Goodwin, John R.
Army Private

John R. Goodwin from Scott County Arkansas.

Service era: World War II

Date of death: Tuesday, November 16, 1943
Death details: In November 1942, the U.S. Army’s 32nd Infantry Division regained control of Buna, Papua New Guinea, with its goal of neutralizing an enemy threat to Port Moresby and, ultimately, to the Australian mainland itself. The rugged terrain that the soldiers faced was fiercely defended by Japanese troops and included tidal swamplands with a labyrinth of camouflaged trenches and bunkers. In December 1942, when the 32nd Infantry Division was reinforced with Australian soldiers, Buna finally fell to the Allies; however, malaria and other tropical diseases contributed to a high number of casualties and deaths for the 32nd Infantry Division. Private John R. Goodwin, who joined the U.S. Army from Arizona, was a member of the Anti-Tank Company of the 128th Infantry Regiment, 32nd Infantry Division. On November 16, 1942, he was killed in action while engaging the enemy on Buna. His remains were not recovered, and attempts to locate them following the end of hostilities were unsuccessful. Today, Private Goodwin is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency