★ Purple Heart

★ Combat Infantryman Badge

★ Marksmanship Badge

★ World War II Victory Medal

★ American Campaign Medal

★ Army Presidential Unit Citation

★ Army Good Conduct Medal

★ European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign

Sgt. Lewis B. Goins was the son of John Christopher Columbus Goins, Sr. and Lou Cordelia "Delia" (Reese) Goins.

He died while crossing the Rhine River in Germany during World War Two. Serving his country was very important to him. He helped pay for America's freedom and for that he earned a Purple Heart, for you and me to live in a free country. Oliver "Cotton" Pinson was there when Lewis was shot and killed by a Bazooka gun. Oliver survived the war and told Lewis' sister, Cora, about it.

Lewis never married.

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Sergeant Lewis B. Goins US Army

Lewis Benjamin Goins, born 21 September 1919 in Cleburne, Johnson County, Texas to Lou Cordelia Reese (b. 1882 North Carolina - d. 1961 Brownwood, Texas) age 37, and John Christopher Columbus Goins (b. 1875 Athens, Texas - d. 1960 Brownwood, Texas) age 44.

1920 Census age 1 living in Brown County, Texas with parents, three brothers and four sisters.

1930 Census age 11 living in Brown County, Texas with parents, two brothers and three sisters.

1935 living in Brownwood, Brown County, Texas.

1940 Census age 20 living in Brownwood, Brown County, Texas with parents, two brothers and two sisters.

Registered for the draft in Brownwood, Texas on 16 October 1940 while working in construction at Camp Bowie and listed his mother as next of kin contact.

Lewis B. Goins, asn-38232480, a single white male born Texas in 1919 residing in Brown County, Texas working as an unskilled laborer with one year of high school education enlisted from civilian life into the US Army as a private at Abilene, Texas on 21 November 1942 and trained at Camp Howse and Camp Claiborne, Louisiana.

Sergeant Lewis B. Goins, 38232480, US Army Infantry was fighting enemy German forces in Germany when he was initially reported missing in action on 22 November 1944, but in less than a month his status was changed to killed in action on the same date. Sgt Goins was buried in a temporary grave in Holland until after the war and in 1948 his remains were repatriated to America and reinterred in the Greenleaf Cemetery at Brownwood, Brown County, Texas on 25 September 1948.

Arrived in England September 1944, per newspaper article, then transferred to Germany. KIA 22 Nov 1944

Provided by Danny Jones 22 May 2020 (Thank you, Danny. Our family appreciates your help very much.)

/hotww2hrbiobrhttp://hotvetsmem.com/ww2cas/ww2brownown.html#LBG

COINS ON A GRAVESTONE:

1. LEAVING A PENNY MEANS YOU VISITED THE GRAVE.

2. LEAVING A NICKEL MEANS YOU WENT TO BASIC TRAINING TOGETHER.

3. LEAVING A DIME MEANS THAT YOU SERVED TOGETHER.

4. LEAVING A QUARTER MEANS THAT YOU WERE THERE WHEN HE/SHE WAS KILLED.

Per Cheryl (Bien) Sansom:

He and my dad (Lonnie Bien) were buddies and hung around together. Neither drank, and dressed neat as pins. Mom (Ruth Goins Bien) said they were inseparable, both quiet natured. (Lonnie was married to Lewis' sister.)