HOOD, Ronald Dean
| Service Number: | 4410911 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 1st Australian Reinforcement Unit, Vietnam |
| Born: | Adelaide, SOUTH AUSTRALIA, 24 June 1942 |
| Home Town: | Port Lincoln, Port Lincoln, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Mt Cooper School and Urrbrae Agricultural College, South Australia |
| Occupation: | Farmer |
| Died: | Killed in Action, South Vietnam, South Vietnam, Vietnam, 16 June 1966, aged 23 years |
| Cemetery: |
Happy Valley Cemetery, Port Lincoln RSL Section, Garden of Remembrance, Centennial Park Cemetery, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia |
| Memorials: | Adelaide Post Second World War Memorial, Adelaide Vietnam War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Grafton Clarence Valley Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Hilton Australia's National Servicemen Memorial, Kallangur Vietnam Veterans' Place, Pooraka War Memorial, Port Lincoln & District Korea & Vietnam Honour Roll, Port Pirie Vietnam Veterans Honour Wall, Seymour Vietnam Veterans Commemorative Walk Roll of Honour |
Vietnam War Service
| 13 Jun 1966: | Involvement Australian Army (Post WW2), Private, 4410911, 1st Australian Reinforcement Unit, Vietnam | |
|---|---|---|
| 16 Jun 1966: | Involvement Australian Army (Post WW2), Private, 4410911, 1st Australian Reinforcement Unit, Vietnam | |
| Date unknown: | Involvement |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Virtual Australia
Ronald Dean Hood was born on June 24, 1942 at Mile End to Marjorie and Leslie ‘Les’ Hood. His siblings were Murray, Meryl and Raelene. He attended Mt Cooper School and Urrbrae Agricultural College before returning to work on the farm shared by his uncles, Charles and Renfrey Hood. He was always busy, either working on the farm or performing odd jobs such as collecting firewood, milking the cow and working with the animals around the house.
Like many young men of that time, Ronald was very athletic, playing football for Pt Kenny and cricket for Colley. He was also known to be an excellent rifle shooter, being Colley Rifle Club’s (of which he was secretary of) best junior shooter. After competing in State rifle shooting competitions in Adelaide, Ronald won the Queen’s badge for the C-Grade section in 1962. With these skills, it was Ronald’s duty to clear the house of any reptiles that slithered inside; this brought peace to the women of the house who otherwise scrambled onto tables and chairs in search of safety. Ronald was often called out to neighbouring farms to perform this task, giving him a chance to practise his rifle shooting.
Ronald enlisted with the Regular Army on the 25th of May 1965, in concern of the Vietnam War coming to close to home and he wanted to do his part. After completing a signallers course, Ronald volunteered to go over to Vietnam; he was posted to the 1st Australian Reinforcement Unit.
On 16 June, 1966, Ronald Hood was killed in action in a rubber plantation at Phuoc Tuy Province after just 4 days in Vietnam; just a few days before his 24th birthday. When it was discovered he was the sixth Australian to die in Vietnam, a newspaper article was written in the Canberra Times on his death. Ronald is buried in the RSL section of the Happy Valley Cemetery in Port Lincoln. - Author Montana Foster
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