GOODFELLOW-CARL

STILL  ON  PATROL

Carl Raymond Goodfellow was born on November 25, 1942 and died on December 23, 1967.  At the time of his death he was a crewmember assigned to swift boat PCF-88 of Coastal Division 15 at Qui Nhon, Vietnam.  At about 11:15pm on December 22, 1967, a Viet Cong sapper team clandestinely penetrated the north end of the Coastal Division 15 base and set a satchel charge aboard a command junk which was destroyed at the pier when it exploded.  This activated a search and a second satchel charge was discovered aboard PCF-64 docked nearby.  The Qui Nhon base was set on General Quarters and a VC swimmer was discovered in the water near the pier and killed.

By 1:00am on December 23, all swift boats had been searched and relocated.  At 2:13am a second satchel charge exploded alongside the Chief’s quarters and VC in the vicinity of the enlisted barracks commenced automatic small arms fire and threw grenades into the barracks.  The PCF-88 crew had been designated to be part of the Ready Reaction Squad for the night so Goodfellow immediately started down the exterior barracks stairs to report to the Ready Reaction Squad rendezvous point even though there was considerable small arms fire and grenade explosions occurring throughout the barracks area.  Upon realizing no one was following him, Goodfellow quickly returned to the barracks rallying the rest of his squad members.  He started down the stairs with the squad following but as he rounded the stairway landing a VC standing at the base of the stairs fired a burst from his AK-47.  Goodfellow tumbled backwards over the railing saying, “I’m hit.”  He landed on a grenade and its explosion, at the base of his spine, killed him instantly.

Goodfellow has been buried at Natchez City Cemetery in Natchez, Mississippi.

Submitted by CDR Roy A. Mosteller, USNR (Ret)