World War II Honoree

Donald Wilson Emerick

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Pennsylvania

Honored By

David Eckert

Relationship

Cousin

HE WAS INDUCTED INTO THE U.S. ARMY ON NOVEMBER 19, 1942, AT FORT HAYES, COLUMBUS, OHIO. HE RECEIVED BASIC TRAINING AT CAMP WHEELER, NEAR MACON, GEORGIA. ALSO RECEIVED SPECIALIZED TRAINING AS A BUGLER. SHIPPED FROM PORT OF EMBARKATION, NEWPORT NEWS, VIRGINIA, JUNE 5, 1943. DEBARKED AT CASABLANCA, NORTH AFRICA, AND WAS SENT OVERLAND TO BIZERTE AND WAS THERE ASSIGNED TO 'C' COMPANY OF THE 51ST MEDICAL BATTALION AND WITH THAT UNIT TOOK PART IN THE SICILIAN CAMPAIGN AS A PART OF GENERAL GEORGE S. PATTON'S 7TH ARMY. HE WAS THEN TRANSFERRED TO HEADQUARTERS DETACHMENT OF THE 51ST MEDICAL BATTALION AND WAS SUBSEQUENTLY MOVED, WITH THAT UNIT, BY TRUCK CONVOY AT STRAITS OF MESSINA, NAPLES, ITALY, ARRIVING THERE IN NOVEMBER 1943. HE REMAINED IN NAPLES FOR NEARLY TWO YEARS. AFTER THE CLOSE OF THE ITALIAN CAMPAIGN, THEY WERE MOVED NORTHWARD TO LEGHORN AND CONCURRENTLY WAS ASSIGNED TO THE SURGEON'S OFFICE OF THE PENINSULAR BASE SECTION HEADQUARTERS IN LATE OCTOBER OF 1945 HE WAS MADE ELIGIBLE FOR DISCHARGE AND RETURNED TO THE U.S. BY SHIP FROM NAPLES, ITALY, TO NEWPORT NEWS, VIRGINIA., LEAVING NAPLES ON NOVEMBER 5, 1945 AND ARRIVING AT NEWPORT NEWS, VIRGINIA, ON NOVEMBER 23, 1945. HE WAS HONORABLY DISCHARGED FROM THE U.S. ARMY AS A TECHNICIAN, 5TH GRADE ON DECEMBER 2, 1945 AT THE SEPARATION CENTER, INDIANTOWN GAP, PENNSYLVANIA.