[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 42 (Wednesday, March 12, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1995-S1996]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO GLEN GOODALL

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, one of the advantages of growing up in 
Montpelier, VT, is that I still see friends of mine and my family when 
I am back home. Glen and Esther Goodall were dear friends of my 
parents, Howard and Alba Leahy, and it is always nice to catch up with 
them, especially at the farmers' market in Montpelier in the summer.
  Recently, Glen Goodall wrote a superb article for the Times Argus 
newspaper, and I ask unanimous consent that it be printed in the 
Record. In the article, he tells what happened when the USS President 
Coolidge struck antisubmarine mines and sank. Glen is one of those 
unsung heroes of World War II, and it is an honor to know him.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                    From the Big Swim to Main Street


               Veteran recounts fights in Pacific Theater

       Sixty-six years ago, at the age of 23, I was headed for 
     Camp Blanding in Florida with the Vermont National Guard 
     172nd Infantry regiment of the 43rd Division. Our division 
     was inducted into federal service on Feb. 24, 1941. After 18 
     months of training at Camp Blanding in Florida and Camp 
     Shelby in Mississippi, plus maneuvers in Louisiana and North 
     Carolina, we received orders to Fort Ord, Calif., where we 
     were to embark shortly for the Pacific Theater.
       The 172nd Combat team set sail on the U.S.S. President 
     Coolidge. As we arrived at Espiritu Santo, an island of the 
     New Hebrides group, on Oct. 26, 1942, the Coolidge 
     accidentally struck and detonated friendly anti-submarine 
     mines and sank. About 95 percent of the men on ship swam the 
     800 to 1,000 yards to shore through heavy oil, as lifeboats 
     milled about to take others to shore. Brigadier Gen. Rose, 
     the island commander, simply stated: ``Without discipline of 
     a superior kind, the feat of abandoning a rapidly sinking 
     ship by some 4,000 men in less than an hour could never have 
     been accomplished. Coolness which forestalled panic, trust in 
     their leader, considering the safety of others, agility in 
     scrambling down nets and ropes, all revealed the quality of 
     their training and what soldiers call `what it takes'.''
       After five months on Espiritu Santo, our supply ship from 
     the states arrived to re-equip the regiment with all the 
     supplies we lost when the Coolidge went down. We left then 
     for Guadalcanal for a mopping-up operation and jungle 
     training to help us for our drive toward the homeland of 
     Japan. Those orders arrived in May 1943 to invade the New 
     Georgia group of islands. We landed on Rendova Island, from 
     there to Munda, fighting along the Munda Trail to Arundel 
     along the Diamond Narrows.
       On Aug. 2, 1943, Brigadier Gen. Leonard F. Wing of Rutland 
     became the commanding general of the 43rd Division. Because 
     of his red hair, he became known as ``Red Wing'' and his 
     division known as the famous Red Wing Victory Division.
       We landed in Luzon on the Philippine Islands on Jan. 9, 
     1945. The battle lasted 175 days. During that time we lost 
     965 men, 2,988 wounded and 11 missing. In the rest area in 
     Luzon we trained to invade the homeland of Japan, and while 
     we were training the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima and 
     Nagasaki on Aug. 7, 1945, and the Japanese surrendered. We 
     left for Japan as occupational troops and saw the horrific 
     devastation of the atomic bombs as well as the earlier fire 
     bombing of Tokyo and Yokohama.
       Two weeks later, we were relieved and headed back to the 
     states, arriving on Oct. 6, 1945 where three years earlier we 
     had embarked for combat on Oct. 6, 1941. Peace at last had 
     cost us 1,561 killed, 6,049 wounded, a total of 7,610. A lot 
     of soldiers were returning to 3-year-old children they had 
     never seen.
       I left for duty with the 172nd Infantry Regiment on Feb. 
     14, 1941 as a supply sergeant and ended my military career as 
     a warrant officer on Jan. 6, 1946. I returned to Vermont and 
     my wife on Oct. 6, 1945. I was in fairly good health but 
     continued to have malaria for a few years.
       Major Gen. Wing was the only National Guard commander to 
     stay with the same division from the beginning to the end of 
     the war. The 43rd Infantry (Winged Victory) Division was the 
     only division privileged to participate in the South Pacific, 
     Southwest Pacific and the Philippines Campaign and continue 
     on to the Japanese homeland.
       As I reflect back on my World War II memories it was always 
     meaningful to me to be a member of the Vermont 172nd Infantry 
     Regiment of the 43rd Division. I was born in Vermont and it 
     has been my home for 89\1/2\ years. Some of the other 
     Montpelier National Guard friends were Harry Seivwright, 
     Olisse Melada, Tom Guare, Francis Carey and Ernest Gibson, 
     who later became governor of Vermont. Some of these friends,

[[Page S1996]]

     Harry Seivwright and Tom Guare, went into the European 
     theater and left us after training. Ernest Gibson was wounded 
     on one of the islands we invaded in the Pacific.
       My wife and new bride, Esther, anxiously waited three years 
     for my safe return, and we were writing and exchanging 
     letters daily. Our local post service was super and a 
     blessing when even on a Sunday afternoon a letter from the 
     Pacific would be delivered to her personally sometimes by the 
     Postmaster Ed Henry or our local carrier, Stan Fournier. 
     Esther worked for the war effort the first year I was away, 
     making her home with her sister in Connecticut. She worked 
     for an industry that made fine glassware but had converted to 
     making bomb site lenses for planes and she rode a victory 
     bike to work daily. The last two years she returned to 
     Montpelier and worked in the state Education Department and 
     after working hours rolled and knitted bandages, sold war 
     bonds, mixed the coloring in the margarine, grocery shopped 
     with meat coupons, continued her daily letter to me and 
     bonded with other Army wives and friends.
       Vermont celebrated the victory of World War II in November 
     and the celebration and parade were held in Montpelier 
     marching down Main and State Street. Col. Jim Walsh of St. 
     Albans from my outfit and I were asked to lead the parade. 
     For Esther and me, the memories and the celebration of that 
     day are the fondest, most emotional, happiest and proudest 
     moments of our lives. War is a bittersweet experience.

                          ____________________