GOODWIN W. SANDVIG, LT, USN

Goodwin Sandvig '43

Date of birth: December 14, 1919

Date of death: March 8, 1951

Age: 31

Lucky Bag

From the 1943 Lucky Bag:

GOODWIN WALDO SANDVIG

Brooten, Minnesota

The state of Minnesota gave up a good man when "Sandy" decided to take to the sea. With two years of college behind him, he took it easy on the academics, and hard on the athletics. To make the Navy crew required a lot of hard work and long hours on the Severn, but he won his letter regardless. However, this didn't take out enough time to prevent his dragging whenever the opportunity presented itself or from blowing his clarinet. A tall, good-natured Norwegian, with a liking for fishing and basketball, "Sandy" will go a long way without any trouble, and he intends that it be with the Navy Air Service.

He was a member of the crew team.

The Class of 1943 was graduated in June 1942 due to World War II. The entirety of 2nd class (junior) year was removed from the curriculum.

GOODWIN WALDO SANDVIG

Brooten, Minnesota

The state of Minnesota gave up a good man when "Sandy" decided to take to the sea. With two years of college behind him, he took it easy on the academics, and hard on the athletics. To make the Navy crew required a lot of hard work and long hours on the Severn, but he won his letter regardless. However, this didn't take out enough time to prevent his dragging whenever the opportunity presented itself or from blowing his clarinet. A tall, good-natured Norwegian, with a liking for fishing and basketball, "Sandy" will go a long way without any trouble, and he intends that it be with the Navy Air Service.

He was a member of the crew team.

The Class of 1943 was graduated in June 1942 due to World War II. The entirety of 2nd class (junior) year was removed from the curriculum.

Loss

Goodwin was lost when the P4M Mercator patrol bomber he was piloting crashed in the Chesapeake Bay, near the mouth of the Rappahannock River, on March 8, 1951. Three other men aboard were also lost.

Other Information

From researcher Kathy Franz:

Goodwin’s father was Edwin, a bank cashier, mother Clara, and sister Iva.

From the Class of 1943 anniversary book "25 years later…":

Sandy was born on 14 December, 1919 in Brooten, Minnesota. He was appointed from that state and entered the Academy on 14 June 1939. After graduation, he served as an instructor at the Naval Training School at Cornell University and then attended several schools in preparation to putting the destroyer USS STEVENSON into commission. He served aboard the STEVENSON in the Pacific until he commenced flight training in July 1944, This training was accomplished at Dallas Texas, Ottumwa, Iowa, Pensacola, Jacksonville and Banana River, Florida. In February 1946, he proceeded to Patrol Bombing Squadron Twenty-Eight and in November reported to Patrol Squadron Medium Seaplane Three. Sandy next flew with Patrol Squadron Forty Three until November 1948 when he went to the Bureau of Aeronautics. He then was ordered to a variety of places—Patuxent River, Grumman Aircraft Corporation, Long Island, Lockheed Aircraft Corporation, Burbank, California and the Glenn L. Martin Company, Middle River, Maryland in connection with aeronautics.
On March 8, 1951 while attached to NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, Sandy was killed as co-pilot during a local test flight six miles from North Windmill Point, Maryland. He wore the American Defense Service Medal with Fleet Clasp, American Area Campaign Medal, European African Middle Eastern Area Campaign Medal, Asiatic Pacific Area Campaign Medal, WW II Victory Medal, Navy Occupation Medal with Asia Clasp, the Philippine Independence Medal and the Korean Defense Medal.
He was survived by his wife: Phyllis G. and their son, John C. who at Sandy's death resided in Windsor, North Carolina.

Goodwin is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.