WOODS, ROBERT DEANE

Name: Robert Deane Woods
Rank/Branch: United States Navy/O3
Unit:
Date of Birth: 30 September 1936 Marley ID
Home City of Record: Archie MO
Date of Loss: 12 October 1966
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 192000 North 1055200 East
Status (in 1973): Returnee
Category:
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: A1H
Missions:
Other Personnel in Incident:
Refno:

Source: Compiled by P.O.W. NETWORK from one or more of the following: raw
data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA
families, published sources, interviews.

REMARKS: 730304 RELEASED BY DRV

SOURCE: WE CAME HOME copyright 1977
Captain and Mrs. Frederic A Wyatt (USNR Ret), Barbara Powers Wyatt, Editor
P.O.W. Publications, 10250 Moorpark St., Toluca Lake, CA 91602
Text is reproduced as found in the original publication (including date and
spelling errors).

ROBERT DEANE WOODS
Lieutenant Commander- United States Navy
Shot Down: October 12, 1966
Released: March 4, 1973

I enlisted in the Navy in February 1957 after one and a half years of
engineering in the University of Kansas. I applied for Naval Cadet during
"boot camp," then worked as a yeoman at N.A.S. Los Alamitos while awaiting my
orders to flight training. I started flight training in class 4-58 at
Pensacola and received my wings after finishing A.T.U. 301 at Corpus Christi
in June 1959. I was in VAW-11 at North Island until August 1962. While in
VAW-11 I made a cruise on the USS Yorktown from January to August of 1960,
then worked as squadron L.S.O. until going to inactive duty for the purpose of
finishing college. I attended the University of Kansas from the fall of 62
until graduating in June of 1965 with a B.S. in Mechanics and Aerospace
Engineering. While at K.U. I was a member of Tau Beta Pi and president of
Sigma Gamma Tau, national engineering societies. During the three years at
K.U. I was a member of the reserve squadron, VR881, at Olathe, Kansas. After
college I returned to active duty to the A1 "RAG," VA 122, at N.A.S. Lemoore,
joining my squadron VA 25 in November 1965. We deployed on the U.S.S. Coral
Sea in July 1966. I was shot down on October 12, 1966, south of Than Hoa, then
captured by the N.V.N. army on 14 October.

I was born number three in my family of 7 children on 30 September 1936, at
Marley, Idaho. I have five sisters and one brother. My family moved to
Missouri when I was 6 months old. I grew up on a Missouri farm, attended a
rural grade school (Mullen Dist. 55) and Archie High School, about 50 miles
south of Kansas City, where I graduated in May 1954. I was married on 10 July
1973 to Sheryn Huckino of South Bend, Indiana who wore my P.O.W. bracelet.

I plan to continue in the Navy, flying A4's in the training command, then
working on my Master's or Doctor's degree in the field of education after
retirement.

I am a member of the Southern Baptist Church, although not what most people
would consider a devout Christian. However, my faith in God was an important
factor in helping me survive the six and one half years in Hanoi. I never lost
faith in my country and this faith has certainly been justified on my return
home.

The Vietnam Was is probably the most complicated and confusing war in the
history of the United States. I volunteered for duty in Vietnam because I felt
a need existed. And now, eight years later, I feel more strongly that this
need did in fact exist. I am proud to have served in our armed forces during
these difficult years and hope I have and will continue to make a contribution
to world peace and to keeping the United States the greatest country in the
world.

December 1996
Robert Woods retired from the United States Navy as a Commander. He and his
wife Sheryn reside in Indiana.

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