It is my pleasure to introduce you to
my uncle, Warren D. Wood, a World War II veteran.
When Warren was 19 years old he
enlisted in the military on Feb 26, 1943. He was soon promoted to
staff sergeant in the Army Air Corps.. He
was sent overseas in April 1944 and stationed in England and later
in Italy.
Word came by telegram to his mother
from the War Department in Washington D. C. that Warren D. Wood of the Army
Air Corps had been missing since July 14, 1944. No details were
given except that he failed to return from a flight over Hungary.
Sergeant Wood, a radio man with the 719th
Bomb Squadron on a B-24 Liberator, had 40 missions to his credit and
was the recipient of the Air Medal.
Stalag Luft IV monument, Wikipedia
The facts were later determined that Warren's plane was shot down over Budapest on July 14, 1944 on his 41st
mission since going overseas. He was able to parachute out of the burning plane but was captured and imprisoned in the
German POW camp at Stalag Luft IV Gross-Tychow. In January, the camp
was evacuated to prevent the liberation of the prisoners by the
Russians and Warren was in the group of POWs who set out on foot in
a forced-march westward across Poland in what was to become known as
the Death March across Germany. The grim march lasted 86 days
during the harshest winter conditions and unbearable circumstances
of starvation, exhaustion, disease and frostbite. After 86 days he was liberated
on May 2, 1945 by the British. He was awarded the Purple Heart.
Upon returning home, Warren went on to lead a long and successful life. He married and raised two children while always keeping close connections with his brother, sister, nieces and nephews. Warren David Wood passed away 26 Oct 2007.
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