The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Lieutenant Commander [then Lieutenant] Robert Deane Woods (NSN: 632730/1315), United States Naval Reserve, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action on 12 and 13 October 1966, while serving as Pilot of a propeller-driven aircraft with Attack Squadron TWENTY-FIVE (VA-25), embarked in U.S.S. CORAL SEA (CVA-43), during combat operations in Southeast Asia. While flying an armed reconnaissance mission over North Vietnam on 12 October, Lieutenant Commander Woods was forced to bail out of his burning aircraft which had received a direct hit from enemy anti-aircraft artillery. Contact was established that afternoon, but efforts to rescue him were hampered by the dense jungle cover and the many enemy ground forces in the area. When a helicopter pickup was attempted, Lieutenant Commander Woods directed the helicopter to dear the area because of ground fire. The next day, search and rescue aircraft located him for a second time and called in a helicopter to effect the rescue. As the helicopter approached his position to hover, Lieutenant Commander Woods heard enemy ground forces, in close proximity to his position, directing small arms fire at the helicopter. Aware that his prime signaling devices were almost exhausted, which greatly diminished the possibility for another rescue attempt, and also aware of the extreme vulnerability of the crew in the hovering helicopter, he chose to terminate the rescue attempt by directing the helicopter to clear the area. Lieutenant Commander Woods voluntarily sacrificed his rescue for the second time in as many days for the safety of the helicopter crew. By his courageous actions in the face of imminent capture, he upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting a Gold Star in lieu of a Second Award of the Silver Star to Commander Robert Deane Woods (NSN: 632730/1315), United States Naval Reserve, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity while interned as a Prisoner of War in North Vietnam on 2 August 1967. Commander Woods’ captors, completely ignoring international agreements, subjected him to extreme mental and physical cruelties in an attempt to obtain military information and false confessions for propaganda purposes. Through his resistance to those brutalities, he contributed significantly toward the eventual abandonment of harsh treatment by the North Vietnamese, which was attracting international attention. By his determination, courage, resourcefulness, and devotion, Commander Woods reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Naval Service and the United States Armed Forces.