John Clarke Goldtrap was born on March 21, 1912, in Regent, Hettinger County, North Dakota. A former member of the Wyoming National Guard, he entered the U.S. Military Academy as part of the Class of 1935 but graduated with the Class of 1936, commissioning into the Infantry. He first served with the 2nd Infantry Division at Fort Francis E. Warren, Wyoming, and later attended the Infantry School before being assigned to Fort Ord, California. In June 1940, he was deployed to the Philippines and joined the 57th Infantry (Philippine Scouts).

Captured after the fall of the Philippines, he was taken as a prisoner of war at PW Camp #1 in Cabanatuan until December 1944, when he was placed aboard the Oryoku Maru en route to Japan. The ship was bombed and sunk by American aircraft at Subic Bay on December 15, 1944, and he lost his life in the attack. He was posthumously promoted to Lieutenant Colonel.

LTC Goldtrap's name is memorialized in the Tablets of the Missing in the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Manila, Capital District, National Capital Region, Philippines. He also has a cenotaph in the Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Arlington County, Virginia, USA.

Silver Star Citation:
(Citation Needed) – SYNOPSIS: The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pride in presenting the Silver Star (Posthumously) to Lieutenant Colonel (Infantry) John Clarke Goldtrap (ASN: 0-20349), United States Army, for gallantry in action while serving with the 57th Infantry Regiment (Philippine Scouts), in action against the enemy during the defense of Bataan, Luzon, Philippine Islands, in 1942. The gallant actions and dedicated devotion to duty demonstrated by Lieutenant Colonel Goldtrap, without regard for his own life, were in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Army.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, alumni.westpointaog.org, valor.militarytimes.com