Charles Woods (Alabama)

Charles Woods (September 30, 1920 - October 17, 2004) was an Alabama businessman and broadcaster, and aspiring politician. Woods was raised in an orphanage. He enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force before joining the U.S. Army Air Corps in World War II. He was a decorated pilot with the Air Corps.

He was born Charles Arthur Morris just 35 miles (56 km) outside Birmingham, Alabama. His divorced mother was unable to support her two young sons so she placed them in a state orphanage when he was five years old. He never saw her again and at age of 6 was adopted by P. A. Woods family from Headland, Alabama. He attended schools in Hollywood, California, where his new family lived for some time, and in Headland.

Woods joined the RCAF and the United States Army Air Corps in 1941.

Woods was severely injured in a 1944 airplane crash on December 23. He taxied down a runway in Kurmitola, India, carrying 28,000 pounds (12.7 tonnes) of aviation fuel to be delivered in Lulaing, China. After making the trip alone, hundreds of times, on this particular trip, he was flying with a pilot-in-training, Captain Stalmacher, in first seat. Stalmacher erred on take-off, braking too soon causing the airplane to lose speed with too little runway left. The bomber exploded on take-off, and Woods was the only crew member who survived. He suffered severe burns over 70% of his body. The fire erased his face, destroying his nose, eyelids, ears and hands. He was transported to Valley Forge General Hospital, a military hospital in Pennsylvania six weeks after the accident. Since he was so weak, he could only travel short legs at one time. The 10,000 mile (16,000 km) trip proved arduous to Woods who arrived at Valley Forge malnourished, dehydrated and suffering from infections in addition to being severely burned.

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