William B. Goudy - Private to Sergeant.

Served with distinction in the Hq1 81mm Mortar Platoon from October 20, 1942 to January 22, 1945 when he was critically wounded by German Artillery fire and evacuated,  ending his military career. 

Bill was an outstanding soldier and competent leader. He performed effectively as a Mortar Squad leader, Section leader, and as a forward observer, the latter replacing officer observer casualties.   

Bill Goudy’s noteworthy military career and subsequent civilian accomplishments  identify him as a distinguished member of the “Greatest of the Greatest Generation.”  

Consistent with his habitual modesty and brevity, Bill Goudy contributed a brief story for this album. Bill said: "I had better get this done while I can, as my eyesight is going pretty fast."  Accordingly, Bill recalls only his first six days in Normandy.  

“I got out of my chute under machinegun fire and crawled over to another trooper and helped him get out of his chute. A few minutes later we located fifteen paratroopers including an officer. At daybreak, as we started to move we discovered that we were in the middle of a deployed German artillery unit.

As we quietly moved out of the area, we discovered that a German patrol was following closely behind us. We deployed behind a hedgerow and organized a hasty defensive position. The Germans also deployed and a vigorous firefight ensued. 

As we were obviously very outnumbered, the officer leading our group told me - as the only noncommissioned officer (Corporal). ‘Go around the end of the hedgerow,  and fire on the Germans from the flank.’  I picked one man and we worked our way around the hedgerow to a position where  we could shoot at the Germans, a big mistake. In the initial exchange of fire, my partner (a red head named Mansfield) was killed and I was pinned down by rifle and machinegun fire.

As soon as I could, I worked my way free and returned to where I had left our group only to discover they had pulled out and left me.