★★★ Memorial Monday ★★★
LT Robert Wood, Jr., USN '90 was lost on October 25, 1996 when the HH-60H helicopter he was co-piloting crashed in the Persian Gulf. The pilot and a passenger was also lost; nine other passengers survived.
From the January/February 1998 issue of Shipmate:
Rob was a native of Newton, MA. He was Winged in January 1993, after temporary duty at Rotary Wing Aircraft Test Directorate NATC Patuxent River, MD. He reported to HS-15 at NAS Jacksonville, FL in February 1994, after completion of FRS training in the SH-60R At HS-15, he served as Schedules Officer, Aircraft Division Officer, and Quality Assurance Officer. He was about to finish his second Mediterranean deployment, one aboard SARATOGA (CV 60), and one aboard ENTERPRISE (CVN 65).
We will think of Rob Wood, who would gnaw pensively on a dill pickle while breaking down the principles of flight as easily as describing his sock drawer, which in itself was another phenomenon. We will remember Rob Wood, roommate, who's favorite thing was busting open and sharing his mom's chocolate chip cookies while talking about home, family and friends. We will never forget the story of when he went into the forest, found the stoutest elm, and fashioned a skateboard. We will never forget the stories of flying in Wyoming and fishing in Mexico. We will never forget the stories because he so relished sharing them.
Looking back at all the memories, we see a common thread: fellowship. When he wasn't testing the limits of laminar flow, all of his favorite things included fellowship. For Rob, the opportunity to commune with his fellow man was gold. People say that the thing that he loved most was flying. To us, the thing Rob loved most was us.
We salute Rob for the way he lived. He always strove not to be better than others, but to be the best that he could. What exactly happened to him out there, we don't know other than he was probably flying at about 200 feet when something went wrong. The time to impact from that altitude is about the equivalent of time it takes a man on the street to recite his phone number. Yet, in that fragment of time, whoever was flying his helicopter realized, analyzed and reacted to a critical emergency well enough that nine passengers walked away from the crash. So, for every one of us who grieve, nine are grateful.
Rob is survived by his father, Robert S. Wood, Sr. of Jackson, WY; his mother, Julianne L. Schworm of Marion, MA; and Angelik Mclntire, of Jacksonville, FL, to whom he was engaged to be married. Rob's family has asked that donations be made to the National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola, FL.
To Honor! ⚓
https://usnamemorialhall.org/index.php/ROBERT_S._WOOD,_JR.,_LT,_USN