Article Contributed on: 1/16/2007 11:10:20 PM
Here are the lives of several more Golden heroes who died serving their county in our times of war:
Billy W. Spieles was killed in action over Germany on Nov. 30, 1944 when the B-17 Flying Fortress he was flying was shot down by enemy fire. He was a decorated pilot, having won the Air Medal for "meritorious achievement" while taking part in the 8th Air Forces heavy bombardment offensive against enemy forces in Continental Europe. A member of the 486th Bomber Group of the 3rd Bombardment Division, Spieles and his division also received a presidential citation for their service.
Spieles had enlisted in the Army Air Corps in November 1942, receiving his college training at Kansas City, pilot training at San Antonio and Oklahoma City, and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant at Frederick, Oklahoma when he received his wings at Stuttgart Field, Arkansas on March 12, 1944.
Spieles was a Golden native, born on April 2, 1922, the only son of
John and
Josephine Spieles. Described as quiet, well-mannered, courteous, and admired, he was educated in the Golden schools and was a graduate of the Golden High School class of 1939. Afterwards Spieles worked as a clerk at Golden's First National Bank until he joined the war effort. At the time of his death he was engaged to Laurel Dean Calmett.
Donald Eugene Goodrich was killed in action in Germany on March 15, 1945. The sergeant was a member of General Patton's 3rd Army with the 188th Combat Engineers, having joined the Army on May 28, 1943. Goodrich received his basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, and then attended the engineers school at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. After being stationed at Fort Devans, Massachusetts and Fort Dix, New Jersey, and conducting maneuvers in West Virginia, Goodrich went overseas in August 1944. Military service was not his only contribution to the war effort; in May 1942 he left Golden for Pearl Harbor as a civilian to work on Naval construction there. After a year there, he returned to Golden and entered the service immediately.
Goodrich was born in Alliance, Nebraska on Nov. 18, 1916 He moved to Golden when he was a young boy, growing up under the care of mother
Josephine along with stepfather
Charles Toinby. After being educated at the Golden schools, Goodrich served as Golden's street superintendent. He married
Josephine Hicks on June 29, 1940, and the couple had one son,
Donald Grant Goodrich. His brother, Pfc.
Paul D. Goodrich, also served in World War II, wounded while fighting with the 5th Division of the Marines on Iwo Jima.
Max O. Beaty was killed in action in Luxembourg sometime during December of 1944. He had been reported missing in action on December 20, 1944. Beaty was a Private First Class, having been inducated into the Army on April 13, 1944. He completed basic training at Camp Roberts, California.
Beaty was 27 years old, and was born and raised in Brush, Colorado. He came to Golden in 1937 with his wife,
Alice, and worked as a driver for the Swena Transfer and Express company. He later worked for the Adolph Coors Company, and lived on a small farm on West 44th Avenue.
Charles Albert Jaycox, known as
Bud to those familiar with him, was killed in action on February 23, 1945. He fell in the effort to liberate Manila in the Phillippines, a city Goldenites had earlier helped bring to American hands in the Spanish-American War. Jaycox was a Private First Class, entering the Army on March 3, 1944 and becoming part of Company F of the 145th Infantry. He was trained at Camp Roberts and Fort Ord, California before being sent overseas in October 1944. Jaycox had earlier helped the war effort by working at the Remington Arms plant near Golden and before that the Coors Porcelain plant in the city, which manufactured valuable scientific porcelain for the Allies.
Jaycox was born in Golden on Nov. 4, 1918 to
Mr. and
Mrs. Howard Jaycox. Being educated in the Golden schools, he graduated from Golden High School in 1936. At GHS Jaycox excelled in athletics, starring on the basketball and football teams. Afterward he attended the Colorado State College of Education in Greeley. Jaycox worked at the Coors Porcelain plant and was an outstanding player for the Coors baseball and basketball teams and on the baseball team of the
Jefferson County Republican newspaper. On Jan. 8, 1941 he married
Charlotte Pease of Golden, and daughter
Carolynn Marie was born to them. His brother Corporal
William E. Jaycox, commonly called
Bill, also served in World War II, serving for 3 years and in the European Theatre for over 30 months. Charles Albert Jaycox is buried at the Manila American Cemetery in the Phillippines.
David Henry Helps, Jr. was sacrificed in the invasion of Normandy. He was a tail gunner on the
Silver Slipper, a B-17 Flying Fortress, shot down over France on June 8, 1944. Helps had entered the Army on April 20, 1943, receiving his training at Kearns Field, Utah, Lowry Field near Denver, Fort Meyer and Avon Park, Florida. He was sent overseas in March of 1944. Staff Sergeant Helps was 19 years old when he was shot down. He was born in Golden to
Mr. and
Mrs. David Henry Helps, and was educated in the Golden schools, later working at the Coors Porcelain plant. His brother
Orville also served in World War II with the Army Air Corps. David Henry Helps, Jr. is buried at the Golden Cemetery.