Spindrift August 6, 2020

PROGRAM

Our own Dr. Bob Wood, your editor as well was the speaker, giving us his autobiography in ten decades. For each decade, he decided to tell us about people or stories that affected his life personally, professionally, or emotionally.”

The thirties. Born in 1928, his first ten years were the decade of the “thirties.” Bob’s sister and grandmother taught him to read, spell, and do puzzles. He supported losing presidential candidate Alf Landon in 1936 at the age of eight, Biggest pain was gauze removal during ear mastectomy. Greatest enjoyment was the series of Lionel electric trains his dear uncle gave him every Christmas.

The forties. Mother told him the three things NOT to do: no smoking, no drinking, and no sex before marriage. Became active in Scouting, gaining two hobbies that lasted his whole life: birding and stamp collecting. Slightly smarter than others, tried to excel, always asking himself what could he do that would be more than what was expected. Mother, a French teacher, got him to be proficient in typing and also taught him French. Discovered his first feeling of jealousy of someone else dating his girlfriend. In college fell in love for the first time.

The fifties. After going to work as an engineer, fell in love again with the girl sitting next to him at Douglas Aircraft and married Charlotte. Drafted by the U.S. Army, went to Aberdeen Proving Ground in 1954. Their first child was born for only $5 for food cost. Professionally, a job at Douglas Aircraft involved keeping the fins of a missile cool using Teflon, hired a Ph.D. from USC named Jerry Buss, whom he later fired for spending too much time on the phone promoting real estate. Joined Toast-master 1969, very smart move.

The sixties. Professionally, managing engineers one day his boss asked him what idea he might have to tell the Air Force next week how we should be getting our craft to orbit in ten years…. He read 50 UFO books in one year, got $500K company money to study that subject. Personally, bought a home in the Pacific Palisades, helped his two children grow up. Emotionally, world expanded away from engineers when the Company asked him to join the local Rotary Club.

The seventies. Career changed when they needed a radar specialist to detect Soviet ballistic missiles. Traveled probably 20 times to Huntsville, Alabama for presentations. Personally, wife Charlotte suggested a common hobby, so they took a course in birding identification at Orange Coast, and embraced this hobby enthusiastically, going to Australia, England, Costa Rica, and all over the U.S. Emotionally, the highlight was to see their son Ryan make Eagle Scout. June 1970 moved to Newport Beach.

The eighties. Radar knowledge involved some top-secret work for the CIA studying the Soviets and access to psychic stuff like spoon bending. Exposure to classified work then and now has caused him to know that there is a “white” world we live in, and yet there is a “black” one stuffed with amazing secrets. Assigned to work Space Station, to use advanced technology to make it cheaper, better, or sooner. Collaborated with father on how the planets might cause sunspots, wrote a then-famous paper called, “The Giant Discoveries of Future Science” and paper proving comet caused the 1871 Chicago Fire. Surprise birthday party for Charlotte.

The nineties. Last three years before he retired were a lot of fun…Named Chief Scientist for experiment that would spin plants and animals in the Space Station...took courses in botany and biology. Retired at 65 years old, got a call from UFO guy about authenticating a “leaked” UFO document. Accumulated lots of them, got a call from someone who wanted to pay him $500K to authenticate them. Led to a TV documentary. Charlotte died in 1999 after 47 years together.

The 2000’s. “Just because your wife died doesn’t mean you shouldn’t play bridge,” was the challenge from Bob’s bridge group, so he found one of Charlotte’s good friends, Lynda, who agreed to fill in. They fell in love very quickly, and exactly one year later they were married on the lawn of Bob’s new church; trips together to AXO and UFO meetings. Remodeled Bob’s home. Bob chaired Trustees, remodeled the church. Professionally with son did seven “Crash Retrieval” conferences on UFOs. Joined exchange in 1999 with first talk on UFOs. Met Bill Tompkins, who changed Bob’s life with his amazing autobiography.

The teens. Personally, Lynda & Bob were so happy they married, finding there was almost nothing worth arguing about. Became President of Exchange, then Secretary and now Treasurer for five years. Professionally, published Bill Tompkins’ autobiography, Selected by Extraterrestrials … found it sold well enough to make about $1500 royalties per month over the last five years to be shared with (now deceased) Bill Tompkins’ wife Mary.

The twenties. Personally, getting older, being careful to not fall, goes to the gym for the last ten years, takes NMN pills to slow down aging. Learned amazing things about our secret history: Nazi’s had UFOs, teamed with alien race in Antarctica, we have amazing underground transportation systems, Navy figured out how UFOs worked, put Solar Warden secret space program in action in the 1980s, there are bases on the far side of the moon, some are ours, Russia and the US sent manned probes to Mars decades ago, we have bases there. Emotionally, Bob thinks COVID-19 has been planned all along and is, unfortunately, working very effectively to eliminate our freedoms and have the “bad guys” win.

Concluding, Dr. Bob was thrilled to belong to this great club and was especially proud of being able to help Jerry Nininger electronically put the labels on the flags of our Field of Honor when it started. For a version with complete sentences, see the attachment with this Spindrift by email.