Lawrence Goldstein, a member of "The Greatest Generation," died peaceably at home in Silver Spring, Maryland, on March 2, 2023.  He was 101 years old at the time of his death.

Larry was born in Brooklyn, New York, on February 10, 1922.  His father, Maurice, owned a plumbing business and his mother, Lena (whose maiden name was also Goldstein), was a homemaker.  Larry was the youngest of 4 children.  His brothers, Irving and Bernard, and sister, Marion, predeceased him.  Larry was born at home in a house given to his father in 1915 as payment for plumbing work his father provided to the homebuilder.  The house remained in the family for more than 80 years.

Larry's military service during World War II was perhaps the most transformative experience of his life.  Not long after the U.S. entered the war in Europe, Larry, then 21 years old, enlisted in the Army Air Corps.  He was assigned to the Eighth Air Force, the vaunted "Mighty Eighth," where he was trained as a radio operator on a B-17 Flying Fortress.  In October, 1943, Larry and the rest of his 10-member crew were deployed to England where they took part in the momentous air warfare that raged over Europe in late 1943 and early 1944.  Larry's B-17 was called the "Worry Wart," an apt name in view of the deadly fire from the ground and German fighter planes that greeted every mission of the Mighty Eighth.  The Worry Wart participated in many of the most significant bombing attacks on industrial, transportation, and military targets in Germany and occupied Europe that took place during this period.  Of particular note, Larry and his crew flew several missions during Big Week, a series of intense American bombing attacks over 6 days in February, 1944, designed to strike a crippling blow against German capability to resist the coming Allied invasion of the Continent.  The attacking forces during that campaign were massive.  On the first day alone, more than 1000 heavy bombers were sent off to strike German targets.  Later, in March, 1944, Larry and his crew participated in the first daytime bombing raid on Berlin.

The losses suffered by the Mighty Eighth in the air war over Europe were staggering, particularly during the period that Larry was in the war zone.  While the British had been bombing by night to conserve men and equipment, the Americans bombed by day to improve effectiveness.  This strategy did, in fact, produce far more accurate results but took a fearsome toll.  Of the 350,000 men who served in the Mighty Eighth during World War II, 54,000 were killed in action or taken prisoner.  Early in the air campaign, when Larry flew, the losses were so significant that American commanders established a 25 mission limit for crews.  If crew members survived 25 missions, they were dubbed "Lucky Bastards" and allowed to return home.  Larry and his fellow crew members defied the odds and completed their 25th mission with the daylight attack on Berlin.  Following that mission, they were sent back to the US to serve out the balance of the war training new crews.

With the end of World War II, Larry returned to civilian life, but remained in the Air Force reserves.  He and his wife, Rose, had 2 children, Richard and Andrew.  But life was interrupted with the outbreak of the Korean Conflict.  In May, 1951, Larry found it necessary to leave his young family when his reserve unit was recalled to active duty and he was assigned to a base in Japan in a support role.  He was finally discharged from the military in November, 1952.  Over the course of his service, he received numerous medals and citations, most notably the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Larry went on to a long and successful career in insurance in New York.  He also became active in veterans activities, rejuvenating and serving as President of the Southern NY Chapter of the 8th Air Force Historical Society and later becoming the national President of that Society.

In a story twist worthy of a TV movie, Rose and Larry divorced in 1973, after 29 years of marriage, but reunited in 2002 after 29 years of being apart.  Rose was living in California at the time.  Following their reunion, Larry moved from New York to Mountainview, California, to join Rose.  Later, the couple moved to Asheville, North Carolina, and finally to Silver Spring, Maryland, to be close to family.  Rose passed away in 2022, just months before Larry's passing.

Larry is survived by his sons, Richard Goldstein (Debbie Koss) and Andrew Goldstein (Heidi Sigmon), his grandchildren, Josh, Laura, Adam, and Brian Goldstein, and his great-grandchildren, Teo, Oscar, and Arlo Goldstein.

With Larry's death, all members of the Worry Wart crew are once again reunited.