World War II Honoree

Donald Grover 'Don' Henson

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Edmond, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

DRAFTED INTO MILITARY SERVICE AND REPORTED TO FORT MACARTHUR IN SAN PEDRO, CALIFORNIA IN AUGUST, 1942. VOLUNTEERED FOR PARATROOPER TRAINING ALTHOUGH HE WAS TECHNICALLY TOO TALL TO MEET ARMY GUIDANCE. DURING HIS PHYSICAL EXAMINATION, HE STOOPED A BIT AND HIS HEIGHT WAS FOUND TO BE WITHIN THE GUIDELINES. SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED JUMP SCHOOL AND WAS AWARDED HIS SILVER PARACHUTIST BADGE. SERVED OVERSEAS IN THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER WITH THE 82ND AIRBORNE 'ALL AMERICAN' DIVISION. PARTICIPATED IN THE SICILY, NAPLES-FOGGIA, NORMANDY, RHINELAND, ARDENNES-ALSACE (BATTLE OF THE BULGE), AND CENTRAL EUROPE CAMPAIGNS. MADE A COMBAT JUMP INTO SICILY AS PART OF THE INVASION OF ITALY IN JULY, 1943. DURING OPERATIONS IN FRANCE, HE AND 11 OTHER MEMBERS OF HIS PLATOON WERE SPOTTED BY GERMAN FORCES WHILE ENTERING AN ABANDONED FARMHOUSE. THE GERMANS SURROUNDED THE HOUSE AND WAGED A TWO-HOUR FIREFIGHT WITH THE OUTNUMBERED AMERICAN FORCE. ALLIED REINFORCEMENTS EVENTUALLY ARRIVED AND RELIEVED HIS PLATOON. HIS PLATOON HAD EXTRACTED A HEAVY TOLL ON THE ENEMY IN THE FIGHT AND KILLED ABOUT HALF OF THEIR NUMBER, WHILE ONLY TAKING ONE CASUALTY. ALSO TOOK PART IN THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE. AWARDED THE BRONZE STAR MEDAL, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, WWII VICTORY MEDAL AND ARMY OF OCCUPATION MEDAL WITH ‘GERMANY’ CLASP. HONORABLY DISCHARGED IN 1945 AND ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON. CONTINUED IN U.S. ARMY NATIONAL GUARD SERVICE AFTER THE WAR, WAS RECALLED TO ACTIVE DUTY, AND SERVED UNTIL AGAIN HONORABLY DISCHARGED.