Edward W. Wood Jr.

Edward Watson Wood Jr. was born on December 12, 1924 in Florence, Alabama, the only child of Edward Watson Wood and Gertrude Green. The family moved north to Chicago in 1933. Ed inherited the tradition of the “citizen soldier” from an American family that settled in the United States in the 17th century. Out of that tradition, he volunteered for line duty in the Infantry in World War II, leaving behind a safe college billet. In September 1944, during the liberation of France, he was severely wounded by artillery fire, 12 km north of Metz. He was awarded the Purple Heart for his service.