Richard Lee Goff was born on May 30, 1925, in Lodi, Medina County, Ohio. He was the son of Carl C. Goff and Gayle Dovie North Goff. He was married to Myrtle M. Goff. He was a graduate of Tyrone High School, Class of 1935. He served in the 349th Bomber Squadron, 100th Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Staff Sergeant and Ball Turret Gunner of B-17 #43-37839 during World War II.

On July 14, 1944, Bastille Day, the United States Army Air Forces carried out Operation Cadillac, one of the largest Allied aerial resupply missions of World War II, delivering urgently needed weapons, ammunition, and supplies to the French Resistance. Hundreds of B-17 Flying Fortress bombers, escorted by fighter aircraft, flew from England to drop thousands of containers over designated Resistance zones, including Moustoulat in Corrèze.

Goff participated in the mission, and on August 5, 1944, his aircraft was shot down over Germany, leading to his capture and confinement as a prisoner of war at Stalag Luft IV, Gross-Tychow, Pomerania, Prussia. In 1994, he returned to France with fellow members of the 100th Bomb Group at the invitation of the French Resistance to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Bastille Day operation that supplied Resistance forces near Tulle. Richard died on November 22, 1998, and is now buried in the Fort Custer National Cemetery, Augusta, Kalamazoo County, Michigan, USA.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, resistancefrancaise.blogspot.com