Held prisoner by the Germans, surviving horrific conditions during his captivity, local World War II veteran Joe Goodwin, 95, passed away Tuesday at Smithville NHC. He joins the ranks of the dwindling numbers of World War II veterans who are still living nearly 74 years after the war ended.
The highly decorated veteran served his
country in the U.S. Army during the war, joining the fight in March 1943. He
spent five long months as a prisoner of the Nazis after being captured on Dec.
16, 1944 as the Allied forces were making their push across Europe and into
Germany. During his time being held, Goodwin said he and his fellow captives
had to survive on meager rations. They fought to survive the bitter winter
weather as they were made to do forced labor in zero weather and sleep on a
gaped wooden floor, the planks rubbing sores on their hips where they slept.
“If you wanted a drink you’d get a cup and dip it out of a ditch and drink it,” he revealed during a documentary on his time as a prisoner of war, noting a piece of two-week-old bread was a delicacy for he and his fellow prisoners of war.
He was liberated by Allied troops on April
30, 1945, just a week before Germany capitulated on May 7. He returned home a
hero, earning the Bronze Star, Purple Heart and several other commendations for
his service to freedom.
With his passing at 95, Goodwin is part of the diminishing numbers of World War II veterans which experts say will only escalate as years pass. According to the Veteran’s Administration, there were 496,777 American World War II veterans still surviving as of September 2018. However, the same estimate revealed the country loses an average of 555 every day, most due to natural causes. The number of surviving WWII veterans was 620,000 just two years earlier in 2016 according to most reliable government estimates. The same estimate revealed there may be just 81,000 World War veterans alive by 2024. There were over 300,000 Tennesseans who served in World War II.
His funeral is Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Chapel of Love-Cantrell Funeral Home. Morgan Wallace will officiate and burial will follow DeKalb Memorial Gardens. Visitation is Friday Feb. 15 from noon to 3 p.m. and then the family will take a two hour rest period during which time they will not be present but visitors are still welcome. The family will return from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. until the service at 11 a.m.
