diff --git a/ayanova/src/components/work-order-items.vue b/ayanova/src/components/work-order-items.vue
index 7260ee66..24ff4f4c 100644
--- a/ayanova/src/components/work-order-items.vue
+++ b/ayanova/src/components/work-order-items.vue
@@ -97,6 +97,8 @@
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 import GzWoItemScheduledUsers from "../components/work-order-item-scheduled-users.vue";
 /*
+
+todo: delete at shell must walk graph backwards where save would be forwards so delete break out into separate methods called first
     todo: stop using parent vm directly to control state in graph and instead pass down values via props to children and pass up values to parent via events
       https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2020/01/data-components-vue-js/
   
@@ -113,6 +115,7 @@ import GzWoItemScheduledUsers from "../components/work-order-item-scheduled-user
       todo: failed saved on a grandchild item shouldn't preclude the rest saving
         e.g. if there is a concurrency error on a child that shouldn't block the rest but a fatal error probably should
       todo: do we need a dirty indicator at every level??
+      todo: "delete selected item" text instead of "Delete" for subitems
 */
 export default {
   components: {
diff --git a/ayanova/src/views/svc-workorder.vue b/ayanova/src/views/svc-workorder.vue
index e3b35043..ca01177b 100644
--- a/ayanova/src/views/svc-workorder.vue
+++ b/ayanova/src/views/svc-workorder.vue
@@ -312,7 +312,6 @@ export default {
   },
   methods: {
     flagGraphItemForDelete: function(item) {
-      console.log(item);
       switch (item.atype) {
         case window.$gz.type.WorkOrderItem:
           this.deletedGraphItems.items.push(item.id);
@@ -408,16 +407,20 @@ export default {
         //clear any errors vm might be around from previous submit
         window.$gz.form.deleteAllErrorBoxErrors(vm);
 
-        //###############################
+        //#######################################################
         //walk the tree and save dirty
         //items in order
         //individual save will throw on
         //exception short circuiting here
-        //###############################
+        //Delete flagged items first upwards from bottom of graph
+        //one by one individually
+        //then save all items downwards from top of graph
+        //mostly via workorderitem
+        //########################################################
         let fail = false;
         let isNew = this.obj.concurrency == 0;
 
-        //STATE first if unlocking only
+        //### STATE first if unlocking only
         //if moving to another locked state this will block further updates below but we're accepting that
         //and user can unlock first to finish updating
         let stateSaved = false;
@@ -426,17 +429,32 @@ export default {
           stateSaved = true;
         }
 
-        //HEADER
+        //############# DELETE GRAPH ###############
+        //SCHEDULED USERS
         if (!fail) {
-          fail = await saveItems(vm);
+          fail = await deleteScheduledUsers(vm);
         }
 
+        //todo: other children
+
         //WOITEMS
+        if (!fail) {
+          fail = await deleteItems(vm);
+        }
+
+        //############ SAVE GRAPH ###############
+        //HEADER
         if (!fail) {
           fail = await saveHeader(vm);
         }
 
-        //STATE last normally
+        //WOITEMS
+        if (!fail) {
+          //This saves all bottom level collections as well
+          fail = await saveItems(vm);
+        }
+
+        //### STATE last normally
         //in case it locks or is completed
         if (!stateSaved && !fail) {
           fail = await saveState(vm);
@@ -609,26 +627,25 @@ async function saveHeader(vm) {
 /////////////////////////////
 // ITEMS
 //
-async function saveItems(vm) {
-  let totalItems = vm.obj.items.length;
-  let totalDeletedItems = vm.deletedGraphItems.items.length;
-  if (totalItems == 0 && totalDeletedItems == 0) {
-    return true;
-  }
-
-  //delete
-  for (let i = 0; i < totalDeletedItems; i++) {
+async function deleteItems(vm) {
+  while (vm.deletedGraphItems.items.length) {
     let res = await window.$gz.api.remove(
-      `${API_BASE_URL}items/${vm.deletedGraphItems.items[i]}`
+      `${API_BASE_URL}items/${vm.deletedGraphItems.items[0]}`
     );
     if (res.error) {
       displayResError(vm, res);
       return false;
+    } else {
+      vm.deletedGraphItems.items.splice(0, 1);
     }
   }
+}
+async function saveItems(vm) {
+  let totalItems = vm.obj.items.length;
+  if (totalItems == 0) {
+    return true;
+  }
 
-  //upsert
-  // console.log("saveItems processing this many items: ", totalItems);
   for (let i = 0; i < totalItems; i++) {
     let o = vm.obj.items[i];
     // console.log("checking for save item: ", { item: o, index: i });
@@ -668,20 +685,29 @@ async function saveItems(vm) {
 /////////////////////////////
 // SCHEDULED USERS
 //
+async function deleteScheduledUsers(vm) {
+  while (vm.deletedGraphItems.scheduledUsers.length) {
+    let res = await window.$gz.api.remove(
+      `${API_BASE_URL}items/scheduledusers/${vm.deletedGraphItems.scheduledUsers[0]}`
+    );
+    if (res.error) {
+      displayResError(vm, res);
+      return false;
+    } else {
+      vm.deletedGraphItems.scheduledUsers.splice(0, 1);
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 async function saveScheduledUsers(vm, woitemindex) {
-  // console.log("SaveSchedUsersProcessing for woitemindex:", woitemindex);
   let totalItems = vm.obj.items[woitemindex].scheduledUsers.length;
   if (totalItems == 0) {
-    // console.log("saveschedusers no items to save bailing");
     return true;
   }
-  // console.log("saveschedusers processing this many items: ", totalItems);
   for (let i = 0; i < totalItems; i++) {
     let o = vm.obj.items[woitemindex].scheduledUsers[i];
-    // console.log("checking for save scheduseritem: ", { item: o, index: i });
     if (o.isDirty) {
       let isPost = o.id == 0;
-      // console.log("sched user Is dirty, saving now");
       let res = await window.$gz.api.upsert(
         `${API_BASE_URL}items/scheduledusers`,
         o
@@ -702,7 +728,6 @@ async function saveScheduledUsers(vm, woitemindex) {
         }
       }
     } else {
-      // console.log("schedUserItem not dirty skipping save");
     }
   }
   return true; //made it