A Woodstock resident and relentless supporter of veterans, U.S. Army veteran Orville “Butch” Borchardt never has taken the easy way out of anything.

Drafted into the military in 1970, he was a welder and worked on frequently attacked convoys in Vietnam. He is a proud U.S. Army veteran, a champion of veterans causes, past president and current member of the McHenry County Chapter of VietNow, a cowboy, a farmer by blood, and a hardworker by nature. Now the community also will know him as a poet.

Borchardt, author of “Wrangler Rhymes & other ramblings,” said he always had enjoyed poetry, but he stopped when “it wasn’t cool” before returning to it several years ago as an opportunity to “help me get through things.”

When he was drafted, Borchardt had no choice but to leave his wife of one year and his brand-new baby girl at home while he marched into uncharted waters that eventually would become some of his most difficult memories.

He returned home, reunited with his family, and held numerous jobs, including farming, machinery, assisting at rodeos, riding horses, and raising cattle. He used his equine skills as a volunteer, helping others through therapeutic horseback riding.

Using poetry to cope

But Borchardt still struggled with the invisible wounds of war.

Ravaged by what he had seen in combat – including the death of a good friend, U.S. Army Specialist 4th Class Military Police Stephen Gari – Borchardt needed something else to help him cope. That something was poetry.

As words spilled onto the pages of his spiral-bound notebooks, Borchardt felt a sense of peace. He said the poetry soothed his soul, and calmed his heart. He wrote for himself.

“It was therapeutic,” he said. “It was something I did to express my feelings and to remember stuff.”

Regarding his time in Vietnam, he said, “… you go from this life right here to hell.”

“You never knew what to expect,” he explained. “… We got [hit with] rockets and mortar.

“You can’t go home. … I watched my daughter grow up in pictures – her first smile, her first teeth, walking. … It is just like [what] every other veteran [experiences].”

Poems stress sacrifices

After numerous people expressed their appreciation for his poetry, Borchardt took a leap of faith and decided to self-publish his poems in a book titled “Wrangler Rhymes & other ramblings.”

“I hope that maybe these poems will help people to understand what veterans went through – so you can have your freedom,” he said. “The poems aren’t all about me. Some are, but they are mostly about people that I’ve met along the way.”

Readers will find that some poems are light-hearted, such as an ode to his beloved 1951 antique Case SC tractor, while others are more poignant. While some poems recall his experiences at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., as well as the traveling Vietnam Wall, some recall his days working on the bull-riding circuit or his cowboy friends who had become like family. Some poems revolve around his loved ones. Others eulogize national heroes – like those who lost their lives in the Challenger disaster.

The vast majority of the book honors the military. The stanzas are filled with words that Borchardt would want veterans to hear – words of compassion and words of comfort; the poems, once healing to Borchardt himself, now are a balm to others who need them.

Vernon Stoerp, who is a Woodstock resident and U.S. Army Vietnam veteran, read the book in one sitting at local bookstore Read Between the Lynes.

“I kind of liked that the service section was in the middle, …” Stoerp said. “I really agreed with what he said. I was there, so I know what he is talking about. What he said was important.”

Book signing planned

Borchardt’s life work seems to be to give veterans the honor they deserve.

“I think I want to help people, … he said of his poems, “and show those who weren’t there what it was like.”

Borchardt impacts the community in whatever ways he can, and he fills a need whenever he can – from building a trailer dedicated to those from McHenry County who gave their lives for their country in two world wars, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan, to organizing military uniform displays throughout the Square during May and June, to ensuring flags are displayed correctly.

A book of poetry was one more opportunity for him to reach out to veterans.

Borchardt explained that he finds comfort in working behind the scenes and staying out of the limelight, but he will sign “Wrangler Rhymes & other ramblings” at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 21, at Read Between the Lynes Bookstore, 111 E. Van Buren St. Profits from book sales will benefit local veterans.