Plymouth Honors Naval Officer Brutally Executed In WWII
PLYMOUTH (CBS) - A personal mission turned into a public tribute on Saturday for a local man killed in World War II.
Naval Officer William Goodwin Jr. was honored in his hometown of Plymouth, more than six decades after his death.
A plaque was unveiled in Goodwin Square to memorialize Goodwin, who, along with his crew, was brutally executed by the Japanese army after their plane was shot down in the Pacific more than 66 years ago.
Former Army Ranger Tom Ruggierio pushed for the ceremony.
He wanted to make sure his boyhood friend's sacrifice would not be forgotten.
Goodwin's son Michael says he owes a huge thank you to Ruggerio.
"It's more of a joyous thing," he said of the ceremony. "Its' an exciting experience and I owe it all to Tom Ruggierio, who just pressed for this thing… He was going to do this for his best buddy and he did. He succeeded."
