Dan Heller 
Name: Don Charles Wood
Memorials: Find a Grave 1 2 3 4 Vietnam Wall Wall of Faces
Rank/Branch: Colonel/USAF
Unit: 354th Tactical Fighter Squadron 355th Tactical Fighter Wing Takhli Airbase Thailand
Date of Birth: 11 November 1929
Home of Record: Provo UT
Date of Loss: 16 January 1966
Country of Loss: Laos
Loss Coordinates: 193210N 1030825E
Status in 1973: Missing in Action
Category: 2
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: F-105D “Thunderchief” Serial No. 59-1719
Other Personnel In Incident: (none)
REMARKS: POSS CAPT-ID IN PL FILM
SYNOPSIS: Colonel wood was the pilot of an F-105D callsign “Olds 5” flying a combat mission west of the Plain of Jars near Ban Xal in northern Laos. His aircraft was number five in a flight of five and was last observed pulling out from his third starting run when his Thunderchief was hit by a 37mm AAA shell. After that radio and visual contact with Col. Wood was lost. The aircraft did not return to friendly control and after a search of the area came up negative Don Wood was declared missing in action.
It was later discovered that he had possibly been identified in a Pathet Lao film showing several Americans POWs and he may have been held in the caves near Sam Neua with Charles Shelton and David Hrdlicka. Adding to the mystery is that his ID card was later discovered in a Hanoi museum.
Colonel Wood was continued in a missing status until 3 March 1980 when his status was administratively changed by the Department of the Air Force to killed in action. Since his remains have not been recovered and returned, he is listed by the Department of Defense as unaccounted for in Southeast Asia.
