The Legacy of Tracy A. Wood
Tracy’s Story • Tributes • The Fellowship • Her Work
United Press International
Tracy Wood started her professional journalism career at City News Service. But quickly she moved on to United Press International.
The UPI archives contains very few articles from before the 1980s. The Library of Congress contains older work disseminated by UPI, but most do not contain attached bylines. One record linked in the Library of Congress is the official statement about releasing prisoners of war which Tracy covered as a reporter. The photo at left is from the UPI archives hosted by Getty Images is posted with this original caption: “UPI correspondent Tracy Wood, dressed in normal western garb, received attention of North Vietnamese girls as she reports release of American POWs outside Ly Nam De prison March 14.”
“war torn”
Tracy was one of nine women who made journalism history by reporting from the Vietnam War.
In the book, the women each pen a chapter in which they talk candidly about their professional and deeply personal experiences as young reporters who lived, worked, and loved surrounded by war.
Their stories span a decade of America’s involvement in Vietnam, from the earliest days of the conflict until the last U.S. helicopters left Saigon in 1975.
CLICK HERE to view the book on Amazon.
Los Angeles Times
Tracy worked for the Los Angeles Times as a reporter and editor.
The Times archives are available through Newspapers.com and a subscription is required to view much of the work. The button below has a link that will search for Tracy’s byline and the Los Angeles Times. Note that her work as an editor would not normally carry a byline, so the only work archived by her name is when she was a reporter.
Orange County Register
Tracy worked for the Orange County Register as a reporter and as investigations editor.
She would direct coverage that broke news of former Orange County Sheriff Michael S. Carona’s ties to Nationwide Auction Systems founder and former Assistant Sheriff Donald G. Haidl.
The Register archives are available through News Bank and a subscription is required to view much of the work. The button below has a link that will search for Tracy’s byline and the Orange County Register. Note that her work as an editor would not normally carry a byline, so the only work archived by her name is when she was a reporter.
Voice of OC
Tracy started at Voice of OC from the beginning. The nonprofit and nonpartisan newsroom was founded in June 2009 and first published on March 31, 2010. Tracy started as a senior reporter and later became civic editor.
Tracy’s coverage of the county’s health care insurance agency for the poor and elderly, known as CalOptima, became noted for its ability to protect residents and hold officials accountable. Her journalism on complex topics such as political fundraising, officials’ expense reports, park poor cities and DNA contracts at the District Attorney’s office were all recognized by her colleagues with a string of awards.
The link below goes to Tracy’s author page where you can view the full expanse of her reporting work at Voice. As with her previous journalistic roles, her work as an editor did not carry a byline. But you can view HERE the last series Tracy edited — with the third story in the three-part series publishing the day before she died.