1946-1950
Day 26 1946: WWII Veteran Beaten and Made Blind (While Wearing His Army Uniform) By Police Officer Who Didn’t Like A Black Man Needing To Use the Bathroom Isaac Woodard Jr. was a decorated African-American World War II veteran. On February 12, 1946, hours after being honorably discharged from the United States Army, he was attacked while still in uniform by South Carolina police as he was taking a bus home- after 18 months of being overseas, he was finally heading home to see his wife. While at a gas station, he asked to get off the bus to go to the bathroom. The bus driver said “no,” but Isaac got off and went anyway. Three miles later, the bus stopped, police were called, and three came and removed him from the bus, asked to see his discharge papers (he had been discharged about 3 hours before) and beat him repeatedly with nightsticks. Woodard was then arrested for “disorderly conduct” and thrown in jail. While there, the chief of police- Lynwood Shull (who participated in the...