US Army Air Corps employed the P-38 Lightning pursuit fighters in the Pacific theater.
as if to avoid being gunned down by [our shipJ. At that very instance, I saw and heard this roaring Japanese kamikaze plane with the meatball markings almost 15 feet directly overhead that is forever imprinted in my brain." What happened next was a gruesome shock to everyone. The wounded Zero flew straight for the Army and Coast Guard men gathered on the starboard side of the LST's stern. In seconds, Goldman witnessed the enemy fighter dive on the LST, impact her deck, careen across the ship's quarterdeck, and explode-obliterating men and machines before crashing into the water. The Zero had spread death and destruction across the LST's stern, leaving a swath of carnage and wreckage in its wake. The lieutenant and one of his men were killed instantly, with another seven army men severely wounded. The crash took a greater toll on Goldman's shipmates, with four killed and seven wounded. All that remained of the lieutenant's cockatoo were white feathers sprinkled over the twisted metal and mangled bodies strewn about the quarterdeck.
Miraculously, the crashing fighter spared Robert Goldman's life. Even though he survived, Goldman was still hurt, badly. When the Zero scoured the LST's aft deck, it sprayed aviation fuel over everything, including Goldman. His back on fire, he tried rolling on deck to smother the flames, but the deck was coated with aviation fuel and only added to the problem. To make matters worse, Goldman's right leg had received shrapnel
from the crashing fighter, and he suffered from severe shock. The instinctive response to such an experience for most would be to run, hide, or escape from the scene, but Robert Goldman did what he was trained to do, despite his own wounds and severe trauma. When the Zero careened across the deck, it had flown straight into the aft 40mm and 20mm gun mounts, crushing equipment and personnel nearby. The 40mm-gun tub was smoldering with its exposed ammunition cooking to critical temperatures, while its gunner writhed in agony from his legs pinned and crushed by the gun's mangled splinter shield. Disregarding the hot ammo, his own wounds, and his burning back, Goldman jumped into the tub and administered morphine to ease the man's pain and suffering. Pharmacist's Mate Casanova later remembered Goldman's treatment of the gunner, writing "I have never seen, nor will I ever see, how instantly men can go into action and do the correct things, right now." When the 40mm gunner asked about his legs , Goldman told him they would be okay. Reassured, the man responded, "As long as I can get home to Mom." The splinter shield was later removed and the wounded gunner evacuated, bur he expired that evening and had to be buried at sea. Goldman then focused his efforts on separating the dead and dying from the
LST-66 anchored in San Francisco Bay after her return from the war. The effects of the kamikaze attack are visible on her aft starboard side.
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SEA HISTORY 160, AUTUMN 2017