Edward Lender Woodyard – Rear Admiral, United States Navy

Many thanks to John Reilly for submitting Admiral Woodyard’s information to me for inclusion here.

From a contemporary news report of December 6, 1989

Edward Lender Woodyard, 86, of 89 Santa Fe Avenue, died Sunday December 3, 1989 at his home after a long illness. He was a retired U.S. Navy rear admiral who served with distinction in World War II and the Korean War and was decorated for his part in the development and implementation of the naval strategy for the invasion of Inchon. He was the widower of Virginia Wood Voeth Woodyard who died in 1955. He resided in Hamden, Conncticut, for the past 35 years.

Born on Feb. 19,1903 in Indianapolis, IN, son of the late Jacob Francis and Harriet Armstrong Woodyard he grew up in Texas and New Mexico.

In 1924 he graduated from the United States Naval Academy where he was an outstanding saber fencer, placing second in the NCAA championships in 1923. From 1927 he served in various sea and shore assignments until 1936 when he reported for duty at the Naval Gun Factory in Washington with the additional responsibility of naval aide to the White House serving President and Mrs. Roosevelt for two years, after which he returned to sea duty.

He returned to Washington in 1941 to work in the Bureau of Ordnance and in 1943 was assigned as executive officer of the USS Biloxi, a cruiser. The ship participated in many Pacific operations and he achieved the rank of captain in 1944.

In 1945 he was attached to the 10th Army headquarters for the occupation of Okinawa. He received the Bronze Star and was given command of the USS Cambria in January 1946. This was followed by a series of shore assignments including Pentagon staff duty, congressional liaison, and study at the Naval War College.

He took command of the USS Rochester, flagship of the Seventh Fleet, in March 1950. For his service in the Korean War and in particular for his role in the Inchon invasion he was awarded the Legion of Merit, the Gold Star medal, and the Bronze Star medal.

Upon retirement from the Navy in 1954, Admiral Woodyard moved from Washington where he had resided for 30 years, to New Haven, Connecticut, to become executive vice president of Human Relations Area Files, part of Yale University’s anthropology department. Following two years at Yale, he joined the Lycoming Division of Avco Corp. in Stratford, CT as assistant to the president, a position he held until his retirement in 1967.

He was a member of the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association, the New York Yacht Club, the Army and Navy Club of Washington, and Mory’s Association of New Haven.

Survivors include two sons, Edward Lanyon Woodyard and John Stuart Woodyard, a sister, and two grandchildren. Admiral Woodyard will be buried next to his wife at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors.

Michael Robert Patterson

Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.

Reviewed by: Michael Howard