Background
Sidney Woods was born in San Marcos, Texas on July 25, 1917.
Sidney Woods was born in San Marcos, Texas on July 25, 1917.
He played quarterback for the University of Arizona from 1935 to 1939, and graduated in 1939. He was accepted for flight training and graduated from pilot school in September 1941.
He spent much of his youth in Arizona. United States. Army Cavalry Second Lieutenant Woods served then next two years (1939–1940) as a cavalryman at Fort Bliss. World World War II flying ace He returned to the United States. in 1943.
Woods spent six months commanding a P-38 training squadron before he was sent to Europe as a P-38 pilot with a new unit
He completed his first tour in Europe in late 1944. Subsequently he returned to the European Theater of Operations (European Theatre of Operations) for another combat tour, flying P-51 Mustangs with the 4th Fighter Group.
As deputy group commander, Lieutenant Colonel Woods became an ace in a day by downing five Focke-Wulf 190s on 22 March 1945.
However, three weeks later he was shot down by flak over Prague, Czechoslovakia, on his 68th European Theatre of Operations mission when he was leading Group "A" in a strafing attack against the Luftwaffe bases in the area.
He spent the remainder of the war as a prisoner of war. He was released from captivity about two months later. He was discharged in 1945, returning to Arizona.
Korean War During the Korean War he was called to active duty (1951–1952) to command a training unit at Williams Air Force Base.
He also led the Air Force Jet Acrobatic Team, the predecessor to the Air Force"s Thunderbirds. Decorations He was a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1964.
Sid Woods died of cancer at age 71 and his alma mater established an alumni service award in his honor.
As a member of the United States. Army Air Forces, he was flying with the 49th Pursuit Group at the time of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Woods settled in Arizona after World World War II, becoming a successful Yuma businessman, flying his own aircraft, and as a founding member of the American Fighter Aces Association.