World War II Honoree

Donald Kent 'Don' Edwards

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

ENTERED MILITARY SERVICE IN 1943 AT AGE 17, WITH HIS PARENTS' PERMISSION AND VOLUNTEERED FOR DUTY WITH THE INFANTRY. AFTER BASIC TRAINING, ASSIGNED TO THE 10TH MOUNTAIN 'MOUNTAINEERS' DIVISION. SERVED IN THE AMERICAN THEATER AT THE MOUNTAIN TRAINING CENTER AT CAMP HALE, AT PANDO, COLORADO AND CAMP SWIFT AT BASTROP, TEXAS. RECEIVED INTENSIVE TRAINING IN FIGHTING ACROSS SNOW AND IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. STAGED WITH THE DIVISION AT CAMP PATRICK HENRY AT ORIANA, VIRGINIA IN DECEMBER, 1944 AWAITING OVERSEAS DEPLOYMENT. SAILED FROM THE HAMPTON ROADS PORT OF EMBARKATION AND LANDED IN ITALY WHERE HE ENTERED COMBAT ON JANUARY 8, 1945. SERVED AS A BROWNING AUTOMATIC RIFLEMAN AND AS A MEMBER OF A SNIPER TEAM IN SEVERAL BATTLES IN THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER IN ITALY. PARTICIPATED IN THE NORTH APENNINES AND PO VALLEY CAMPAIGNS. SCALED THE STEEP SARASICCIA-CAMPANIA CLIFF AT MOUNT BELVEDERE TO SURPRISE GERMAN DEFENDERS. AFTER SEIZING THE HILLMASS ON FEBRUARY 20, 1945, WAS ENGAGED IN DEFEATING GERMAN COUNTERATTACKS. ATTACKED WITH THE 85TH MOUNTAIN INFANTRY REGIMENT ON MARCH 5, 1945 AND FOUGHT TO MOUNT DELLA SPE. THEN BATTLED IN HEAVY COMBAT TO REPULSE SEVERAL GERMAN COUNTERATTACKS. AFTER EMERGING FROM MOUNTAIN WARFARE IN THE APENNINES, FOUGHT IN THE PO VALLEY, CROSSED THE PO RIVER IN AN ASSAULT BOAT ON APRIL 23, 1945, AND MADE AN AMPHIBIOUS CROSSING OF LAKE GARDA TO TAKE THE TOWN OF GARGNANO AND SECURE PORTIO DI TREMOSINE ON APRIL 30, 1945. GERMAN RESISTANCE FORMALLY ENDED SHORTLY THEREAFTER ON MAY 2, 1945. AWARDED THE COMBAT INFANTRYMAN BADGE, BRONZE STAR MEDAL WITH BRONZE OAK LEAF CLUSTER, PURPLE HEART WITH BRONZE OAK LEAF CLUSTER FOR WOUNDS RECEIVED IN BATTLE ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, WWII VICTORY MEDAL AND ARMY OF OCCUPATION MEDAL. HONORABLY DISCHARGED AFTER THE WAR AND ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON. CONTINUED IN U.S. ARMY RESERVE SERVICE AFTER THE WAR UNTIL HIS RETIREMENT WITH THE RANK OF LIEUTENANT COLONEL.