Leonard Wood: The Forgotten American Hero
Doctor. Soldier. Medal of Honor recipient. Football star. Presidential candidate. Major General Leonard Wood was one of the most interesting figures in American history, and it's a shame that most Americans today have never heard of him. Many of my Military Police friends went to Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri for training, but I would guess not many of them know the story of Leonard Wood the man.
Wood was born in 1860 in New Hampshire, attended Harvard Medical School and graduated with an MD in 1884. After an unsuccessful year of practicing medicine, he applied to be commissioned in the Medical Corps of the US Army. He finished his examination second out of 59 candidates testing, but because there was only one position available, he was not selected for a commission. Just a few months later, however, he was contacted by the US Army to serve as an unranked Assistant Surgeon.
In 1886, Wood was in Arizona as part of the Army campaign to capture Apache Indian Chief Geronimo. During that campaign, Wood earned the Congressional Medal of Honor. His citation states:
"Assistant Surgeon Wood voluntarily carried dispatches through a region infested with hostile Indians, making a journey of 70 miles in one night and walking 30 miles the next day. Also for several weeks, while in close pursuit of Geronimo's band and constantly expecting an encounter, commanded a detachment of Infantry, which was then without an officer, and to the command of which he was assigned upon his own request."
Shortly after, Wood was commissioned as a First Lieutenant.
In 1893, Wood was a captain and assigned as Post Surgeon at Fort McPherson, GA in Atlanta. The 33 year old doctor enrolled in a woodworking class at Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) in order to organize a football team there. He was the head coach and star player. Wood lead the team to their first ever victory and defeated rival University of Georgia 28-6.
In the mid to late 1890s, Wood served as Physician to the President for both Grover Cleveland and William McKinley. It was during this time in Washington that Wood became close friends with Assistant Secretary of the Navy Theodore Roosevelt. When the USS Maine was attacked and sank in Havana harbor on February 15th 1898, Roosevelt (a national celebrity already) was chosen to command a regiment of volunteer cavalry. Roosevelt, eager for combat but aware of his inexperience, accepted on the condition that his friend Leonard Wood get the command and he (Roosevelt) would be lieutenant colonel and second-in-command. So Wood, Roosevelt, and the rest of the RoughRiders shipped out to Cuba.
The first major battle of the Spanish-American War was the Battle of Las Guasimas. The volunteers of the RoughRiders, made up of equal parts western frontiersmen and Ivy League sophisticates, performed admirably and claimed a resounding victory against the more experienced Spanish troops.
Shortly after their victory at Las Guasimas, the brigade commander, Brigader General Samuel Young, fell ill and needed to be replaced. Colonel Wood was given a brevet promotion to brigadier general and took charge of the brigade, while Roosevelt was advanced to full colonel and took his rightful place as the commander of the 1st Volunteer Calvary Regiment (RoughRiders).
Wood and Roosevelt would go on to lead the volunteers to victory at the Battle of San Juan Heights, where Roosevelt would famously earn his own Medal of Honor (finally awarded 100 years later) by charging nearly single-handedly up Kettle Hill.
After the short four-month war in Cuba was won, Roosevelt went home an even bigger celebrity than before. His hero status would propel him to victory in elections as Governor of New York, Vice-President, and ultimately President of the United States.
Leonard Wood stayed in Cuba to serve as military governor while a Cuban government could be formed. During his three years as military governor, he used his medical background to improve medical and sanitary standards in the country. He implemented reforms that improved the educational and judicial systems in Cuba as well. Before leaving Cuba, Colonel Wood was officially promoted to brigadier general in the regular army.
Wood spent 1902 touring various European nations, attending military reviews and visiting military colleges. By 1903 he was in the Philippines to serve as military governor of Moro Province. During this time, Wood was approved by the US Senate to be advanced to the rank of major general. He would remain in the Philippines until 1906. Upon returning the the United States, Wood was assigned as the commander of the Department of the East based in New York City.
In 1910, Major General Leonard Wood was named Chief of Staff of the United States Army, the highest position in the service. He was the first and only medical officer to hold the position. Among his many accomplishments during his time as Chief of Staff is developing the precursor to what is now the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC). Wood served as Chief of Staff from 1910 until 1914.
As America prepared to join World War I in 1917, the decision of who should lead the military forces loomed for President Woodrow Wilson. Leonard Wood was the likely choice, but because of his ties to the Republican Party and past criticism of Democrat Wilson’s administration, he was passed over in favor of John J. Pershing. Wood ended up spending the entirety of the war stateside.
In 1920, Leonard Wood was the favorite among the field of possible Republican nominees for President of the United States. Other possible candidates were Senator Hiram Johnson of California and Illinois Governor Frank Lowden. Ohio Senator Warren G. Harding was considered a dark horse candidate. Going into the Republican National Convention, however, there was no clear frontrunner. Wood led on the first four ballots without reaching a majority. He placed second on the fifth ballot, tied with Lowden for first on the sixth ballot, and led again on seventh ballot. With none of the top three candidates able to secure a majority, support for Harding began to increase. Harding ultimately won the nomination on the tenth ballot.
Wood retired from the US Army in 1921 and returned to the Philippines as governor general. He would remain there until 1927. Leonard Wood died in Boston on August 7th, 1927 during brain surgery to remove a tumor. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
How would Leonard Wood be remembered today if he had led the US forces in World War I instead of John Pershing?