Marvin Woods

Radioman Chief, United States Navy, retired - and afterwards, as a civilian, director of communications at Patuxent River Naval Air Station. Known as Roger.

He was the son of a sailor and enlisted while still at school, and served twenty-three years. When he retired in 1984 he took six weeks' holiday and then reported back to the same office and carried on doing the same job out of uniform. His son said: his job was his life. I remember when he retired from the Navy, he cried.

He grew up at Owendale in Michigan and served a tour in Vietnam. He met his wife on leave in October 1971 and they married three months later and went off to Puerto Rico. When he was at sea he wrote to her every day.

He hunted with his brother across the river in Calvert County and fished from a small boat. A colleague said: he'd seen the worst, so he chose to look at the best.

His wife was watching the news and hoped he had been called to the war room, or was out in the courtyard having a cigarette. At half past one the next morning the officers came to the door.

She said: my husband was proud of the forty years he gave to his country.

His wife Betty, his son James, and their other two children.