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Isaac Woodard — Remember His Name
This Event Led to the Integration of the Military and Federal Government
Army Sgt. Isaac Woodard served America during World War Two. He enlisted at age twenty-three at Fort Jackson in South Carolina. Woodard served as a longshoreman and was promoted to Sergeant while serving in the Philippines. He earned a battle star for unloading ships while under enemy fire in New Guinea along with the Good Conduct Medal, Service Medal, and World War II Victory Medal.
Isaac was proud of his service to his country. He was in a segregated unit, as was typical for the time, but war tends to bring people together. On February 12, 1946, after returning to the States and receiving an honorable discharge, Woodard found himself in full uniform on a bus returning home to Winnsboro, South Carolina. The passengers included several discharged soldiers, Black and white. There was some drinking, laughing, and tall tales being told about their shared experiences.
Somewhere along the route, Isaac Woodard became an annoyance to the white bus driver. He reported that Woodard kept asking at stops to get off and use the restroom, though no other witnesses confirmed that. The Greyhound bus company’s policy is that the driver complies with bathroom requests while stopped, but something about Woodard irked him. The sight of…
