Loading .OBJ files in OGL

Yeah, the topic should lead you on the right path, now for the question: I''m loading a triangularized model from an OBJ file. So far I load in the all the vertex data (v) into an array, then go through the faces and link the correct face (f) with the correct 3 vertex data posts in the vector. I pay no heed to texture vertex data (vt) nor do I care about smoothing groups since my impression was that they are not needed (the model isn''t textured). Also, I don''t care about the vertex normals either (vn) since someone said they only have to do something with lightninng anyway. Now, when I render it, I go from the first face (triangle) to the last, without any rotations and the like and the model onscreen ends up garbled as if all the triangles were only drawn in the middle of the screen. Now my question is: Since I don''t pay heed to the normals in the OBJ file (vn) should I? Is their absence what is making the error? Or is it something else I''ve done wrong? Also, be gentle in your reply, this is my very first attempt to code in 3D and I''ve just finished making a very basic OOP wrapper for OGL so I wanted to be able to try loading files as models instead.