COVINGTON, Ky. — Woodrow W. “Woody” Booth passed away in Jan. at 99 years old. Before that, he lived an incredible life, and wanted to share his story. On Veterans Day, that story was on display at the Kenton County Public Library in Covington.
“It was his wish that the items come here, which is wonderful for us, because then we can share it with everyone. I think when people can see things in person, it connects them a little better. They can say, ‘wow, look at that uniform,’ and see those medals, and pictures from where he fought,” said Elaine Kuhn, the library’s Local History & Genealogy Department Supervising Librarian
Booth served in the 81st infantry division of the United States Army from 1942 to 1946. During World War II he was a squad leader in the south pacific. Booth was severely injured in the battle of Peleliu, and received a purple heart.
“I admire his dedication to preserving history. Because as you know, because they’re getting old, older, that World War II veterans are dying almost every day. And with them go their stories, their memories, and such,” Kuhn said. “When they’re willing to share that with others, I think it helps us understand our history a little better.”
Booth was originally from just outside Beattyville, Kentucky in Lee County. He made his way up to Villa Hills, where he lived until he died.
According to his obituary, Booth is preceded in death by his beloved wife, Elsie Booth; his siblings, Dewey Booth, Latha Booth, Paul Booth, Maudie Moorefield, Lula Begley, Edna Bush, Mertie Voigt, Tommie Booth, and Mildred Evans. Left to mourn Woody's passing are his sister, Betty Isaacs of Lexington, Kentucky, many loving nieces and nephews and a multitude of wonderful friends.
Over the last three years of his life, Booth’s neighbor Bob Rust got to know him, and the two became good friends.
“I stopped in one day, and everybody stopped in to see Woody as it turned out. We just started talking. He had a lot of things in common with my dad. He was in World War II. He and my dad kind of overlapped each other at times,” Rust said. “That’s how I got to know woody.”
Rust described Booth.
“Very friendly. Woody was always out in his yard. He was one of these guys that liked to do everything himself. He was very capable. Great handyman. Cut his grass, kept up his yard all the time,” Rust said. “[He] was very dependable. If you ask him to do something, it was done. And you didn’t have to question whether it was right or wrong.”
Booth was quite popular in the neighborhood, Rust said.
“I mean he knew everybody. And he waved to everybody. And people just drive or walk up and down the street, they’d all stop and see Woody, and he’d sit down and talk with you. ‘Come on in, we’ll have a coke,’ and that kind of thing. And everybody just kind of watched out for him,” Rust said.
That everybody looked out for him was fitting, as Booth spent his life looking out for others. Rust said he was in charge of radio communications during the war.
“A lot of this right here has to do with the battle of Peleliu, which from what I’ve read was a pretty horrendous battle. He and his comrades were pinned down for about four days before the Marines could get them out of there. These two pictures were pictures that he had taken,” Kuhn said, pointing to different parts of the display. “And there’s the shrapnel that wounded him.”
Booth kept that shrapnel as part of his collection.
“I think he was very proud of his service, and I think he was very proud of the accomplishments he had,” Rust said. “He told me some pretty horrific stories that he doesn’t want anybody to see what he saw. And some of the things he told me about, I wouldn’t want to see them either. But if you don’t understand the history, you’re doomed to repeat it.”
Rust said he’s also proud of everything his friend accomplished, and is happy that people get to see it.
But more than anything, he misses him.
“There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t go by that house just to see if Woody's light’s on in the little room that he sat in all the time.”
Kuhn said when the library is done with the display, it will put all of Booth’s belongings in proper storage boxes, and kept in an archive room.
“We do try to create memories that will stay, even if the people are long gone,” she said. “So nobody’s truly forgotten.”
The Kenton County Public Library would like to display memorabilia from other veterans.
People can find the Faces and Places archive at its website.