WOODS ALVIN RICHARD JR

Name: WO1 Alvin Richard Woods, Jr.
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 12/31/1965 while performing the duty of Pilot.
Age at death: 29.0
Date of Birth: 12/27/1936
Home City: Washington, IN
Service: AV branch of the reserve component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: A/1 AVN 1 INF
Prior Unit: 155 AVN 65
Major organization: 1st Infantry Division
Flight class: 64-8W
Service: AV branch of the U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 04E-047
Short Summary: A bullet came through the windshield and hit WO Woods in the chest.
Service number: W3152310
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 062B = Helicopter Pilot, Utility and Light Cargo Single Rotor
Compliment cause: small arms fire
Started Tour: 10/09/1965
"Official" listing: ground casualty
Length of service: 10
Location: Unknown Province

Additional information about this casualty:
We were trained together in Class 64-8W and and after Graduation on 9 FEB 1965, we both where assigned and served together in Korea and then shipped to Vietnam in the 155th Avn Co. He was KIA in Vietnam by ground fire in 1966 while conducting Airmobile Operations. The 155th Avn Co was attached to the 1st Inf Div and was later redesignated Co A 1st Avn Bn, 1st Inf Div. Please list both the 155th Avn Co and Co A 1st Avn Bn, as his units in 65 and 66. He is buried in Anderson, IN. From: Art Smaagaard My name is Allan Strout and I was the crewchief of UH-1D 755 with pilot WO Alvin Woods Jr. I noticed that you don't have a date of his death listed, it was 12/31/65. We were operating south of Saigon that day and were the lead ship and had just lifted off from a rice paddy when a bullet came through the windshield and hit WO Woods in the chest. We broke formation and flew to TSN airbase hospital. When we arrived back at Phu Loi we learned that he had passed away. I have other verification if needed. According to the lst Avn Bat 1st Inf Div website an action has been initated to rename the Div airfield in his honor, not sure if this has been done yet, and if not I would appreciate any information on that action if anyone has it. My e-mail is acstrout@aol.com

Reason: gunshot or small arms fire
Casualty type: Hostile - died of wounds
married male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Religion: Protestant - no denominational preference
Burial information: ST JOHNS CATHOLIC CEMETERY, WASHINGTON TWP, IN
The following information secondary, but may help in explaining this incident.
Category of casualty as defined by the Army: battle dead Category of personnel: active duty Army Military class: warrant officer
This record was last updated on 03/30/2006

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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023