This month marks 80 years since the official end of World War II. As a global conflict, the war drew families far from any active fighting into events occurring oceans away, due to the heroism and patriotism of their family members.
One such family was the Wood family of Bordentown. When war broke out in Europe in 1939, the three Wood sons were living and working in the area.
Eldest son Joseph was a purchasing agent with US Pipe and Foundry in Burlington, while his middle brother Harold was working as a store clerk.
All that changed in April 1941 when Harold decided to avoid the risk of being drafted by taking advantage of a one-year enlistment program, with the caveat that in the event of war, he would be obligated to serve for the duration.
Choosing to join the Army Air Corps, Harold was assessed to have the skills to become a bombardier, the role responsible for aiming and releasing bombs. Having been an active member of the Bordentown Baptist Church choir and Boy Scout Troop 13 in his youth, Harold would have certainly had experience of working as part of a close-knit team, but it was likely the same drive and intellect that had made him want to become a doctor in high school that stood out to the assessors.
In June 1942, six months after America had joined World War II, Harold received his wings and the commission of second lieutenant. By Nov. 29, 1943, he was promoted to first lieutenant and assigned to the Army Eighth Air Force in England.
For his family back in Bordentown, anxiety and fear was never far from their thoughts. Not only was Harold undertaking dangerous flying missions, but his older brother Joseph was also serving overseas, participating in the North African Campaign and the invasion of Italy under the direction of the U.S. Air Force.
With only one in four bombardiers completing a tour of duty without being killed, severely wounded, or captured, it is impressive that Harold completed not one but two tours of duty, participating in 47 combat missions by the end of May 1945.
Receiving numerous awards, including the French Croix de Guerre, a Presidential Citation, a Distinguished Flying Cross with four Oak leaf clusters, five Air Medals and three Purple Hearts, Harold returned to America as a war hero with the rank of major.
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However, it is for his military exploits after the war for which he is perhaps best remembered.
In May 1946, Harold reported to Kwajalein Island in the Marshall Islands to begin training for Operation Crossroads, planned as the first detonation of nuclear devices since the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. Intended to investigate the effect of nuclear weapons on warships, they were the first nuclear tests to be publicly announced in advance, and the first to be observed by an invited audience. Most notably, an overanxious press corps.
Knowing that the world would be watching, the pressure was immense for Harold. First, he faced a pressroom packed with more than 100 journalists eager to learn more about this unprecedented peacetime mission. Then he was tasked with dropping the bomb with accuracy.
Described as a “marvel of humility” by the Ogdensburg Journal, Harold kept his cool and safely released the bomb from an altitude of approximately 6 miles on July 1, 1946, his father, aunt and older brother, Joseph, listened anxiously to the radio broadcast of the drop, while his mother and younger brother, Donald, were invited to Station WOR in New York as esteemed guests.
We were now living in the Atomic Age where weaponry could alter the fate of the Earth. Mankind knocked on the door of the Devil and the Devil answered.
Continuing to serve in the Army, Harold participated in several other missions, but none as monumental as the Bikini Test. In July 1965, he was discharged from Fort Dix, after 24 years of service, and returned to Bordentown to quietly care for his elderly mother until she died in February, 1975.
Living out a subdued retirement in Norfolk, Virginia, until his death in 1989, Harold reflected often about his military career and a changing society. With the role of bombardier largely superseded by computer technology and smart bombs, it is easy to forget how important, and dangerous, this role was, but for those who could keep a cool head and a steady hand, the impact of their actions continue to be felt around the world today.
The Bordentown Historical Society is privileged to have an envelop carried and signed by the flight crew that dropped the bomb on the Bikini Islands a well as press photos of Major Harold Wood and a metal B-29 Superfortress safety checklist for bombardiers from 1946.
Cathy Forbes is a member of the Bordentown Historical Society. For information about the Bordentown Historical Society, call (609) 298-1740 or email bordentownhistoricalsociety@gmail.com.
