Memorial Day is observed annually to honor Americans who have died in military service. I would like to take this opportunity to remember a fellow alum who made the ultimate sacrifice for his country. Welborn Cicero Wood was born on January 15, 1876, in Pickens, Georgia. In 1893, Welborn attended North Georgia Agricultural College as part of the class of 1897. During his freshman year, he was awarded gold medals in both the mathematics and Greek departments. In his sophomore year, he was appointed first sergeant of Company A. Following his sophomore year in 1895, through the efforts of family friend Congressman Carter Tate of the then-ninth Georgia district, Wood received an appointment to the United States Naval Academy on September 6, 1895, as part of the class of 1899. With the onset of the Spanish-American War, the Naval Academy accelerated the classes of 1898 and 1899. At that time, the term "naval cadet" was used instead of "midshipman." When Wood attended the Naval Academy, two years of sea service were required after completing the four-year academic course before being commissioned as a Navy officer. The academic course for the class of 1899 was shortened, and they were ordered to sea on January 27, 1899. During the war with Spain, Wood served on the Battleship Texas in 1898 before graduating with the class of 1899. Following Spain's surrender, Wood was assigned to the USS Oregon (Battleship No. 3) in the Asiatic Squadron as a naval cadet, fulfilling the two-year requirement before commissioning. Hostilities resumed following the surrender as part of the Philippine Insurrection. Subsequently, Wood was given command of the gunboat Urdaneta, operating in the Philippines during the Philippine–American War. Naval Cadet Wood was killed in action on September 17, 1899, when his ship ran aground in the Orani River near Manila and was overwhelmed by insurgent troops who subjected the gunboat to withering fire from the shoreline. As we take the time to remember loss friends, Classmates and Alumni, let’s remember one of UNGs first combat losses 126 years ago, Naval Cadet Welborn C. Wood class of 1897. (fb)

Here is a piece of UNG history that took place 58 years ago today about Rear Admiral Bobby C. Lee, class of '58. He attended UNG from 1954 to 1956 and was in XXX Company. In the summer of 1956, Admiral Lee left UNG for the Navy’s Aviation Reserve Officer Candidate program. On May 19, 1967, off Yankee Station aboard USS Bon Homme Richard, part of Air Wing 21 with VF-24 Fighting Renegades, Lt Commander Lee flew an F-8 Crusader on a flak suppression mission over Hanoi. This iconic American fighter, known as "The Last of the Gunfighters," played a crucial role in the first attack on the Hanoi thermal power plant using AGM-62 Walleye weapons systems. During the mission, Lee and his wingman Lt Phillip Wood successfully engaged MIG-17s with AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, becoming the first in their squadron to do so. That summer, VF-24 downed three additional MIG-17s and became one of the Navy's first "Ace" squadrons. NGLTW! (fb)