Vietnam Veteran became part of history and didn't know it

Veteran surprised to see his photo in Vietnam War book
Portland Daily Register
By Jen McCoy
Daily Register

The smell of death lingers in Ron Woodard’s nose to this day. The first sight of war snapped him into hyper vigilance over the jungles of Vietnam, Woodard said.

“It was the first time I saw a napalm bomb. This white canister hit the side of a hill and the whole hill caught on fire,” he said. “I was an 18-year-old kid. I thought, ‘That’s where they’re sending me?’ When I saw that napalm I was ready to go home.”

It was the first time in a helicopter for the Portage native, Woodard said, and he recalls it vividly. However, the 62-year-old veteran said he doesn’t remember a photographer on board. But on page 18 he’s featured in “The Illustrated History of Marines: The Vietnam War” by Edwin H. Simmons.

In 2008, Woodard received the book as gift from family members Sharon and Dave Lake. The couple own Ravenswood Books in Wisconsin Dells.

“Dave knew Ron had been in the service. My husband is always buying stuff for resale. He knew what the book was about but he didn’t know the actual person was in the book,” Sharon said.

While thumbing through the pages, Woodard stopped upon seeing himself.
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