Davidson Woods | Book Details

Wilson Hill
While we were living in Canton, St. Lawrence County, NY, St. Lawrence University was building a new building on their campus. A sturdy wood structure had been built as an office for the contractor and the Clerk of Works. When the university building was completed, I noticed an ad in the local paper indicating that the wood structure that had been used as offices for the contractor was up for sale. The man advertising it was the Clerk of the Works, Roy Saucier, who had just moved onto our street, Pearl Street. I did not know him at the time.

Fleet Marine Force 5th Division at Camp Pendleton
After transfer from the Portsmouth navel base to the Fleet Marine force 5th Division at Camp Pendleton near Oceanside, CA, we trained for future battles. We lived in tents there, four to a tent, and began forming the 5th Marine Division. I remember one morning almost stepping on a scorpion in my shoe but luckily saw the bug first. A short while I was sent to transport quartermaster school at San Diego harbor and was one of many marines training to load a ship for combat, mostly where to put the ammunition so it would be readily obtained.

Iwo Jima and Japan
My mind kind of blocks out most of the happenings on Iwo but I believe that we cut Surabachi off from the rest of the island by February 23rd, the day of the famous flag raising photo on top of Surabachi. I believe it was announced by the navy and marine corps that Iwo Jima was secured on that day. This was actually not the case. There was at least a month’s more of intense fighting with heavy shelling of the island by the Japanese from various parts of the island and from our troops also.

Paris Island NH, shipping out
At Paris Island we went through the usual tough training the marine corps is noted for, i.e. over high obstacles, crawling over ground under live wire while live ammunition is fired over your body, going into a gas chamber and then having to take off the gas mask so that we would understand what it was like to be gassed, climbing up rope ladders, jumping off the high board into a deep pool, how to fight with a bayonet, learn judo, many days at the rifle range, and many hours of class work.

Arrival in Iwo Jima
In late January or early February 1945, we shipped out from the big island of Hawaii to somewhere in the Pacific for battle. We stopped for a short period of time at Pearl Harbor for what reason I am not sure. There were several other ships there and lots of marines and army and navy personnel. Our ship was there for a few hours so I walked a little bit through Honolulu and stopped at a small cathedral. I went in to say a few prayers; there was no one else in the church.

Reminiscing about Stanley Street
Reminiscing about Stanley Street The first and only time I walked in my sleep was the evening before I received my First Holy Communion. I was so excited I was found holding my hands as if I was going to the altar rail.

Early Remembrances
My first remembrance is when I was 5 years old entering first grade at St. Columbus School. Even though we lived behind the convent in a little house I didn't want to stay in class and I tried to run out the front door. I remember the nun holding her wide dress across the front of the door so I couldn't leave.

More about Frank Woods, my Dad and my Mom, and my sister Florence
I am reminiscing today, May 1, 2006 about my sister Florence who died a short while before I was born from diptheria which killed many many people at that time in the early 1900s. I have a locket in my possession which my parents had made containing a picture of Florence. The outside of the gold locket has a small diamond in the center and on the other side the name of Florence. My mother wore the locket which shows Florence as a lovely young child and my handsome father.

After the War
5.09.2006 After the war my dear wife Mary and I met again and began living on two acres of land on route 9 in Loundonville, NY. Loudonville is a very historic place where many homes are listed on the state and national register. The Loudonville area was used by American Indians to hunt and later many troops went through the area I believe during the French and Indian and subsequent wars. It was settled around 1800 as part of the Van Rensselaer Manor.

Moving to Canton
I got a promotion while living in Albany after the war up in Canton, area director, to cover 6 counties, covering over 5000 square miles, doing parole work. We lived at 19 Pearl Street and Mary's father died that October, 1954, so her mother Gertrude moved to Canton the same month we moved there, November 12,1954. Cathy was the baby; she would be 12 months old on November 23.