Wood, Harry

1917 - 1956  (38 years)

• Name	Wood, Harry
  Birth	11 Dec 1917  [1]
  Gender	Male
  Reference Number	WOOD.H003
  _FGRAVE	18363950
  Military Service	World War II, Commander, United States Navy  [1]
  	CDR Harry Wood Birth 11 Dec 1917 Noble, Richland County, Illinois, USA Death 17 Sep 1956 (aged 38) Burial Clay City Cemetery Clay City, Clay County, Illinois, USA Memorial ID 18363950 · View Source Share Save to Suggest Edits Memorial Photos 1 Flowers 1 Ill. Commander U. S. Navy WWII Navy Cross Citation (Noted as posthumous, lost at sea ... as he died in 1956 he must have been subsequently rescued?) DATE OF BIRTH: December 11, 1917 PLACE OF BIRTH: Noble, Illinois HOME OF RECORD: Noble, Illinois AWARDS BY DATE OF ACTION: 1 of 1 Navy Cross AWARDED FOR ACTIONS DURING World War II Service: Navy Rank: Ensign Division: U.S.S. Lexington (CV-2) GENERAL ORDERS: Bureau of Naval Personnel Information Bulletin No. 311 (February 1943) CITATION: The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Navy Cross (Posthumously) to Ensign Harry Wood, United States Naval Reserve, for extraordinary heroism in operations against the enemy while serving as Pilot of a carrier-based Navy Scouting Plane of Scouting Squadron TWO (VS-2), attached to the U.S.S. LEXINGTON (CV-2), in action against enemy Japanese forces during the Air Battle of the Coral Sea on 7 and 8 May 1942. Participating in a dive-bombing attack on an enemy aircraft carrier on 7 May, Ensign Wood aided materially in the sinking of the vessel by pressing home his attack with skill and determination. After successfully carrying out an attack on another enemy carrier on 8 May, in which he contributed to either severe damage or complete destruction of the vessel by obtaining a direct hit with a 1,000 pound bomb, he reported the completion of his mission, then failed to return. His outstanding courage, daring airmanship and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
  		Navy Cross, United States Naval Service
  		United States Navy
  		United States Navy Officer Rank Insignia
  		World War II (1939-1945)
  		Flag of the United States, 48 Stars (1912-1959) In 1912, two stars were added to the United States flag, representing Arizona and New Mexico, bringing the total number of stars to 48. They were arranged in six rows of eight stars each. American fighting men would fight under this flag during four wars: World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the beginning of the Vietnam War. (In 1959, a…
  		Commander (CDR) (O-5), United States Navy
  		Navy Cross, United States Naval Service
  		United States Navy Shield
  Death	17 Sep 1956  [1]
  Burial	Clay City Cemetery, Clay City, Clay County, Illinois   [1]
  Person ID	I32275	Carl Wayne Gray Research
  Last Modified	18 Feb 2021

  
  

  Family	?, Margaret R.,   b. 2 Jan 1918   d. 2 Mar 1989 (Age 71 years)
  Family ID	F13442	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	31 Jan 2023

  
  

• Event Map

  Burial - - Clay City Cemetery, Clay City, Clay County, Illinois  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Sources

  [S679] http://www.findagrave.com, Headstone, Wyatt, Kenneth G., (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/160918817/kenneth-wyatt), none. (Reliability: 2).