germans will appear in her soon-to-be launched Patreon website.
Her latest book, “NOTES & RECOLLECTIONS, Post Oak Island & Elgin, Texas,” is available at the Elgin Depot Museum where exhibits, photographs, and books on local history are also available. The museum is open on Fridays & Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m. and during Sip, Shop, and Stroll on the first Thursday of each month. Watch for notices.
“Notes & Recollections” may be purchased from the Niswanders at the Elgin Farmers Market, Veterans Memorial Park.
The book is also available at the Elgin Courier office, 105 N. Main Street, Elgin, 512-285-3333, during business hours all week or from Charlene directly at charlenehansonjordan@ yahoo.com or 512-856-2562.
