Lt. Col. Sidney Woods joined the Army in the cavalry in 1939 and transferred to flight school, earning his wings in September 1941.

Based in the South Pacific, he flew P-40s and P-38s with the 9th FS 49th FG shooting down 2 Japanese aircraft during 112 combat missions. He returned to the States in 1943 and was soon assigned to the European Theatre of Operations (ETO) flying P-38s with the 479th FG. His tour completed, he again returned to the States. He returned to the ETO flying P-51 Mustangs with the 4th Fighter Group as Deputy Group Commander, becoming Group Commander on 26 February 1945.

On 22 March, on an escort mission with 15th AF bombers from Italy, no enemy action was encountered. After their escort duties ended the Mustang pilots headed towards Berlin. They spotted 15 FW-190s loaded with bombs taking off from an airfield. They dove on the 190s and Sidney was lining up on the tail of one. When close behind the 190 he pulled the trigger to drop his wing tanks, but when only one jettisoned, the drag on the other in the 190's slipstream caused his P-51 to flip on its back. He recovered from his inverted position and shot down the first aircraft. Meanwhile, a 190 was firing a deflection shot at him from above. He pulled up, fired, and flamed the second enemy aircraft. He went after a third, gave him a short burst, and it crashed.

He then went after another that was firing at another Mustang and destroyed it. He turned and chased a fifth enemy aircraft and, seeing his tracers miss, he adjusted his aim and with his remaining tracers he shot down his fifth for the day!

On Sidney's 68th mission over Prague he was shot down by flak and became a POW for thirteen days. When the European war ended, and he was sent home to the States and discharged in 1945.

He was called back to active duty in 1951-52, commanding a training unit. During this time he led the Air Force Jet Aerobatic Team. When finally discharged, he had 7 victories and had been awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross with two Oak Leaf Clusters, Air Medal with nine Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Croix de Guerre.

He became a successful business man in Arizona and was active in politics, He died of cancer at the age of 71.



DSC Citation:

"The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Lieutenant Colonel (Air Corps) Sidney Sterling Woods (ASN: O-377222), United States Army Air Forces, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving as Pilot of a P-51 Fighter Airplane in the 4th Fighter Group, EIGHTH Air Force, in aerial combat against enemy forces on 22 March 1945, in the European Theater of Operations. On this date Lieutenant Colonel Woods became an ace in a day by shooting down five Focke-Wulf 190s. Lieutenant Colonel Woods' unquestionable valor in aerial combat is in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflects great credit upon himself, the 8th Air Force, and the United States Army Air Forces."



Headquarters, U.S. Strategic Forces in Europe, General Orders No. 34 (1945)