On Memorial Day, Dublin is adding two new honor roll plaques, commemorating residents who served during the Vietnam and Korean wars.
Among those honored on the Korean War plaque are the Woodward brothers – Robert “Buddy” Woodward, Francis “Cookie” Woodward and Frederick “Picky” Woodward – who all did a four-year active tour during the conflict. With Frederick, the youngest, about to turn 90, the three brothers are the last known surviving Korean War veterans from Dublin.
“We felt obligated to go,” Frederick said of his and his brothers’ military service. “Which was a common feeling in those days, that you had to go and serve your country. Everybody felt they had to do something for their country, and we were no different from the rest.”
Frederick still lives in Dublin, only a stone’s throw from his childhood home, and it was efforts that first sparked the idea to add more-recent wars to the town’s honor rolls, joining the plaques already mounted at Town Hall honoring veterans of World War I and World War II.
Frederick started thinking about a way to honor veterans of the Korean War nearly 10 years ago; he even considered building a monument in his own field. As part of the project, Frederick worked with Nancy Campbell to compile a list of those who were living in Dublin and enlisted to serve during the Korean War, but they were never able to finish the task, but it became the basis for a different project that accomplished the same goal.
Resident Brian Barden formed a committee to honor not only those who served during the Korean War, but also Vietnam. Along with committee members Hank Campbell, Dale Gabel and Wayne Thomas, through interviews and research at the National Guard archives in Concord, town reports and military records, they were able to compile a list of veterans who were living in town at the time of their enlistment.
Last year, during Town Meeting, the public agreed to raise $17,270 to purchase and install the two new honor roll plaques, as well as clean the existing ones. They will be commemorated this Monday during Memorial Day.
And for the occasion, Robert and Francis – who no longer live in Dublin – will be making the trip back to their hometown to see it.
Frederick and Francis joined the Navy, and both achieved the rank of machinist’s mate, second class. Frederick left college to enlist in 1951, and served on the USS Donner as a steam turbine engineer. Francis, who now lives in Hartwell, Ga., served aboard the USS Maury, also from 1951 to 1955. The ship conducted surveys in the Persian Gulf for about six months during the war.
Robert, at 93 the oldest brother, was the first to enlist in 1950, and joined the Air Force. During the Korean War and his active duty, he was an instructor in aircraft engineering at a base in Texas. Following his active duty, he joined the Air National Guard, where he continued as an instructor for 25 years.
Frederick said it was important to him to see something honoring those of his generation who served during the Korean War.
“Anyone who gave up four years of their life for their country should at least have their name on something,” Frederick said.
At 1 p.m. on Memorial Day, May 30, rain or shine, those Dublin veterans who served during the Korean and Vietnam wars will get their names on the new plaques
Ashley Saari can be reached at 603-924-7172, Ext. 244, or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.