INTRODUCTION
Bob Woodrow, my neighbor, was born in 1948. He was raised by his two parents and was an only child. He was raised in Kansas City. He graduated high school in 1966 and immediately following he tried to enlist in the military to fight in Vietnam. He was finally accepted in 1969 and served until 1971. He was married twice and had one son, Michael in 1972.
TRANSCRIPTION
So could we start by talking about your life during the time of the Vietnam war?
If I was doing the Vietnam era id start where I was born. 1948. Because things were a whole lot different than your era. I guarantee you. Growing up in the 60s, those kinds of things. Things were a whole lot different in the sixties. I won't tell you all of that.. laughs
In 66 I joined the navy. I didn't have the best parents in the whole world we fought badly. So in 66 I Joined the navy. I was supposed to report to the navy on July 14 in Portland Oregon, and on July 12 I went swimming with my little sisters because it was the last time I was going to see them. And on July 12 I stepped on a beer bottle someone threw in the river. When they threw it in the river it broke. And when it sunk it landed neck down with the jagged edge up. Of course I couldn't see that in the river. And as I went in I stepped on that and it took this right foot. It cut it all off except the top layer of skin. All the way through it. They took me to the hospital to have it sewn back together. They didn't know if they would be able to save it. It got gang green and they took me to the emergency room. They were going to have to cut it off because it was that bad. It was gone. After two or three hours they did manage to save my right foot but it was another 2 and a half years before I could walk again. So I walked on crutches and did all that. Well, the army wouldn't take me. The navy wouldn't take me. In 68 I tried to get back in the army volunteering and they kept turning me down because I had a bad foot. I had gone in and had a physical 9 times. It was 9 times I tried to get in. They wouldn't let me in. On the tenth time one of the big officers said that unless I could prove my foot was good they would not let me in the military and I had a real need to be in the military. A real need. A group of boys I ran with in high school, very tight group. One had gotten killed in Vietnam. It was my decision to avenge him. They got Larry…I had to get them. It was something I HAD to do. I had no choice in the matter. In the mean time they turned me down all those time. I ended up getting married in 69 to my girlfriend in high school. I kept trying to get in the service which irritated the hell out of her. I asked the officer what it would take to prove that this foot was good. He said "oh I don't know do something stupid like jump out of an airplane." So I said Alright... I left two weeks later I joined a skydiving club in Kansas city took the training and started jumping out of airplanes. When they certified me they give you a jump jacket and certification that you are a certified sky diver. I took that document and rejoined again. Got pulled in for the medical thing and had the same officer that I had in the first place. The minute he seen me, he said "you're back?" I says "yeah and I've got proof I have a good foot." And I gave him the certificate of skydiving. He says "you want in the army that bad? I'll put your ass in there." I went the same day. I lied to my wife and said id been drafted. I hadn't been drafted at all I JOINED it But she didn't know the difference you know. Government paperwork is all kind of screwy. But I had lied to her and told her "awe man look I got drafted. Is this terrible or what?" But on the inside I was like "YEAAH!!!" So I went through basic and volunteered for Vietnam 4 times and went to jungle school. Trained in a ranger camp in fort Luis. Got orders to go to Vietnam. And while I was on leave they changed my orders and sent me to Germany because they caught Nixon. That's back when Nixon said he was going to take troops out of Vietnam….he was on THIS runway. But on the back runway he was landing us. And the news camera caught him. Caught one plane coming in and one plane going off. So the newscaster says "what's on that plane? And then they watched fresh troops come out. So he wasn't taking troops after all, he was just switching them out. So then they caught him and canceled our orders they split my unit up and sent me to Germany for a radar outfit which was like SO boring UGHH. And I had been trained to jungle fight and they stuck me in Germany where I didn't want to be in the first place. And I was working with missiles which I didn't know anything about. And we weren't killing people so how much fun can you have in life? It's like UGHH. I spent two years over there. That was all during the Vietnam era.
And what year did you get your skydiving certificate?
Oh well that was at the end of '68 because I went in at '69. Yeah I was just two years out of high school. I got hurt '66 and was crippled for two and a half years. I went in at '69 and I came out in '71.
So it was a period of over two years just to get in?
Oh yeah. Oh I made 'em crazy. They went nuts. And every time I went in for one of those physicals, I would tell the wife I was going to work…I wasn't going to work. I had got the letter in the mail. It was called volunteer for draft. I would get the letter in the mail saying they wanted to give me the medical on such and such date. I would hide that letter and say "Alight I've gotta go to work." And I'd call in sick. Then I'd run down to take that physical. I did that so many times it was horrible. They got to know me on a first name basis. I'm still sorry I couldn't go to Vietnam. I trained hard for that and was very, very good at what I did. Back in my early 20s I was a hell of a jungle fighter there wasn't anything I couldn't do. I could walk like a cat. I could walk across rice paper and not leave a footprint. I just LOVED that stuff. As a kid growing up my teacher asked me one time- "What do you want to be?" My answer was, "I want to be a mortician or I want to be a missionary, or an industrial manager." I was shooting toward mercenary because there was a lot of money in it. It was the kind of thing I was really into. I ended up being an efficiency manager by mistake. I started driving a truck gotten another job ended up taking classes in college. Ended up being an efficiency manager for a company in Portland. Pure mistake. I would have much rather been a mortician. I think that's a very important field in life. A lot of people think it's gross. It's the last contact you've got. I thought that was really quite noble, my friends thought I was nuts. When I came out of graduation my dad said he'd send me up to the University of Missouri for four years. And I already knew I couldn't do that. I was going in the army. But I never regretted going. I'd go today if they let me. I swear to god. I'd be gone today.
The military is very hard for marriages. I wasn't in the military 6 weeks and got this letter. My ex wife sent her wedding rings back and said she found this other fella "bye". And that time the part she missed in that thing is that I had 6 weeks of military orientation. I didn't care. I had one goal and one goal only. I was going to Vietnam. I don't give a damn about her and her boyfriends. It meant absolutely nothing to me. I said "have a good one kid." I went in to the jag office asking for a divorce they said I couldn't have one because I was on the way to a combat zone and I was probably emotionally upset. I said. "Nah I really don't like her." They absolutely wouldn't let me do it. She refused the divorce because she was receiving 410 dollars. She got a pretty good wad of money in the 60s because I was in the military. Plus the fact that if I got killed in Vietnam shed get 10grand. She wasn't about to divorce me she had ten grand sitting in the bank. All I needed to do was get bumped. She wouldn't do it. But when they sent me to Germany we hadn't spoke in months. I went through basic, all the way through AIT, through jungle school and never even spoke to her. Didn't even know if she was dead or alive. I didn't care. And when I shipped out to Germany I got a letter from her just wanting to know "how I was" and "did it look like id be going to a combat zone soon?" I thought "wow you're a mean woman you are." In Germany I volunteered for Vietnam. I didn't make it because they didn't let us in. Nixon had got caught. I hate that man. So I did that. I stayed in Germany all by myself. When I came home instead of flying to Kansas City where she was, I flew to Portland where my parents were. I thought this was really a good idea. Didn't tell anybody I was stateside. I just flew in the states and messed around for 3 or 4 days in New Jersey. Jumped on a plane and flew to Oregon. I landed and called my mom she answered the phone and I say "Hey its bobby" she says "where you at?" I say "Portland airport." She goes "OH MY GOD WELL BE RIGHT THERE!" So when they came down to get me my mom actually walked past me in the airport. Didn't know who I was. When I went in the service I weighed 154 pounds. Just a little skinny zipper of a guy. I came out weighing 247 and was built like a building. I exercised ALL the time. I had a duffle bag on my shoulders. I walked right past her. I turned and said "what's wrong old woman you don't want to talk to me?" she said "I BEG your….oh my god." Started screaming and yelling. We walk out to the van where dad was parked out in the airport. Opens the damn van door, and guess who's sitting in the seat- My ex- wife. Well we still hadn't gotten the divorce. We hadn't seen each other in 2 years. I looked at her and my heat just stopped I thought "Oh god. Oh god not this." I didn't talk to him all the way home. We got to dads house. He says "well you kids probably got a lot to share. Probably want to get to bed early?" I thought "I don't think so."
We get in the room and I tell her "That arm is exactly 36in long. You can measure if you like but I can tell ya. With my fist doubled up its 36 in long. Do not get within 36in of me." I just hated that woman so much. I said "as long as you stay out of arms reach from me you and I got no problem." She says "well what are we going to tell your parents. They think we're happy." I said "Well they're going to be at the divorce court darling because as soon as I get this money you're gone." For two months we were on opposite sides of the room. I'd walk in the kitchen shed walk out. She knew I'd do it. I was pretty nuts back then. NOT that I would strike a woman I would not do that at all. It's just THAT woman that irritated me. Well as all men will do we turn weak in our knees and she ended up getting pregnant with Michael. I knew then that my ship was sunk. I was stuck. This was it. I lost. She ran around for some years and we got a divorce. That's kinda the way my life went. But I got my son out of it. He's great. Love him.
Could you give me a timeline of the bigger events in your life?
I was born in 1948. Graduated school in 1966.Went to the service in '69. Came out of the service in 71. Was married in 1969. My boy was born in 1972. I think he was 2 and a half years old when we got divorced, so that happened around 1975. I was a truck driver up til then. I drove a truck cross country. I think that whole time I kept wishing I could go back into the service. But after Michael was born I couldn't do that. I think that profoundly changed my life. I couldn't do all the things I wanted to do. I wanted to travel. I wanted to see people. I wanted to get back into sky diving. I wanted to do all of those things. But I couldn't take the chance of getting hurt. For a long time I felt really bad about that. I felt like I lost it all. I was in this rut. Of course Michael was the only thing keeping it from being a rut because every day was brand new. I got divorced 1976…FINALLY. I met Mary in 1987 and married her we've been married for 20 years. Mary and I had never had children. Michael is our only kid.
I'd like to get back to the military. Your generation is very different from mine. In my generation EVERYBODY had to go to the service. It was just what you did, you know. If I would have even thought of protecting my country or going to war my entire neighborhood would just hang me from a tree. I'd be some freak in the world. It was just engraved in you. A lot of people don't not understand that. But in my generation we all understand that. We don't think it's right. Not justifying war but they knew WHY you needed to do that.
Can you tell me what year you joined the navy and a little more about it?
I joined the navy in '66 and I graduated in June. I had to be in the military as soon as I could. That was my opinion. So I joined in July. The only reason it took that month was because I had to move my mother from Kansas City to Portland. My dad had bought a place in Portland and wouldn't come home. He just called on the phone and says "I found Portland, Oregon. It's a beautiful place. I'm never coming home again. Sell our house and move up here" That was the last we heard of him for two months. We loaded all the stuff she didn't sell in the trailer and I had to drive her to Portland. And when I got to Portland which was the end of June, he told me I couldn't go in the military. He said he wouldn't sign for me to go. I said "I'm 18; I'm going one way or another. He and I got in a big fight one morning. He made the fatal mistake of saying "You're not man enough to join." It's all I needed. "Okay." I jumped on a bus and went downtown Portland, found me a recruiter, and asked him questions. I decided to volunteer for the draft. I joined the navy for 4 years. Why the navy? I don't know. I guess it was because Portland was full of navy. I think it just….4 years sounded good to get away from that crazy old man. So I said "yeah 4 years? …ill take that one." I don't think I would have liked the navy too much. I loved the army. I should have retired out of that. That would have been a great job.
Why did you join the army?
Well, they finally took me April 17 1969. I started at 1966 trying to get in. It took me a long time to get in. I had no intentions of taking no for an answer. I had something that had to be done. One of my friends had been killed. I had lost lots of friends. It seemed like every week you were going to another funeral. It was like the star football player, every day you were getting phone calls. I can't tell you how many times I listened to taps. It was practically day to day. Vietnam was HOT in the 60s. I mean HOT. So then when Larry went down it was icing on the cake. Larry went in much sooner than I did.
Was Larry your best friend?
No. No he was just a guy I knew. But with the group of fellows I run with; if one of you went you gotta take care of who caused that problem. Larry and I were good friends. We were running around together. But as far as best friends…not really. I have a picture of him somewhere ill show it to you. Where in the hell is Larry? Larry was a leather jacket wearing, motorcycle riding, hellraiser. He rode with a motorcycle gang for a while. He quit school up in Michigan.
So can you tell me about your experience in Germany?
So while I was in Germany we had a field exercise in Germany. They had a missile outfit at the top of this mountain. They told my company that it was our job to start at the bottom of the mountain and work our way to the top to attack this missile base. We were to sneak up there in the night with a red felt pen and kill as many of these soldiers as we could. And you did that by drawing a line on their neck. Or stabbed them in the chest while they were sleeping. As long as you left that red dot on them. What they didn't know was I had trained in jungle school. I was VERY good at that. I killed 14 men that night. I caught them sleeping. They'd be sleeping underneath these radars. I'd crawl up right underneath them and take the felt pen from this ear and take it all the way around their ears. And then I'd crawl off and do the next one. I "killed" 14 men that night. I HAD A BALL!
ANALYSIS
Bob is a true inspiration in his desire to serve this country. He had a deep passion for the military and a genuine desire to avenge his fallen friend in Vietnam. Though he did not serve his dedication alone is more than enough to consider him a hero to this country. To this day he wishes he could serve this country further in the military. I have a new found deeper respect for my neighbor and all he's done for this country. He is a man that loves his country, loves his wife, and loves his son. When talking to him you can get a sense of content and happiness from him. He seems very happy with his life's happening. When asked if he would change anything that has happened in his life he replied- Nope. If one small thing would have changed in my life I would not be where I am now. So, no, I wouldn't change anything.
TIMELINE
- Bob Woodrow born 1948
- Graduated school in 1966
- Went into military in 1969
- Married to his first wife in 1969
- Left the service in 1971
- Had his son Michael in 1972
- Divorced from his first wife in 1976 (FINALLY)
- Met his current wife Mary in 1987
- Has retired and spent his retirement in Floresville, Texas
- Interviewed by neighbor Anthony Burchell on October 4, 2010
