SSG Arthur Woods

SSG Arthur Woods was born 28 Jan 1916 in New York City, New York. He was the 3rd child and 2nd oldest son of the 5 children born to William and Evelyn or Eva (MacCafferty) Williams. His father was a native of Scotland who had immigrated as a child. William worked many jobs in his lifetime including dry goods salesman, hospital orderly (where he met Evelyn), as a "sorter" in an fire extinguisher factory, and a warehousing clerk for Pyrene Manufacturing Company. Arthur married in 1937 but the marriage did not last and he was divorced by October 1940. That apparently did not end his efforts to become a dentist.

Arthur's military career began when he voluntarily enlisted in October 1940. Trained as a medic, perhaps because of his civilian training, he was  assigned to the 104th Medical Battalion, then the 116th Medical Detachment and finally attached to Headquarters and Headquarters Company 2nd Battalion 116th Infantry where he worked in the battalion aid station.  SSG Woods landed with Headquarters 2nd Battalion at exactly H+30. The men aboard that boat began taking fire as soon as they started to move off the boat. With many of the men SSG Woods took cover behind one of the tanks that was on the beach. An artillery shell exploded overhead and a shard decapitated SSG Woods killing him instantly. 

SSG Woods was awarded the Silver Star but the citation and action for which he received that award is unknown to us. 

SSG Woods is buried in the Normandy American Cemetery. 

All of Arthur's brothers served in the Army during WW2.