William Merle Woods was born December 15, 1909 in Sebastian Co., Ar. to Dr. George Gideon & Sarah Alice Edwards Woods. By 1910 the family was living in Diamond Township, Sebatian Co., Ar. July 2, 1939 Merle married Mary Arkansas Seawel from Muskogee, Muskogee Co., Oklahoma. Dr. Woods was a resident of Huntington, Sebastian Co., Ar. The marriage was in Sebastian Co., Ar. Dr. Woods registered for the military draft October 16 1940 in Diamond Township, Sebastian Co., Ar. and he enlisted in the military May 12, 1942 and served until January 25, 1946. The obit below says he was a "Flight Surgeon with the 312th Bomber Squadron in North Africa. He also served with the 56th Fighter Group in Europe". A Flight Surgeons Job in WWII The role of flight surgeons continued to mature and expand as the U.S. faced World War II. The 1941 movie Dive Bomber, although focused on Naval Aviation, highlighted the role of the flight surgeon just prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor, and demonstrated how solving the problems of hypoxia at altitude would reduce the aircraft mishap rate. During World War II, the head of the U.S. Army Air Forces, General of the Army (later General of the Air Force) Henry 'Hap' Arnold, directed all flight surgeons in the Army Air Forces to fly regularly with their patients in order to better understand the aviation environment. Consequently, to this day, their successor U.S. Air Force Flight Surgeons are considered "aeronautically rated" aircrew members who receive flight pay and who are required to fly a certain number of hours monthly. Dr. William Merle Woods passed away in June 1978 at Hackett, Sebastian Co., Ar. and is buried in the Mountain View Cemetery at Hackett. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Crawford and Sebastian Counties: Physicians and Medicine: 1817-1976" - Fort Smith, Arkansas. pp 638-639) Son of George Gideon & Sarah Alice "Edwards" Woods. Husband of Mary Seawel, married July 2, 1939. Father of George William MD. & Jerry Sewel Woods. Dr. Woods was a graduate of Mansfield High School, The University of Arkansas with a Bachelor of Arts: Master of Science & Medical Degree. Dr. Woods did his internship at California Luthern Hospital in Los Angles, CA., & his residency at Clara Barton Hospital in Hollywood, CA. Dr. Wood was a Family Practioner: which included OG-GYN & General Surgery. During World War II (1942) he was a Flight Surgeon with the 312th Bomber Squadron in North Africa. He also served with the 56th Fighter Group in Europe. Dr. Woods was a member of the Sebastian County Medical Society, Arkansas Medical Society, American Medical Association, Charter Member of the Flying Physicians, Diplomat of the National Board of Medical Examiners & the American Academy of Group Practice. He served as Chief of Staff at Saint Edwards Hospital in Fort Smith, Sebastian County, AR. (Old Hospital that was located near downtown Fort Smith).