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Bud Goodwin
On the day Pearl Harbor was attacked, Bud was with his father at Hines Veterans Hospital, in Chicago. He was "in uniform" at the time, meaning he was ready for war. Bud was very successful in combat; he participated in the sinking of six submarines and the shooting down of three airplanes. His rank was yeoman second class. Bud was in combat around the islands north of Guadalcanal. His ship, the USS England DE-635, was the only ship to sink six subs, and they did it in only twelve days. Bud's responsibilities included: office work, and serving as the "captain's talker" at battle stations. The USS England's destruction of six Japanese submarines upset an enemy trap to destroy the U.S. fleet. The ship became known as one of the greatest combat ships of all times and the deadliest "sub killer" in World War II. One unique story that Bud had concerned the reason why his ship sank six Japanese submarines. When he was at Florida Island, across from Guadalcanal, another Destroyer Escort (DE) dropped its sonar equipment. His ship was called to fill in for that ship which was part of a squadron of four ships. The other three ships didn't sink any submarines, but the crew on Bud's ship was highly skilled and they were able to hit the Japanese submarines.. Bud thinks that young Americans need to know that the military is a lot like firemen in a fire department. They do not respond until called upon, and they must train constantly for war. When the time comes, they must be prepared. The most amusing thing that happened to Bud during his war years was when his mother sent him a letter. He received it on the day that he and his shipmates were allowed to go on the beach at Florida Island to play baseball. In the letter his mother said, " I know that you don't drink, but I just read that if you drink two cans of beer each day you probably won't get malaria." Bud hated the taste of beer. At the time, Bud enjoyed being in the military, but fighting in the war meant either win or get killed. Looking back, Bud still wishes that the Japanese had not bombed Pearl Harbor, but his job was to fight and win. When the war ended, Bud was in Hawaii out at sea aboard his second ship, the USS Lofberg DD-759, which was escorting the USS Saratoga aircraft carrier. He continued on to Tokyo and later, anchored in Wakayama Wan, Japan; Shanghai, China; Jinsen, Korea, and finally home to the United States. Bud was discharged on May 26, 1947. He and his crewmates received the Presidential Citation for sinking six submarines, and Bud also received a Good Conduct Medal. Bud's war experiences made him realize how important life really is, and how teamwork is so very important. He also realized how much his faith means to him. Bud's thoughts on the September 11th attack on America are that we Americans have never before been attacked with the exception of Pearl Harbor. Bud says, "It has finally come to our doorstep." Bud thinks that we must see other people's views as different, but not threatening.
More Biographies:
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| Last page update: March 2, 2008 12:10 PM |
Charles
"Bud" Goodwin was born on March 18, 1923, in Clinton, Iowa.
He enlisted in the Navy on June 10, 1941. Bud was excited because he wanted
to enjoy a military career. He went to basic training in Great Lakes,
Illinois; at the training, he learned the importance of being a team member
and this guided his career. After basic training, Bud went to the US Navel
Air Station in Anacostia, DC; he arrived at Anacostia on January 2, 1942.
Bud
is married to Georgia Goodwin, whom he met in a typing class in Aurora,
Illinois. They were married on July 18,1942. Bud was engaged to Georgia
at the time he was in the service. Bud and Georgia have one son and two
daughters, and they now have seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Bud returned home from the war by train. Bud thought that being able to
go to the refrigerator to get an apple was one great thing about being
home. He said that the food on the ship was "not home cooking."
He has shared his experiences with his family. Post-war, Bud worked seven
years for the Burlington Railroad, and twenty-five plus years for the
Aurora Fire Department in Illinois.