Samuel Goldberg

Samuel Goldberg was born on 30 October 1897 in London, England to Russian or Polish parents, Harris Goldberg (1877-1950) and Anna Faurst (?) (1878-1938). Goldberg was the eldest of at least four siblings, Louis (1902-?), Marjory (1905-2007), Alice (1907-1981), and Saul (1910-2000). The family may have immigrated to the United States in or around 1904 and settled in St. Louis, Missouri.

In the 1910s, the family lived on Biddle Street where Mr. Goldberg was a bakery owner. Few details are available regarding Goldberg’s early education; at one point he worked as a ‘stock boy’ for “Stix Baer Fuller Co.”. Goldberg enlisted in the Missouri National Guard on 11 May 1915; he was assigned as a Private to Co. L, 1^st Infantry Regiment, MO National Guard for service on the Mexican Border.

Pvt Goldberg’s unit was federalized into active service for World War I as the 138^th Infantry Regiment, 35^th Infantry Division, American Expeditionary Forces. Pvt Goldberg was first assigned to Co. L, then, HQ and HQ Co., 138^th IR, 35^th ID.

Pvt Goldberg and a Casual Detachment of the 35^th ID left New York, New York aboard the U.S. Army Transport Ship Cretic on 19 May 1918.

Pvt Goldberg received the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions near Cheppy, France on 26 September 1918;

“The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Private Sam Goldberg (ASN: 1445961), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Headquarters Company, 138th Infantry Regiment, 35th Division, A.E.F., near Cheppy, France, 26 September 1918. Displaying marked heroism, Private Goldberg entered an enemy dugout alone, armed only with a pistol, and compelled the surrender of 18 Germans he encountered there. Exposing himself to intense machine-gun fire, he dressed the wounds of an officer, showing utter disregard of his personal danger. Later he compelled four German prisoners to carry a wounded officer to the rear.”

Pvt Goldberg was made Corporal in May of 1919, and Sergeant on 21 May 1919.

“Mexican Border June 1916 to Jan 1917 Vosges, Hilsenferet(?), Black Lakes, St. Mihiel, Argonne, Verdun”

“Gassed Sept 26, 1919 near Cheppy France, Argonne Forest, Clorine”.

“Went overseas with the 138 Inf and after the Armistice was with the Inspector [Illegible] P.N.G. Dept A.E.F. and was stationed four months in Nice 48 days in Germany 14 days in England two months in Paris France”.

“…Sam Goldberg, then a private in Headquarters Company, 138^th Infantry, Thirty-fifth Division, but now a Lieutenant in the Officers’ Reserve Corps, was capturing, single-handed, eighteen soldiers of the Kaiser’s army, dressing the wounds of an officer and getting shot with a machine gun bullet near Cheppy, France. The citation of Goldberg by his commanding officer, Col. Harry S. Howland, shows that Sam, ‘displaying marked heorism, entered an enemy dugout alone, armed only with a pistol, and compelled the surrender of eighteen Germans he encountered there’. Soon thereafter, according to the citation, Goldberg, ‘exposing himself to intense machine gun fire, dressed the wounds of an officer, showing utter disregard of his personal danger’. Later, he compelled four of his German prisoners to carry a wounded officer to the rear”.

Then-Cpl Goldberg left Brest, France on 30 August 1919 aboard the U.S. Army Transport Ship Santa Leonora.

Sgt Goldberg was Honorably Discharged on 27 September 1919.

He may have had later service in the Army Reserve Officers’ Corps.

Upon his return home, Goldberg lived with his parents and siblings on Biddle St., where he worked as a solicitor. Before 1924, Goldberg moved to Lexington, Fayette County, Kentucky, where he met and married Esther Rosenberg (1903-1984); the couple had two children, Kaye Frances (1933-2017) and Constance Alene (1936-). At one point, Goldberg worked for the Federal Clothing Store in Lexington; he later worked with his father-in-law, Joseph Rosenberg (1866-1949). In the 1930s, the family lived on Eleanor Street in Los Angeles, California, where Goldberg worked for a jewelry store.

By 1931, the family moved back to Kentucky, where Goldberg was made honorary Chief of Police of Lexington.

“The Legion constabulary chief, who won the Distinguished Service Cross for bravery on the western front during the World War, is a second lieutenant in the Officers’ Reserve Corps. Some years ago Mr. Goldberg was made a colonel on the staff of the governor of Kentucky. Col. Goldberg has organized a force of 150 Legionnaires who will assist the police in handling traffic and in keeping peace and order during the four-day convention”.

Goldberg was active in several organizations, including (but not limited to) the American Legion (President, luncheon club, elected 1925), Legion of Valor, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Disabled American Veterans.

“Sam Goldberg, Lexington business man and a veteran of the World War, who was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for valor in France, has recently received another signal honor. In a letter from headquarters of the Army and Navy Legion of Valor, Mr. Goldberg was notified that he had been voted a complimentary membership in the organization. The honor also carries with it the appointment as deputy chief of staff of the Legion for Lexington and vicinity, with the authority to represent the Legion at all meetings of ex-service men”.

In the 1940s, the family lived in Washington, D.C. at 345 South Spring St., by 1942, they were back in Kentucky at 2409 Montgomery Ave., Ashland.

“…Sammy, whose wanderlust and desire for excitement has taken him to many points, is at present residing in Washington, where he is connected with the soil conservation administration of the department of agriculture…Sammy told interviewers that he wants to hit the ‘blood and thunder’ trail once more in the hope of recapturing the verve and renown that were his in the World War. He came home from that argument with several high honors for his deeds of valor, including the Distinguished Service Cross for saving the life of his commanding officer and taking 18 German prisoners. Since his return from France, Sammy told the Washington newspapermen, he has thought and talked about war most of the time. He has fraternized with a dozen or more American soldiers who gather now and then in some obscure rendezvous to plan new adventures. ‘You bet your life I’d like to get to Spain or China’, Sammy told his interviewers, ‘My wife says all I’ll ever be is a soldier, and I guess she’s right. Those of us who went over to France miss the excitement. There’s going to be another war, and I guess I’ll be in it’…Returning to Lexington after the war, Goldberg was manager of the Federal Store for some time, was associated with Joe Rosenberg for several years and was owner and manager of The Hub. He then went to Washington and became connected with the AAA and later the soil program.”

In the 1950s, the family lived in Ashland, Kentucky. Goldberg died at his home on 355 Queensway Dr., Lexington, on 12 April 1952. He is buried at Keneseth Israel Cemetery, Louisville, Kentucky.