Floyd Bernard Wood was born in Richland Springs, Texas, May 18, 1908. He was graduated from high school at Richland Springs in 1924, and from North Texas State Teachers College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1927.
He was appointed a flying cadet in June, 1928, and upon graduation from primary and advanced flying schools at Brooks and Kelly Fields in Texas June 22, 1929, was rated a pilot, commissioned a second lieutenant in the Air Reserve, and assigned to active duty. He received his Regular commission as a second lieutenant of Air Corps September 4, 1929.
General Wood’s first assignment was with the 12th Observation Squadron at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. In September, 1930, he entered the Air Corps Technical School, and upon graduation the following June was named operations officer of the Middletown (Pennsylvania) Air Depot. In June, 1935, he entered Massachusetts Institute of Technology, from which he received his Master of Science degree in meteorology in June, 1937. He then became base weather officer at Bolling Field, Washington, D.C.
In September, 1939, General Wood entered the Air Corps Tactical School at Maxwell Field, Alabama, and upon graduation the following December was appointed weather officer for the Sixth Air Force in the Panama Canal Zone. In August, 1942, he went to the South Pacific theater to become weather officer for the U.S. Air Forces there.
General Wood returned to the United States in November, 1943, for assignment to the Weather Division at AAF headquarters, Washington, D.C. In January, 1944, he was named chief of the Requirements and Production Branch of that Division.
In March, 1945, he was named chief of the Air Division of the Joint Brazil-United States Military Commission at Rio de Janeiro. In December, 1945, he was appointed deputy commander of the U.S. Army Section of that Commission, and the following February became chief of the Planning Unit, Air Section, there.
General Wood returned to the United States in March, 1947, for duty as administrative officer in the office of the deputy commanding general of Air Material Command at Wright Field, Ohio. The following August he became chief of Engineering Standards for that command; in September he was named assistant chief of the Aircraft Laboratory there, and in October, 1947, was designated Secretary of the USAF Technical Committee of Air Material Command. In November, 1949, he became chief operations officer in the Engineering Division of that command, and a year later was named deputy chief of the Engineering Division. He was appointed deputy director of the Production and Services Engineer Division there in February, 1951.
In June, 1951, General Wood became chief of staff of the newly organized Wright Air Development Center at Wright-Patterson AFB. He was appointed assistant deputy chief of staff for development of the Air Research and Development Command at Baltimore, Maryland, in April, 1952.
General Wood has been awarded the Legion of Merit with one Oak Leaf Cluster, Air Medal, American Defense Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with two Bronze Stars, World War II Victory Medal, Brazilian War Medal, and Brazilian Order of Aeronautical Merit in the grade of Grand Officer.
He is a Command Pilot, Combat Observer, and Aircraft Observer.
General Wood is married to the former Miss Nanice Allen. His permanent residence is Richland Springs, Texas.
General Wood died on April 3, 1956, when his T-33 Shooting Star jet trainer crashed near Glen Burnie, Maryland.
PROMOTIONS
Flying Cadet, Air Corps, June 26, 1928, to June 27, 1929; Second Lieutenant, Air Reserve, June 22, 1929; Second Lieutenant, Air Corps, September 4, 1929; First Lieutenant, May 1, 1935; Captain, September 4, 1939; Major (temporary), March 21, 1941; Lieutenant Colonel (temporary), January 5, 1942; Major, A.U.S., February 1, 1942; Colonel, A.U.S. (Air Corps), March 1, 1942; Lieutenant Colonel, A.U.S., December 17, 1942; Colonel, A.U.S., June 18, 1943; Major, September 4, 1946; Colonel, April 2, 1948; Brigadier General (temporary), July 28, 1951, with date of rank from July 8, 1951; Major General (temporary) with date of rank from May 1, 1950.