More detail on this person: UNDERWOOD,
Donald L.. Graduated flight school with flight
class 68-1, 1968-69 flew in Vietnam with 283
Medical Detachment (Dust Off), Air Ambulance
under Dustoff 61 call sign, and in 1971 flying
fixed wing aircraft in the Command Airplane
Company (CAC).
LTC Donald L. Underwood, US Army (Ret), took his
last flight on 18 October 2014 in Spring Lake, MI.
Don was born to Vernon Lee and Margaret
Underwood on 11 June 1946 in Hickory, NC. He
had fought long and hard for over a year battling
pancreatic cancer with great courage, faith and
dignity. Don's life was filled with enormous
accomplishments both in his military career and
his second career with industry.
Don attended the University of Southern
California, pursuing a degree in Industrial
Engineering, prior to entering the US Army. Don
graduated with Class 68-1, Rotary Wing flight
school, and became a Warrant Officer upon
completion of his training in 1968. As with most
flight school graduates during this timeframe,
Don was sent to Viet Nam where he flew Dust Off
with the 283rd Medical Detachment/Air Ambulance,
Pleiku. On one fateful day, while attempting to
evacuate wounded soldiers from a mountain top fire
base, his ship was hit by heavy enemy fire
resulting in loss of aircraft control and
subsequent crash. He and the Air Craft
Commander, Cpt. Conners (his unit C.O.) were
both severely injured. WO Underwood was
evacuated to the 71st Evacuation Hospital in
Pleiku and eventually to Japan where he quickly
recovered and was back with the 283rd Dust Off in
only a month's time. Dust Off 61 completed a
year-long combat tour in spite of his injuries.
Don's second Viet Nam tour (1971) was far less
stressful in that he was now flying fixed wing
aircraft in the Command Airplane Company (CAC).
In 1971 Don accepted a commission as a 2LT in
the Air Defense Artillery branch of the US Army
where he commanded a Hawk Missile Battery and
served as assistant Battalion Operations Officer.
Don completed his BS in Industrial Engineering
while in the Army and returned to USC in 1976 to
earn a Master's Degree in Operations Research
Systems Analysis. Don graduated from the US
Naval Test Pilot School in 1980, class 78. His
next four years saw him working as an experimental
test pilot and Integrated Systems Division Chief
in the US Army Aviation Engineering Flight
Activity (AEFA) at Edwards AFB, CA. The project
for whom Don is most famous was a flight test of
the Williams Aerial Surveillance Platform (WASP).
The vehicle was essentially a cruise missile
engine mounted vertically and stabilized only by
the pilot shifting his weight. He was one of only
two uniformed service members to achieve
sufficient proficiency to operate the WASP in free
flight. After graduation from the Air Command and
Staff College in 1985, Don returned to AEFA as the
Director of Fight Test and Deputy Commander. He
accrued over 3700 flight hours in 35 models of 24
different types of aircraft.
Don retired from the Army in 1989. His military
awards and decorations include: Purple Heart,
Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal (2nd
award), Air Medal (17th award), Army
Commendation Medal (3rd award), National Defense
Service Medal, Viet Nam Service Medal, Army
Service Medal, Overseas Service Medal, Republic of
Viet Nam Campaign Medal, Republic of Viet Nam
Gallantry Cross Unit Citation (with palm), and
Master Army Aviator Wings.
Don's career did not end following military
service. He continued to work in the research and
development field on advanced aircraft and ground
combat vehicle systems concept design,
development and multi-disciplinary integration of
electronics, software, hybrid-electric
technologies and advanced energy management
systems for military and industrial markets. He
held numerous program leadership positions,
initially with the McDonnell Douglas Helicopter
Company as the Long Bow Apache Program
Manager for Test and Evaluation; later as
Director, Airborne Programs at Litton Guidance and
Controls, then Director, Advanced Concepts for the
DRS Technologies Incorporated, and also in a
number of positions with L-3 Communications
Combat Propulsion Systems culminating as Vice
President of Engineering. Don kept close to the
technical world he so loved by establishing
X-Winged Consulting, LLC.
A strong supporter of SETP, Don served on the
Membership Committee for six years and presented
papers at several technical symposia. He was
presented the Fairchild Award at the 16th San
Diego Symposium for best paper.
Don is survived by his wife Becky, his son
Christopher Underwood, daughter Kelly Underwood,
sister Drenda Randell, step children Kristin
Fisch, Jennifer Hayter, Ben Dewitt, Jeff Dewitt,
Abby Moulatsiotis, and six grandchildren.
Donations may be made in Don's memory to the
charity he strongly supported, the Central Indiana
Teen Challenge, CITC, PO Box 564, Lebanon, IN
46052.
This information was last updated 05/18/2016
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Date posted on this site: 03/10/2024
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