“As a kid, it’s just excitement, not a feeling of foreboding or anything like that. It was just all an exciting period.” (Audio Interview, 1:45)

Sherwin H. Goodman

War: World War, 1939-1945 Branch: Navy Unit: VT-22 (Torpedo Squadron) Service Location: Pacific Theater; Philippines Rank: Aviation Ordnanceman Second Class Place of Birth: Charleston, WV

Shortly after the Pearl Harbor attack, Sherwin Goodman joined the Navy, looking to become a flier. Believing that he was about to participate in a grand adventure, the 17-year-old boy found out soon enough that his excitement would be tempered by bitter experience. During an air raid on his ship at the Battle of Tarawa, he took the place of a gunner and helped shoot down attacking Japanese planes but then found himself administering to the wounded when a torpedo struck his ship. Goodman offers a vivid account of his wartime experiences, including the tale of how he nearly drowned when his plane went down in the sea.