World War II Honoree

Claire E. 'Goldy' Goldtrap

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Hobart, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

ENLISTED IN MILITARY SERVICE IN JUNE, 1940, IN OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA. COMPLETED BOOT CAMP TRAINING AT CAMP LEJEUNE AT JACKSONVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA. IN EARLY 1941, PERFORMED DUTIES AS A RANGE INSTRUCTOR AT THE MARINE CORPS RIFLE RANGE AT LA JOLLA, CALIFORNIA. WHILE STATIONED THERE, HE VOLUNTEERED FOR DUTY WITH AMPHIBIOUS TRACTORS. SERVED OVERSEAS IN THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC THEATER DURING THE WAR. HIS BATTALION SAILED ON NOVEMBER 1, 1943, FROM WELLINGTON BAY, NEW ZEALAND, FOR THE GILBERT ISLANDS, LOCATED SOME 2,800 MILES NORTH. HE WAS PART OF COMPANY A, 2ND AMPHIBIOUS TRACTOR BATTALION, SECOND MARINE 'SILENT SECOND' DIVISION, EMBARKED ABOARD THE ATTACK CARGO SHIP USS THUBAN (AKA-19). THE CARGO SHIP ARRIVED OFF THE ASSAULT BEACHES BEFORE DAWN ON NOVEMBER 20, 1943 (D-DAY), AND WAS TAKEN UNDER FIRE FROM JAPANESE SHORE BATTERIES, WHILE DISCHARGING ASSAULT BOATS FOR THE AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT. HIS TRACTOR LANDED AGAINST JAPANESE FORCES AT BETIO ISLAND, TARAWA ATOLL, IN THE GILBERT ISLANDS, ON NOVEMBER 20, 1943. HE NICKNAMED HIS LVT-1 TRACTOR 'WABBIT TWACKS.' DURING THE ASSAULT, HIS TRACTOR WAS STRUCK BELOW THE LEFT CABIN WINDOW BY A LARGE-CALIBER SHELL THAT PENETRATED THE ARMOR PLATING AND EXPLODED. CORPORAL GOLDTRAP, AT AGE 21, WAS INITIALLY LISTED AS MISSING IN ACTION AND BELIEVED KILLED IN ACTION. HIS REMAINS WERE LATER RECOVERED AND IDENTIFIED IN 2018. POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED THE PURPLE HEART, COMBAT ACTION RIBBON, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL, AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL.