7 Platoon, Charlie Company,
3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment

	Robert "Bob" Wood
	Elvis or Woody
	born: 16 November 1949 in Sydney NSW
	National Serviceman
	joined from Canberra ACT

Woody was working in the ES&A Bank in Canberra when he volunteered to be conscripted into National Service. He had his first brush with the military physche at that time. He was inadvertently placed in the lottery for National Service and his birth date was not drawn. He received a letter from the Army advising him that he was exempt from National Service. When he rung them up, they advised that he had to volunteer again. Volunteer twice to go to Vietnam!

Woody was in a defacto relationship at the time and had 2 young boys. He was given the ultimatum Vietnam or me, by his defacto. He chose Vietnam and copped a few charges for AWOL trying to keep the relationship together during his early army life. The relationship fell apart before he went to Vietnam.

He did his basic training at Kapooka NSW. After Kapooka you can nominate your choice of three Corps. Woody nominated infantry as choices 1,2 & 3. When quizzed as to why he had done that, he answered that if he got into an infantry battalion he was sure to get to Vietnam [Volunteering three times to go the 'Nam]. Over drinks on their last night at Kapooka it turned out that half the platoon were volunteer Nashos, everyone was too scared to say anything before, in case the other guys thought that were looney!

Infantry Corp Training was at Singleton NSW. As a young fellow he had spent most of his spare time hunting roos in the Hunter Valley, at Dungog, just north of Singleton. During a training exercise the platoon commander had become lost and with a storm fast approaching it looke like a cold, wet night in the hills. Woody volunteered to lead the platoon out of the mountains. After some reluctance the lieutenant agreed ... and so began Woody's career as a forward scout.

Woody served as a forward scout for the first part of the tour, and then took over the machine gun when McComish was transferred to Support Company. Ric Markovich took over as scout. Boodgie who was Woody's second scout came back to be his 2IC on the gun.

Woody was best known for his hair style, hence the name Elvis. If he was going to be killed he was going to make a pretty corpse. No matter what happened his hair was generally neatly combed. He was also known for his relaxed attitude. If Woody was on first picket you could be guaranteed a good nights sleep ... as he invariably fell asleep during his picket. There were a few comments on the way that he scouted as well ... generally he scouted further ahead than other scouts and often with his rifle slung over his shoulder. Dogs often had to pull him up on this habit. But to Woody Vietnam wasn't much different to Dungog, except that the roos shot back. All those years of hunting had honed a sixth sense and he always seemed to sense when danger was present.

Woody went back to bank after discharge. He left after 3 months and joined the Department of Foreign Affairs. He married in 1972 and had a son named Robert Anthony Wood. He was promoted through the Public Service working in Prime Minister and Cabinet, Department of Industry and Commerce, and Defence Support. When the Department of Defence Support become Australian Defence Industries, Woody took a package and retired. He had since divorced and remarried. He had a further two children Michael and Yvonne. Woody had a part share in a Service Station, where he stayed for 4 years.

After the opening of the Vietnam Memorial in Canberra in 1992 he got out of the Service Station and retired again. In 1994 he brought his parents from Sydney to live with him and the cost of the extensions forced him back to work again. He currently [1999] works at the Defence Housing Authority as a property officer.

In December 1998 his new house, 3 dogs, 2 cats, numerous fish, and most of his goods and chattels divorced him. Woody is active in Rugby League coaching and has two Rugby League websites on the net to keep him busy, as well as coaching an under 12's side for the Woden Valley Rams, The Castaways in the Women's Rugby League Competition and the ACT State Team in the ACT Women's National Championships, and occassionally the odd school team or two. Woody has coached Junior Development Squads in Canberra, been the Coaching Director for the Rams and is a level 2 coach.

Apart from Rugby League and getting divorced, Woody's other interests have been in playing darts, where he has won numerous championships and has represented the ACT. These days he still plays competitively, but at Premier B level ... where it is a bit more fun.

Woody had nothing to do with Vietnam Vets, RSL's or the like until Canberra 1992, when he dropped in on speck at the 3 RAR reunion. There he met Dixie, Ginna, Crossy, Chatty & a couple of other guys.

The 20 March 1999 reunion in Adelaide was fantastic and as Chatty would say "Elvis f.....g Wood" is looking forward to 2001, where he can't wait to march with the Battalion and especially 7 Platoon, as 3 RAR march through the city of Adelaide as a Battalion should ... in column of route and proud of what we have done.