John Shirley Wood

John Shirley Wood (January 11, 1888 – July 2, 1966) was a Major General in the United States Army. He is most notable for commanding the 4th Armored Division during World War II.

Early life
John S. Wood was born in Monticello, Arkansas on January 11, 1888, and was the won of Arkansas Supreme Court Justice Carroll D. Wood and Reola (Thompson) Wood. John Wood graduated from the University of Arkansas in 1907, was a member of the Kappa Alpha Order and was quarterback and captain of the football team. He then attended the United States Military Academy, where he continued to play football and from which he graduated in 1912.

Wood had taught chemistry while at the University of Arkansas, and at West Point he received his first nickname, "P" for "professor" because he used his skills as an instructor to tutor many academically deficient classmates.

Start of career
Wood was commissioned as a Coast Artillery officer. He made an early mark in military academics, including assistant football coach and classroom instructor at West Point. Wood wrote on military topics, and his articles and reviews and digests of military literature from other countries, including France, Germany, Italy and Spain appeared in professional journals throughout his career.

World War I
During World War I he served in France. He first attended the U.S. Army school at Langres, which was created to teach staff skills to officers, and his classmates included George S. Patton, William Hood Simpson, and Alexander Patch. He served on the staffs of the 3rd, 90th and 18th Infantry Divisions, and took part in the Battle of Château-Thierry and Battle of Saint-Mihiel.

Post-World War I
In February 1919, he was transferred to the Field Artillery and became Professor of Military Science and Tactics at the University of Wisconsin.

In 1921 he was assigned as executive officer of the 11th Field Artillery Regiment in Hawaii.

He was a distinguished graduate of his class at the United States Army Command and General Staff College in 1924. (Patton was the honor graduate.)

From 1927 to 1929 he commanded 2nd Battalion, 16th Field Artillery Regiment.

He completed France's Écoles Supérieures de Guerre in 1931.

From 1931 to 1932 he was Assistant to the Commandant of Cadets at West Point.

From 1932 to 1937 Wood Professor of Military Science and Tactics at Culver Military Academy. He was commander of 3rd Battalion, 80th Field Artillery Regiment from 1937 to 1939. From 1939 to 1940 Wood served as Chief of Staff of Third Army.

World War II
At the start of World War II, Wood's assignments included commander of the 1st Infantry Division Artillery (1940-1941), commander of the 2nd Armored Division Artillery (1941), Chief of Staff of I Armored Corps (1941), and commander of Combat Command A, 5th Armored Division (1941-1942).

He was given command of the 4th Armored Division when it was formed in 1942, and was responsible for its organization and training. He led it into combat in France after the Normandy breakout as part of Operation Cobra.

The 4th Armored led Third Army's drive east across France. Wood was known for leading from the front, often flying in a light observation plane that would land him near his lead elements so he could observe and provide direction. He was also known for setting an example by sharing the deprivations of combat with his men, including living in a tent. Wood was also known for his eccentricities and outspokenness. As a Command and General Staff College student he displayed contempt for an instructor by reading a newspaper during a lecture. He derided his superior Omar Bradley for living in a special panel van instead of setting an example by using a tent. He complained about the way the 4th Armored Division was used. The original invasion plan called for an attack from the Normandy beaches north to south to capture the port of Brest. It soon became apparent that Brest had no strategic value. Wood wanted to bypass it in favor of immediately beginning the assault west to east against the Germans, but senior U.S. Army leaders insisted on capturing Brest because that was what the original invasion plan called for. In response, Wood told more than one colleague that his superiors were winning the war, but doing it "the wrong way." He earned his second nickname, "Tiger Jack" because when Patton would yell at him, Wood would pace like a caged animal and argue back.

In August 1944 Wood ran into difficulty when command of his higher headquarters within Third Army, the XII Corps, was assigned to Manton S. Eddy. Wood thought he'd earned the opportunity to command a corps, but was bypassed by Omar Bradley, the commander of Twelfth United States Army Group, which included Third Army. Wood was an Artilleryman, and may have been passed over in favor of Eddy, who was an Infantryman, as was Bradley. It is also possible that Wood was not selected for corps command because of his outspoken manner and willingness to question his superiors.

Wood did not get along with Eddy, including refusing to provide Eddy's headquarters with routine reports or copies of 4th Armored Division's operations orders. Eddy eventually complained to Patton, and Patton relieved Wood in December 1944, shortly before the Battle of the Bulge.

Wood returned to the United States to command the Tank Training Center at Fort Knox, Kentucky, where he remained until his 1946 retirement.

Post-military career
After retiring from the Army, Wood worked for the United Nations as Chief of Mission for the International Refugee Organization in Austria (1947-1952), and Chief of Mission for the United Nations Reconstruction Administration in Tokyo, South Korea, and Geneva (1952-1953).

From 1957 to 1958 he was Civil Defense Director for Washoe County, Nevada.

Retirement, death and burial
In retirement Wood resided in Reno. He died there on July 2, 1966 and was buried at West Point Cemetery.

Family
Wood was married to Marguerite Little (1890-1984). Their children included sons Lieutenant Colonel Carroll D. Wood (1913-1955) (West Point, 1937), Colonel John S. Wood (1920-2004) (West Point, 1943), and a daughter, Shirley (born 1929).

In 1957 was married to Abigail Holman Harvey (1899-1983), who survived him.

Recognition
In addition to his military awards, Wood received an honorary LL.D. from the University of Arkansas in 1946.

His papers are part of the collections at the Syracuse University Library.

He was the subject of a biography, 1979's Tiger Jack by Hanson W. Baldwin.

Awards

 * Distinguished Service Cross ribbon.svg Distinguished Service Cross
 * Distinguished Service Medal ribbon.svg Army Distinguished Service Medal
 * SilverStar.gif Silver Star
 * Bronze Star ribbon.svg Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster
 * Air Medal ribbon.svg Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster
 * World War I Victory Medal ribbon.svg World War I Victory Medal
 * World War II Victory Medal ribbon.svg World War II Victory Medal
 * European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign ribbon.svg European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
 * American Campaign Medal ribbon.svg American Campaign Medal
 * Army of Occupation of Germany ribbon.svg Army of Occupation of Germany Medal
 * American Defense Service ribbon.svg American Defense Service Medal
 * Army Commendation Medal ribbon.svg Army Commendation Medal
 * Legion Honneur Officier ribbon.svg Legion of Honour
 * Croix de guerre 1939-1945 with palm (France) - ribbon bar.png Croix de guerre 1939–1945