Class of 1963
James Donald Goodman
"Goodie"
d 1967
| Service United States Air Force |
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| Highest Rank 1st Lieutenant |
Years of Service 4 |
Combat Yes |
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Biography as of: Oct 29, 2013
Jim may be our only classmate who didn't graduate from high school. Before his senior year, Little Rock High School was closed in the battle over the integration of public schools. So Jim attended Little Rock University during his year before coming to the Academy.
He was on the Dean's and Commandant's lists several times, matching up two semesters to be on the Superintendent's Merit List. During June Week he received the award for being the Outstanding Squadron Commander.
After pilot training at Webb AFB, TX, Jim flew EC-121H Warning Stars out of Otis AFB, MA. The radar-carrying aircraft maintained continuous orbits off our northeast coast to extend early warning of Soviet bombers attacking America. On 11 July 1965 classmate Tom Fiedler was lost on an EC-121 that crashed off Nantucket Island. Tom's flight jacket was among debris picked up, and his car keys were in a pocket. Jim drove Tom's car back to the Midwest to deliver it to Tom's parents.
In early 1966 Jim checked out in AC-47 gunships and arrived at the 4th Air Commando Squadron at Danang AB, South Vietnam, in April. He was primarily a night flier, as AC-47s provided air cover to cities and were often called in to repel Viet Cong attacks at night on American and Vietnamese outposts. He averaged about 20 missions per month. Many of his missions likely drove off nighttime attackers, and his actions likely helped save many friendly lives.
For a mission flown down in the Mekong River delta, he was personally decorated by Vietnamese Chief of State Nguyen Van Thieu with a Vietnamese Silver Star. Jim's crew had assisted a US Coast Guard cutter taking fire from the shore of the Mekong as it approached a ship in the early morning darkness. Fire from the AC-47 silenced several machine guns and kept the ship from escaping until ground forces arrived. The ship carried more than 7,000 weapons.
On the night of 8/9 January 1967, Jim's crew flew to the aid of a small Special Forces camp near Quang Ngai. The cloud ceiling over the camp was at 2,000 feet, well below the AC-47s primary orbiting altitude of 3,000 and well within the range of .50 caliber machine guns. The crew accepted the risk because lives on the ground were in danger. Under the overcast the AC-47 was silhouetted against the low clouds. Every time the side-firing guns fired, the lines of tracers arcing down also pinpointed the aircraft for the enemy gunners. Jim's crew continued the attack until they were hit by .50 caliber machine guns. The aircraft caught fire and crashed in flames. In addition to the Purple Heart, Jim was posthumously awarded his second Distinguished Flying Cross for the mission.
Classmate Dick Sula escorted Jim home for burial at the Academy on 17 January 1967.
"He strove to be the best he could be in everything he did & truly had a good heart. He was the best & brightest that our family had to offer, his record at the Academy testifies to this & to this day his loss is deeply felt by everyone who knew him." David Shamhart, nephew
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