Posted by Thomas W Mastaglio on May 30, 2011:

I cannot say that I knew "Woody" well at the academy although we were in the same regiment. We were however both assigned to the 1st Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment at Fort Lewis for our initial assignment. He was in one of the Cav Troops and I in the Howitzer Battery. During his short tenure there my wife at the time, Diane, and I got to know Woody quite well. His true love, Pat, came out to live with him and somehow they ended up renting an apartment in the same complex in which we lived in Lacey. I think we convinced him to do that, but my memory is very spotty of those months before we all got sent to Vietnam. Pat and he were living together and decided to get married before he deployed. Diane and I stood up for them, again memory is weak, but I think we may have been the only other people at their ceremony. The four of us got together for several social functions, both official within the Squadron and just the four of us. Woody and Pat were two of the friendliest and open people I have ever met in my live. I don't recollect many details except the day in late May 1971 when I found out that he had been killed in Vietnam. I think it was near to Memorial Day. Woody was a great friend of ours for a short time and he was the first classmate with whom I had been close who was killed in Vietnam. Unfortunately, I have not had any contact with Pat since those days at Fort Lewis and was not able to do anything to support her or Woody's family at the time of his funeral. If she reads this and wants to renew contact please do so. Rest in peace Woody.

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