Leonard Wood: Advocate of Military Preparedness Nless You Have Been Ity
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HISTORICPROFILES COL (Ret) John Pierce, MD Leonard Wood: Advocate of Military Preparedness nless you have been ity. Transferred to California, assigned to the post Wood met Louise Condit- Uor the hospital, you Smith, ward of an associate have probably never heard justice of the U.S. Supreme of Leonard Wood. Leon- Court. When they married ard Wood arguably had the in November 1890 in Wash- most distinguished mili- ington, DC, the ceremony tary-government career of was attended by all of the Su- someone who did not be- preme Court justices. come president. Wood was In 1893 while assigned to a Harvard-educated physi- Fort McPherson outside At- cian, pursued the Apache lanta, Wood, whose duties Chief Geronimo, received were not demanding, needed the Medal of Honor, was a physical outlet for his un- physician to 2 U.S. presi- bounded energies. He enrolled dents, served as U.S. army at Georgia Tech at age 33 to chief of staff, was a suc- play football. He was eligible cessful military governor, to play because he had not ran for president, was a previously attended college. colleague of Walter Reed, He scored 5 touchdowns, win- and was commander-in- ning the game against rival arms for President Theo- University of Georgia. dore Roosevelt. Later, Wood was assigned Wood was born in 1860 to Washington, where he to an established New Eng- quickly became known and land family; his father was a sought after as a physician. Union Army physician dur- Portrait of General Leonard Wood by John Singer Sargent (1903). He served many of the politi- ing the Civil War and was cal and military elite, includ- practicing on Cape Cod when he internship at Boston City Hospital; ing presidents Grover Cleveland and died unexpectedly in 1880. The fam- however, he was dismissed for a rule William McKinley. In 1897, he met ily was left destitute, but Wood was violation that the program director Theodore Roosevelt, the 38-year-old able to continue his education when later admitted was a mistake. assistant secretary of the U.S. Navy a wealthy family friend agreed to pay Unable to support himself in who shared his love of outdoor ad- for him to attend Harvard Medical practice in Boston, Wood turned venture and the military. They School, which at the time did not re- to the U.S. Army, a decision that became fast friends/companions/com- quire any prior college. He graduated would change his life. Assigned to petitors; Roosevelt wrote to a friend in 1883 and was selected for a prized Fort Huachuca in Arizona, Wood that he had found a “playmate.” participated in the yearlong pur- When the U.S.S. Maine was sunk COL Pierce is a retired U.S. Army pediatri- suit and final surrender of Geron- in Havana Harbor in 1898 and war cian who served as chief of pediatrics, director imo; for his role he was awarded was declared on Spain, Wood and of medial education, and chief of the medical staff at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. COL the Medal of Honor in 1898. His Roosevelt schemed on how to go Pierce also was a consultant in pediatrics to the experiences in the wild and rug- to war together. Wood the career U.S. Army Surgeon General for 7 years. He co- ged terrain of the west triggered a soldier and Roosevelt the career authored a book on Dr. Walter Reed and his research on yellow fever and edited a book on the legendary and lifelong pursuit of politician had excellent connec- Walter Reed Army Medical Center. hard and stressful physical activ- tions and became commander and 48 • FEDERAL PRACTITIONER • JULY 2017 www.fedprac.com HISTORICPROFILES deputy commander of the While in Cuba, First Volunteer Calvary, Wood was severely in- later famously known as jured by striking his the Rough Riders. When a head on a chandelier, more senior general became most likely resulting in ill, Wood was promoted to an undiagnosed skull brigadier general, and Roo- fracture. Over time he sevelt became the regiment developed neurologic colonel. symptoms and was After the war, Wood be- seen by neurosurgeon came military governor of Harvey Cushing, MD, Cuba and major general of at Johns Hopkins, who volunteers. During the U.S. removed a meningi- occupation, Walter Reed oma in February 1910. was sent to investigate in- Wood made a dramatic fectious diseases, including recovery. Over a decade yellow fever. Wood pro- later while in the Phil- vided $10,000 to fund the ippines, his symptoms second phase of Reed’s re- returned, and after sig- search and approved the nificant delay he went use of human volunteers. home to see Cushing When the U.S. occupation who was then at Har- ended in 1902, Wood was vard Medical School. to revert to captain, medi- When Wood died after cal corps. surgery, Cushing admit- Wood’s success in Cuba ted that he should not was obvious and well have tackled such a dif- known; President McKinley ficult case so quickly promoted him to U.S. Army after returning from a brigadier general. At that Staff of the 1st US Volunteer Regiment, the “Rough Riders” in Tampa. Underwood trip to Europe. & Underwood, photographer (1898). time, as a brigadier general, Fort Leonard Wood Wood was essentially guar- in Missouri and the anteed a second star and a rotation activity promoting universal service on-base General Leonard Wood through the chief of staff position. He and improving readiness, President U.S. Army Community Hospital are served as chief of staff from 1910 to Woodrow Wilson passed over him, named in Wood’s honor. 1914, the only physician ever to do instead selecting John J. Pershing so. As chief of staff he eliminated the to command the American Expedi- About this column antiquated bureau system, developed tionary Force in World War I. Wood This column provides biographical the maneuver unit concept, and laid stayed politically active and ran for sketches of the namesakes of mili- the groundwork for the Reserve Of- the Republican presidential nomi- tary and VA health care facilities. ficers’ Training Corps. nation in 1920, losing to Warren G. To learn more about the individual After serving as chief of staff, Harding at the convention. Wood was your facility was named for or to Wood stayed on active duty and ro- appointed governor general of the offer a topic suggestion, contact us tated through other senior-level po- Philippines, a position he held until at [email protected] or sitions. Because of Wood’s political his death in 1927. on Facebook. www.fedprac.com JULY 2017 • FEDERAL PRACTITIONER • 49.