World War II Honoree

Joseph R. O'Donnell

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Johnstown, Pennsylvania

Honored By

Friends of American Heroes

HE JOINED THE MARINES AND WAS SENT TO PHOTOGRAPHY SCHOOL. HE WAS ASSIGNED TO DOCUMENT THE EFFECTS OF BOMBINGS AND SPENT SEVEN MONTHS PHOTOGRAPHING THE DEVASTATION IN JAPAN. ON AUGUST 28, 1945, HIS UNIT WAS AMONG THE FIRST TO ENTER JAPAN. HIS UNIT WAS SENT TO A POSITION ABOUT 10 MILES FROM NAGASAKI, HE TOOK SOME OF THE FIRST DISTURBING PICTURES AFTER THE NUCLEAR BOMBINGS OF JAPAN AND ALSO CAPTURED LASTINGLY FAMOUS SCENES AS A LONGTIME WHITE HOUSE PHOTOGRAPHER.. HIS FIRST SUBJECT WAS NAGASAKI, MUCH OF WHICH HAD BEEN DESTROYED BY AN ATOMIC BOMB ON AUG. 9, 1945 THREE DAYS AFTER HIROSHIMA WAS SIMILARLY HIT.