World War II Honoree

Donald W. Gifford

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Delta, Colorado

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

RANK: AVIATION RIGGER. SERVED AS A NAVAL AVIATOR ABOARD SHIP IN THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS. HE ENTERED THE U.S. NAVY IN 1942 AND COMPLETED HIS BASIC MILITARY TRAINING AT THE U.S. NAVAL TRAINING STATION, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA. RECEIVED FURTHER TRAINING AT THE MIAMI U.S. NAVAL AIR STATION, FLORIDA, HUTCHISON NAVAL AIR STATION, KANSAS, ALAMEDA NAVAL AIR STATION, CALIFORNIA AND HAWAII NAVAL AIR STATION. CAMPAIGNS AND BATTLES: GUAM, KWAJALEIN AND IWO JIMA. DECORATIONS AND MEDALS: AIR MEDAL, NAVY GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH 2 BRONZE BATTLE STARS AND THE WWII VICTORY MEDAL. HE WAS HONORABLY DISCHARGED IN 1946.