Vance Marines take WWII veteran on a trip to visit Marine Memorial

  • Published
  • By Zach Sproul
  • 71st Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  Two U.S. Marine Corps student pilots at Vance AFB took an Enid, Okla., Marine veteran of World War II to Washington, D.C., over the Memorial Day weekend to visit the Marine Corps War Memorial.

There, Jim Goodrich saw for the second time a U.S. flag he first saw raised atop Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima. Mr. Goodrich witnessed both flag raisings on the Japanese island. The second, photographed by Joe Rosenthal, became the most reproduced photograph in history.

The trip to the Marine Corps War Memorial was a "once in a lifetime experience," Mr. Goodrich said. That experience began last year when Marine 1st Lts. Christopher Merrick and Christopher Ryan presented Mr. Goodrich with a ticket to the Legacy Ball held in Enid to honor legacy veterans from each branch of service.

"It was an honor for us to be around such an outstanding Marine," Lieutenant Merrick said. It was during the ball the young men decided they wanted to do something for a fellow Marine. "Mr. Goodrich is a pretty special Marine. We just wanted to do something special for him," said Lieutenant Ryan.

They decided to organize a trip to the Marine Memorial over the holiday weekend for Mr. Goodrich, his wife Peggy, and seven others.

The lieutenants contacted Kim Winfield, who is an honorary family member of Mr. and Mrs. Goodrich, and also an accounting tech with the 71st Force Support Squadron at Vance AFB. They worked out the details for the trip to the nation's capitol.

The trip was a secret until a week out before it was time to leave. They broke the news to the Goodrichs. "I wasn't too surprised that it was a trip to the Marine Memorial," Mr. Goodrich said. But Mrs. Goodrich was certain it was a trip to Branson, Mo., to attend a veterans event that weekend.

Visiting the Marine Memorial was something Mr. Goodrich had wanted to do but wasn't sure he was going to get a chance in his lifetime.

Mr. Goodrich joined the Marines when he was 16 years old. He was a seasoned veteran by the time he got to Iwo Jima. He was also 18. Of the 250 Marines in his division, only 22 would leave the island alive. Corporal Goodrich left Iwo Jima after getting shot in the stomach trying to overtake a machine-gun nest.

"This trip was all about Jim," Mrs. Goodrich said. "The two boys even pushed Jim around in his wheelchair the entire time. These kids touched our lives like no others in the world," she said.

During the visit to the Marine Corps War Memorial, the group ran into some school children who recognized Mr. Goodrich as a veteran and all of them thanked him for his service.

The Goodrichs also met many members of "Rolling Thunder," the Vietnam Veterans motorcycle club that makes an annual visit to Washington, D.C., over the Memorial Day weekend. Many of those veterans expressed their gratitude towards Mr. Goodrich, and he thanked them for their sacrifices.

"I had a wonderful surprise run in with Sarah Palin," said Mr. Goodrich. "She shook my hand, held tight and thanked me for my sacrifices."

"She took the time to talk to us and recognize Jim for all that he had done," said Mrs. Goodrich. "She was so polite and real."

On the flight back to Tulsa, someone on the plane noticed that Mr. Goodrich's ballcap read "Iwo Jima Survivor" and passed a note to the pilots' cabin. During the final descent, when the aircraft captain announced they had a distinguished guest aboard and recognized Mr. Goodrich for his sacrifices and honor in defending his country, the plane erupted in loud applause.

By the end of the trip Mr. Goodrich's hand had a bruise on it from shaking so many hands. "It was a very touching trip for Jim as he relived many tough memories, but also some good ones," Mrs. Goodrich said.