World War II Honoree

Donald Chauncey Hays

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Kansas City, Missouri

Honored By

Terry Bickell Barnes

Relationship

Great Niece

On August 18, 1942, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps in Leavenworth, Kansas. He was an airplane maintenance technician who served as a crew chief on C-47 transport planes delivering troops to combat. He did all types of maintenance and inspection work on transport aircraft. He acted as flight chief, supervising the maintenance of 10 airplanes. He was then a group inspector and was responsible for the maintenance and inspection of 80 planes. He was honorably discharged as a Master Sergeant and had served in Algeria, French Morocco, Tunisia, Sicily, Naples, Italy, Rome, Italy, Po Valley, Italy, Germany, France, India, and Burma. He had earned a Purple Heart, American Defense Service Ribbon, and a Good Conduct Medal.