Lt. Wooley Odong

We, the family of Lt. Wooley Odong regret to narrate how our beloved son disappeared in 1971.

Our beloved son was born in 1946 from the family of Festo Oduny and Dolotiya Oduny from the clan of Paromo Payira.
Odong was educated from Pakwelo Primary School.

He then went for his junior secondary at Gulu High School form 1959- 1960. From 1961 – 1964 Odong was at Sir Samuel Baker School where he completed his Cambridge School certificate. He had his higher school education at Busoga College Mwiri.

In 1965 Odong was one of the first few Ugandans sent to Russia as pilot cadets for training.

In 1968, he returned to Uganda and was commissioned to the rank of Second Lieutenant. He was posted to Gulu Air Base briefly, then later transferred to Entebbe Instructing Pilots cadet with navigation. Odong was again transferred to Republic House, now Bulange as the Adjutant of Uganda Air force Headquarters.

In November 1970, he was among Uganda Air Force Officers including the late Brigadier Toko who were sent for a course in Italy.

Amin shortened the course of these officers and summoned them back in Uganda around March 1971.
On their arrival at Entebbe Airport, Acholi and Langi were separated from the rest of other tribes. Other tribes were set free. The Acholi and the Langi were taken some elsewhere and they disappeared – till now.

Lt. Wooley survived that episode. He went home to Kololo Nyonzi Garden and slept for two days. It was on Saturday the first week of March 1971 when certain army and air force men came and picked him and then he was taken to an unknown place. The person sighted amongst those who arrested Odong was captain Isoke who was also a pilot in the then Uganda Air force.

We, the family (of Lt. Wooley Odong) still appeal to anybody who might have known where the body of our son was thrown. Please inform Mr. Samuel Oduny P.O. Box 612, Gulu or call 0782858062.

Odong was killed when he was only 25 years old. He left behind a daughter, now a teacher at Laliya Primary School, Gulu Municipality. We shall be grateful for anybody that will cooperate with us.

Name: Lt. Wooley Odong
Age: 25 at time of disappearance
Disappeared: March 1971 upon his return from training in italy
Occupation: A pilot with Uganda Airforce