Info Sheet/Obituary - Bruce Foster Wood
Comments: John Kelly, Dale Dow
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Obituary: LTC Bruce F. Wood (Ret.) died at Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center, in Sierra Vista, Ariz., on Nov. 24, 2014, due to a cardiac arrest. He was 69 years old. He was born April 8, 1945, in Hollywood, Calif., to Jean F. Owen Wood and Jake Earnest Wood.
Bruce enlisted in the Army during the Vietnam War as a Transportation Specialist (truck driver). He applied for and was subsequently selected to attend helicopter flight school training at Fort Rucker, Ala. As a Warrant Officer, he flew both Huey and Cobra gun ship helicopters during two combat tours in Vietnam. While in Vietnam, he was awarded a battlefield commission as a First Lieutenant in the Army Aviation Corp. He then served as a Helicopter Instructor Pilot. Bruce later transferred to the Armor Corp and had a successful Tank Company Command. After several promotions LTC Wood served as a General Staff Officer at USAEUR Headquarters in Germany as the War Plans Branch Chief during Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Throughout his Army career he was awarded numerous Army military decorations to include but not limited to the Bronze Star, Valor awards, two Distinguished Flying Crosses, 23 Air Medals, a Purple Heart, and Presidential Unit Citations.
In 1998 Bruce attended Northern Colorado University where he received his teaching certificate and a masters degree in curriculum development. He taught as an elementary school teacher and coach in both the San Antonio and El Paso, Texas, public school districts. He also taught in the states of Colorado, Kansas and Arizona.
In 2003, as an Army Defense Contractor, Bruce was the first person hired to develop a curriculum for and assist in the standing of the Fort Huachuca Culture Center, to train soldiers regarding Iraqi, Afghani, and other Middle Eastern customs and cultures. In 2010-2011 he served as a Department of Army Civilian, GS-13, concentrating on training and curriculum development while assigned to the TRADOC Culture Center at Fort Huachuca during the Iraq War.
As a longstanding member of the Masonic Order, Bruce F. Wood was a past Master of King Solomon Territorial Lodge No. 5 in Tombstone, Ariz., and Huachuca Lodge No. 53 in Sierra Vista, Ariz. Additionally he was active in the Scottish Rite, (a charter member of the Knights of Saint Andrew in Tucson, Ariz.), Red Cross of Constantine, York Right, Order of the Eastern Star and Shriners organizations/clubs throughout Southern Arizona.
Bruce is survived by his wife of 28 years, Sandra L. Smith; his three children, LTC Robert A. Wood, USA, of Wichita, Kan.; Linda Michelle Brown, of Waco, Texas; Katherine Ann Smith, currently attending the University of Arizona in Tucson, Ariz.; as well as three wonderful grandchildren.
Comments:
Input from John Kelly: 21 Dec 2013:
When I re-joined the Army in 1982 as an AGR ROTC Instructor, I had follow-on assignments, one of which was to Headquarters,US Army Europe, Plans Division. When I reported in to my boss, it was no other than LTC Bruce Wood. He looked the same. Big, Imposing and took me straight to the O Club for a night out of war stories and laughs. At the time, he was a new husband and father and when he left Germany, I lost contact with him. He treated me royally while he was there. Vindicator-32
Input from Dale Dow: 21 May 2011:
Bruce Wood is down in Sierra Vista, AZ, near Ft. Huachuca. Bruce was an LTC when I ran into him at Ft Bragg back in 1987. I think he retired as a Colonel, MSC. He was head of Preventive Medicine at Ft Riley and then went down to BAMC. He was one of the original members of the 3/4 Cav Chap, but got lost. I sent him the ALL CENTAURS letter back in 2009/2010, so he knows we exist.