Randy Woodward, born in Columbus, Wisconsin, discusses his Army service in the Vietnam War as a track driver with the 4th Infantry Division. He explains that he graduated from Madison Area Technical College with a degree in auto mechanics and received his draft notice three days after his eighteenth birthday. He spent two years in the Army and served in Vietnam from August 1968 until July 1969. Woodward remembers that he attended basic training at Fort Campbell, Kentucky and AIT at Fort Ord, California for three months. He states that he trained with M14s and M16s and later with M79s, M60s and 50-caliber weapons. Woodward says that his father served in a tank unit in World War II under General Patton. He reveals that his brother was a draft dodger who spent some time in Canada. Woodward was sent to Gray Army Airfield, near Fort Hood, Texas for special training in heliborne infantry. He explains that he received training in infantry, helicopters, rappelling and survival. Woodward also received riot training and was placed on standby for the riots in Detroit. He recalls that in 1968 he flew to Pleiku, Vietnam on a military cargo plane and that his father was proud of him, but his mother was afraid. Woodward talks about his unit building their own barracks and serving mainly as a support unit. They would go out in Huey tanks with four or five riflemen, set up a perimeter and sweep an area, or go in for help. Woodward explains that after three months he was transferred to a mechanized armored company and was disappointed at first because he missed his friends, but quickly adjusted. He reports that he was a track driver for armored personnel carriers (APCs), where they performed a lot of security duty on Highway 1. Woodward speaks to the differences in living conditions between the barracks and in the field. He explains that they had to take "Australian Showers." He also recalls that they did not have much contact with Vietnamese civilians. Woodward tells a story of being ambushed with RPGs and losing about half his company. He explains how the RPGs destroyed the tracks and illustrates finding a burnt torso. Woodward says that he found going out on ambush patrol nerve-wracking, "I can remember one time when we went out, it was so dark that you couldn't see the person in front of you, you had to hang on to them and I was the last man and I don't know if we were being followed or if it was a tiger or something, but I could keep hearing things, you know, behind me." He reports seeing Montagnards once in awhile. Woodward says that NCOs were well-trained and knowledgeable. He says some lieutenants came in and wanted to push their authority. He says they were told very little about their missions. One thing that stands out in Woodward's memory is the weather. He describes monsoons and the dry season being very hot and tells of passing out from the heat. Woodward talks about being reprimanded for writing to his mother about the living conditions and her writing to Senator Hasselmeyer regarding hot food and clean clothing. He discusses being pulled from the field to go home when his time was up and hating to leave the people, but being glad to go home. He says that he tried to stay in contact with others, but they seemed uninterested. Woodward flew home on a chartered civilian craft to Fort Lewis, Washington and was instructed to wear civilian clothes if he left base because of war protesters. He states that he never has any contact with the protesters and that his brother's draft dodger status never caused any problems between them. Woodward explains that Vietnam was a good experience for him and played a positive role in his maturing and outlook on life. He believes that everyone should serve two years in the military and says he regrets not staying in the military or joining the National Guard. Woodward talks about his visit to the Vietnam War Memorial as being a moving experience.
