World War II Honoree

Donald Alexander Granger

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Boothbay, Maine

Honored By

Sarah Sherman Brewer

Relationship

Friend

Enlisted in the National Guard on September 16, 1940, at the age of 18. When the war broke out in December of 1941, he signed up to be an Army paratrooper. He successfully completed his training, but on his last jump he ruptured his eardrum. He then transferred into the Army infantry and served in Patton's Third Army in the European Theater. During the war, he was one of five men in his outfit who volunteered to blow up a German machine gun nest. When the mission was completed he was the only survivor. His outfit was also one of the first to cross the Rhine River into Germany. He fought his way across France, Germany and into Czechoslovakia and was wounded twice; once in the stomach and once in the spine. He was awarded the Purple Heart Medal with oak leaf cluster for his sacrifice. He was discharged from the Army on November 13, 1945 after serving five years. Awarded the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater Medal with several bronze stars, a Purple Heart Medal with oak leaf cluster, a Bronze Star Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, the American Defense Service Medal and the Good Conduct Medal.