World War II Honoree

Cecil Randolph Woodall

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Craig County, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

VOLUNTEERED FOR MILITARY SERVICE AT AGE 19. A MEMBER OF THE CHEROKEE INDIAN NATION, HE SERVED AS A COMBAT INFANTRYMAN OVERSEAS IN THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER WITH COMPANY B, 112TH INFANTRY REGIMENT, 28TH INFANTRY 'KEYSTONE' DIVISION. HIS UNIT STAGED IN ENGLAND UNTIL LANDING IN NORMANDY, FRANCE ON JULY 22, 1944. PARTICIPATED IN THE NORMANDY, NORTHERN FRANCE, RHINELAND, ARDENNES-ALSACE (BATTLE OF THE BULGE), AND CENTRAL EUROPE CAMPAIGNS. HIS UNIT FOUGHT IN THE FRENCH HEDGEROWS NORTH AND WEST OF SAINT LO. IT PARADED THROUGH PARIS ON AUGUST 29, 1944, BATTLED ACROSS FRANCE, PASSED THROUGH BELGIUM, AND CROSSED INTO GERMANY FROM LUXEMBOURG NEAR BINSFELD ON SEPTEMBER 11, 1944 AND CAPTURED THE OUR RIVER BRIDGE INTACT. HIS REGIMENT FOUGHT OFF STRONG GERMAN COUNTERATTACKS AGAINST THE WALLENDORF BRIDGEHEAD IN GERMANY ON SEPTEMBER 19, 1944. TOOK PART IN THE ATTACK ON THE WEST WALL (SIEGFRIED LINE) ON OCTOBER 8, 1944, THEN ATTACKED TOWARD THE TOWN OF SCHMIDT, GERMANY ON NOVEMBER 2, 1944, AND PUSHED INTO THE HUERTGEN FOREST. ENGAGED IN HEAVY FIGHTING FOR THE TOWNS OF VOSSENACK AND SCHMIDT UNTIL MID-NOVEMBER, 1944. HIS UNIT WAS PUSHED OUT OF THE TOWN OF WILTZ, LUXEMBOURG ON DECEMBER 19, 1944 DURING THE GERMAN ARDENNES COUNTEROFFENSIVE AND THEN WAS FORCED TO ABANDON SAINT VITH, BELGIUM ON DECEMBER 23, 1944. HE WAS BRIEFLY A PRISONER OF THE GERMANS BUT ESCAPED. HIS DIVISION ATTACKED THE GERMAN BRIDGEHEAD KNOWN AS THE COLMAR POCKET ON THE WEST BANK OF THE RHINE RIVER ON FEBRUARY 1, 1945 AND REACHED THE CITY OF COLMAR, FRANCE THE FOLLOWING DAY. THE DIVISION PUSHED TOWARD THE AHR RIVER ON MARCH 6, 1945 AND WAS THEN PULLED OFF THE LINE TO ASSUME OCCUPATION DUTIES AND MILITARY GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITIES UNTIL HOSTILITIES ENDED ON MAY 7, 1945. AWARDED THE COMBAT INFANTRYMAN BADGE, BRONZE STAR MEDAL, PURPLE HEART FOR WOUNDS RECEIVED IN BATTLE, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH 1 SILVER SERVICE STAR, AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. AUTHORIZED THE PRESIDENTIAL (DISTINGUISHED) UNIT CITATION FOR EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM IN ACTION BY HIS REGIMENT IN THE ARDENNES. AUTHORIZED THE LUXEMBOURG CROIX DE GUERRE FOR ACTIONS BY HIS DIVISION IN LUXEMBOURG. HIS REGIMENT WAS CITED IN THE ORDER OF THE DAY OF THE BELGIAN ARMY FOR ACTIONS IN THE ARDENNES. HONORABLY DISCHARGED WITH THE RANK OF TECHNICAL SERGEANT AND ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON.