James E. Goodroe was born in 1906 in Georgia. He resided in Bullock County, Alabama prior to the war. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on November 1, 1941, prior to the war, at Eglin Field, Florida. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Machinist and also as Married. James served as a Master Sergeant and Left Waist Gunner on B-29 #42-6230, 792nd Bomber Squadron, 468th Bomber Group, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.

B-29 #42-6230 took off from Pengshan, China on a bombing mission over Japan. They were shot down over Wakamatsu Fukuoka, Japan by a Japanese fighter plane. This aircraft and crew had the distinction of being the first B-29 shot down over Japan. All eleven crew members were Killed in Action on this mission along with one civilian. James was "Killed In Action" on this mission during the war. He was originally interred overseas and was later repatriated in Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Lemay, St. Louis County, Missouri on August 8, 1949.

james was one of over 2000 Americans who lost their lives defending China from their Japanese invaders from 1941-1945. He is commemorated on the The Monument to the Aviation Martyrs in the War of Resistance Against Japan in Nanjing, China.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com