After the war, Wood became military governor of Cuba and major general of volunteers. During the U.S. occupation, Walter Reed was sent to investigate infectious diseases, including yellow fever. Wood provided $10,000 to fund the second phase of Reed’s research and approved the use of human volunteers. When the U.S. occupation ended in 1902, Wood was to revert to captain, medical corps.
Wood’s success in Cuba was obvious and wel l known; President McKinley promoted him to U.S. Army brigadier general. At that time, as a brigadier general, Wood was essentially guaranteed a second star and a rotation through the chief of staff position. He served as chief of staff from 1910 to 1914, the only physician ever to do so. As chief of staff he eliminated the antiquated bureau system, developed the maneuver unit concept, and laid the groundwork for the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps.
Wood stayed on active duty and rotated through other senior-level positions. Because of Wood’s political activity promoting universal service and improving readiness, President Woodrow Wilson passed over him, instead selecting John J. Pershing to command the American Expeditionary Force in World War I. Wood stayed politically active and ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 1920, losing to Warren G. Harding at the convention. Wood was appointed governor general of the Philippines, a position he held until his death in 1927.
While in Cuba, Wood was severely injured by striking his head on a chandelier, most likely resulting in an undiagnosed skull fracture. Over time he developed neurologic symptoms and was seen by neurosurgeon Harvey Cushing, MD, at Johns Hopkins, who removed a meningioma in February 1910. Wood made a dramatic recovery. Over a decade later while in the Philippines, his symptoms returned, and after significant delay he went home to see Cushing who was then at Harvard Medical School. When Wood died after surgery, Cushing admitted that he should not have tackled such a difficult case so quickly after returning from a trip to Europe.
Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri and the on-base General Leonard Wood U.S. Army Community Hospital are named in Wood’s honor.
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This column provides biographical sketches of the namesakes of military and VA health care facilities. To learn more about the individual
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