Col. Don C. Wood

Yesterday Rebecca Wood asked a question, seeking some information about an F-105 pilot she is related to. This morning I got a response from Howard Plunkett, who probably has more detail about F-105 crews, aircraft and missions than the Air University Library archives. What he doesn't have in his personal notes, he'll find pretty quickly. Here's the story of Col. Wood:

16 Jan 1966  F-105D 59-1719

Call sign: "Olds 05".  Combat loss during a close air support mission for Royal Laotian troops.

"Captain Wood was flying a camera aircraft.  The mission progressed normally until the third strafe pass when No 4 observed Nos 1 and 2 make their third strafe pass followed by No 5, the camera aircraft.  As No 1 pulled up, he made a slight right turn, then turned to a westerly heading about 2-3 NM North of the target.  No 1 was at 10,000 feet when he observed an F-105 cross about 5,000 feet in front of him on a northerly heading in about a 20 degree climb.  At this time No 1 observed what he thought appeared to be a piece of masking tape come off the F-105 he was watching.  No 1 made one more strafe pass and requested the flight to join up.  No 1 had Nos 2, 3, and 4 in sight and requested No 5's position.  No 5 did not respond.  After a channel change and still no response from No 5, No 1 and 2 started searching the area, while 3 and 4 returned to the tanker for fuel.  At 1652 hrs "Crown" was alerted of a possible downed aircraft by Lead.  Nos 3 and 4 refueled from the emergency tanker, and relieved Nos 1 and 2 at approximately 45 mins.  Nos 1 and 2 landed at the same station after discontinuing search due to minimum fuel.  After landing, the four pilots were debriefed and assumed Captain Wood's aircraft may have crashed 8 to 15 miles north of the target.  No 2 stated that he observed one fire among many grass fires, which he thought might have been where an aircraft impacted.  He could not relocate the spot, however, due to haze and lack of smoke observed earlier.  No one saw Capt Wood or his aircraft after the third strafe pass or heard any transmission or beeper sound from his emergency radio.  Extensive visual, photographic and electronic surveillance was continued through 21 Jan 66.  No evidence of Captain Wood or his aircraft was found."  ("PACAF Intelligence Index of USAF Personnel MIA/PW in Southeast Asia", pg 2-001, AFHRA Call # K717.6031-3, IRIS # 1028640.)

"...Capt Wood was one of a flight of five F-105 aircraft on a mission over Xien Kouang Province, Laos.  Capt Wood ... (was) on a photo reconnaissance mission (with two 70mm camera pods on outboard wing stations)." 

Other members of his flight were:

#1 - Capt John G. Ahearne
#2 - Maj Lowell E. Shearer
#3 - Maj James H. Caldwell
#4 - Capt John C. Gordon

"It was suspected he was downed by flak, but from the summaries made by the returning crew members, it was indefinite as each man was concerned with his own part in the mission and with his leader or wingman.  An extensive search and rescue attempt was made the following day, but neither the aircraft nor pilot was located.  The mission was a close air support mission for the Royal Laotian troops and Capt Wood was downed in the late afternoon.  The remainder of the flight circled the suspected crash area but was unsure of the location due to numerous grass fires in the area.  Capt Wood was carried as MIA." (355 TFW History)

"A flight of five F-105s departed Takhli RTAFB at 1516 hours on 16 January 1966. Their target was automated AAA gun positions in the Plain of Jars, Laos.  Don C. Wood's RF-105D fighter aircraft was flying as the number five aircraft equipped with two, 70mm camera pods. His mission was to photograph the damage inflicted by the strike for damage assessment.  He followed every run in, not necessarily in formation to get photos.  They made 1 bomb run, 1 rocket run and 2 strafe passes.  During the third strafe pass #4 thought his gun blew up.  At the same time #1 called and asked who headed north and did a 360 degree roll.  Lead had seen an F-105 cross about 5000 feet in front of him on a northerly heading in a 20 degree climb.  That was Don Wood's RF-105D.  Confusion ensued as #3 checked #4 for damage.  Radio contact could not be established with Olds 5 on the tactical channel or on guard channel.  Olds 5 was not seen to crash; but was believed to have crashed 8 to 15 miles north of the target.  Olds 1 and 2 searched the area north and east for wreckage while #3 and #4 refueled by air tanker.  Then Olds 3 and 4 took up the search until dark.  All four F-105s had to land at Udorn due to minimum fuel.  Records indicate he was downed by AAA."

"While over the target and with flight members receiving 37-mm antiaircraft fire on their passes over the target, Captain Wood's flight leader determined Captain Wood was not present with the remainder of the flight.  The flight members searched a thirty-mile radius from their target and were unable to locate either him or his crash site.  Searches for him continued for the next three months and were unsuccessful. He was initially declared missing in action.

Two messages from the rescue group at Udorn described the initial searches for Capt Wood.  Brigham Radar at Udorn notified the RCC at 0950Z.  Five minutes later the RCC diverted an HC-54, Crown 35, "... to proceed to coordinates 19-12N and 102-53E to conduct electronic and visual search south, west, and north of the Plain of Jars. ... The last known position of Olds 5 was a visual sighting by Olds 2 at 19-43N and 103-03E approximately 10,000 to 15,000 feet heading in northerly direction. ... Crown 35 searched 5 NM either side of a line extending from 19-06N and 102-56E.  Effectiveness of search was 60 percent due to haze and approaching darkness.  Result of electronic and visual search was negative.  HC-54 stayed on scene until 16/1156Z and [until it was] too dark for positive navigation.  Crown 35 returned to Udorn and landed at 16/1240Z."

The next day the HC-54 searched across the Plain of Jars and an A-1E searched an "... area west, south, and east bordering Plain des Jares 20 NM wide."  The search was suspended when "... aircraft wreckage sighted in hostile territory at 19-31N and 103-11E.  Area too hot to make ground check of wreckage.  No indication that pilot ejected.  Deputy Commander 2 AD Thailand feels further search would not reveal results. ... RF-101 will retake photos of aircraft wreckage for positive I.D. [on] 18 January 1966.  Electronic search will be carried on by normal strike aircraft in vicinity of crash location.  Personal beacon with weak signal heard momentarily in heavily forested valley location at 19-45N and 103-00E.  Area searched thoroughly for 2 hours by 4 aircraft with negative results.  No ground fire encountered in any of the search areas."

Air Force resources expended for this SAR effort were:

HC-54 - 2 sorties for 14+15 flying hours
A-1E - 6 sorties for 6+00 flying hours
HH-3C - 2 sorties for 4+00 flying hours
A-1E - 6 sorties for 21+30 hours
F-105 - 16 sorties for 51+30 flying hours
KC-135 - 2 sorties for 8+00 flying hours
RF-101 - 2 sorties for 3+45 flying hours.

(Opening Report Mission # 2-4-16 Jan 66 TWX 162020Z & Suspending Report TWX 171206Z from Det 2 3 ARRGp, Udorn AB, Thailand.  AFHRA folder 66/01/09 - 66/12/31 Call # K318.2411-5.)

"... A Lao propaganda film obtained in January 1977 showed the identity card of Captain Wood together with blood chits, revolvers, helmet and other items which appeared undamaged.

"... (On 3) March 1980, Captain Wood was declared dead/body not recovered.  His remains have not been repatriated."

Sources: http://home.earthlink.net/~rbtjacobs/Wood.html & 355 TFW history, Jan - Jun 66, USAF microfilm NO461, frames 1106 and 1107 & Report of the Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs, United States Senate. Jan 13, 1993

Capt Wood was born 11 November 1929, in Ogden, Utah.  He entered the service from Provo, Utah.  His name appears on the Vietnam Memorial wall on panel 04E line 76.