Eugene Byron Wood was born on Oct. 20, 1923, the son of Mr. and Mrs. M. B. Wood. He graduated from Richland Springs Grammar, W. H. Gibbons High School, and San Angelo Business College, San Angelo, Texas. He volunteered on Jan. 10, 1943 and was assigned to the Army Air Corps, 500th Bombardment Group, 882nd Bombardment Squadron. He was trained at Sheppard Field, Texas, and other fields in Texas; Seattle, Wash.; Denver, Colo.; Clovis, N. M.; Victoria, Kan.; Kearney, Neb. He served in the United States for 20 months, and overseas for 2 months and 1 week. He was stationed on Saipan and made 11 missions over Japan, Tokyo, Bonin Is., Nayguya, Yap, Nagoya. He went "Missing" on Jan. 23,1945 but was declared dead 1 year later.

His plane was shot down after bombing Nagoya, and went into sea about 25 miles S„ W. of Hamamatsu; the entire crew lost. He was first San Saba Co. boy to bomb Tokyo, serving as tail gunner on B-29, making the raid on Tokyo from Saipan. His name is commemorated on the Honolulu Memorial, Honolulu, United States. He also has a cenotaph located in the Richland Springs Cemetery, Richland Springs, San Saba County, Texas.

Sgt Wood was one of over 2000 Americans who lost their lives defending China from their Japanese invaders from 1941-1945. He is also commemorated on the The Monument to the Aviation Martyrs in the War of Resistance Against Japan in Nanjing, China.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com