Posted by Alfred C Bowman on December 18, 2009:

I've not forgotten Woody. No way. Perhaps back in September 1966, he was not on the top of my mind. I was in the snack bar at Tan Son Nhut, RVN, awaiting a ride to my new AC-47 assignment. I had just left a UC-123, part of a put together crew that ferried the bird from Hurlburt Field to Saigon. As I sat there, the very busy door opened and there was The Smirk. That carved on smile had not changed in the 15 years or so I had known Woody. Back in 1952, that smile was the first thing I noticed about Woody Martin. And I apparently never forgot it, though I had not seen him since Graduation 10 years past. I was a recognized Plebe when Classes began in 1952, and not quite subject to the same precise getting around standards as my new Classmates, but discretion ruled. As I approached my new Spanish class section, Woody was hard to miss. He was smiling. As I stepped to the rear of the section, I worried that that smile would be trouble for all of us if it was still there. Apparently it was and it drew not one, but two passerby CQs. The rest of us, as ever, continued at attention and mumbling silently to ourselves. It was not the last time that would happen. That Smirk made Woody a continuing target for the whole year. But with that smile, or smirk, Woody remained calm and seemingly unperturbed. Sometimes when maybe he should not have. He was in fact a very gentle and kind person, but occasionally it didn't fit the prescribed activity. As at the Gym, or on the playing fields. I often wondered if Woody would make it through. Non-aggressiveness just wasn't a planned part of those activities. High skill levels and such were certainly important. Momentary killer instincts were more to the point. But Woody did make it through. For the next two hours, Woody and I reminisced about which Classmates were where, the usual Classmate conversations. I told Woody that I was bound for Binh Thuy AB in IV Corps, a VNAF base with a string of small USAF detachments. He in turn told me that he was likely going to the 1st Infantry, but was unsure as to operating location or other details. Although far from any foreseeable end to the conversation, I was paged to my ride, and we said our farewells. We thought it might be worthwhile to meet again in Saigon or at Vung Tau in the not too far future. That never happened. I still wish it had. Ace Bowman

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