Ships
- USS Laws (DD-558) Captain, 18 November 1943 – 24 September 1945
Lester Orin Wood was born in Mabton, Washington, on 7 January 1910. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1931 and spent his career in the Navy. By the autumn of 1942 he held the temporary rank of commander.
In February 1942 he was acting commanding officer of the seaplane tender William B. Preston, a converted destroyer, at Darwin, Australia. On 19 February Japanese aircraft attacked the harbor. Wood received the Silver Star for his conduct during that raid. His time in command of the ship ran only from 18 to 23 February. He next commanded the destroyer Barney from 1 December 1942 until 11 August 1943.
On 18 November 1943 Wood became the first commanding officer of Laws (DD-558), a new Fletcher-class destroyer, and he remained her captain until 24 September 1945. Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding had laid the hull down on 19 May 1942 and launched her on 22 April 1943, with Mrs. Mary A. Farwell as sponsor. After shakedown, Laws left San Francisco on 11 February 1944 and joined the forward forces at Kwajalein on 4 March. She spent two weeks in antisubmarine training, then sailed on 20 March to screen a refueling group supporting raids on Palau, Yap, and Ulithi. Through the rest of the Pacific war Wood kept her in the fighting. The ship was awarded nine battle stars for World War II service, the whole of that combat record falling in his command.
The longest trial came off Okinawa. From 21 March to 21 June 1945 Wood took Laws through the campaign in those waters. The destroyer shot down two Japanese aircraft and struck guns, troops, and strong points ashore. She finished the period without damage, and the crew suffered no casualties. For that service he received a Gold Star in lieu of a second Silver Star.
Wood left Laws on 24 September 1945, a few weeks after the fighting ended. Robert Edward Sinnott relieved him. Wood stayed in the Navy and retired as a rear admiral. He died in Virginia Beach, Virginia, on 2 December 1998, at the age of eighty-eight.