World War II Honoree

George L. Goddard

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Youngstown, Ohio

Honored By

Ray W. Justus

LIEUTENANT. CO-PILOT ON A 10-MAN B-24 LIBERATOR, 4-ENGINE BOMBER CREW. FOLLOWING TRAINING IN TOPEKA, KANSAS, HE FLEW TO SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA, AND THEN LATER TO SAN FRANCISCO FROM WHERE HE LEFT FOR HONOLULU ON APRIL 2, 1943. TRAINED FOR 8 WEEKS BEFORE BEING SENT TO THE SOLOMON ISLANDS. STATIONED AT CARNEY FIELD ON GUADALCANAL ISLAND. REPORTED MISSING IN ACTION ON JULY 6, 1943 IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC ON THE 8TH MISSION. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LAST SEEN TWO THIRDS OF THE WAY BACK OVER THE ISLAND OF CHOISEUL; THE JAPANESE CONTROLLED THE ISLAND. CIRCUMSTANCES WERE MORE MYSTIFYING BECAUSE THE WEATHER WAS NOT BAD, NOR HAD THE CREW FORWARDED ANY SIGNAL OF DISTRESS. AN EXTENSIVE SEARCH FAILED TO REVEAL ANY TRACE OF THE MISSING CRAFT OR ITS CREW OF 10 MEN. SEARCHES FOR THE CREW CONTINUED UNTIL JANUARY 21, 1946. OFFICIALLY DECLARED KILLED IN ACTION 30 MONTHS LATER. LISTED ON THE TABLETS OF THE MISSING AT MANILA AMERICAN CEMETERY, MANILA, PHILIPPINES. AWARDED THE AIR MEDAL AND PURPLE HEART POSTHUMOUSLY.