World War II Honoree

Donald E. Ward

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Collinsville, Illinois

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Rank: Private First Class. Inducted into the United States Marine Corps January 14, 1942 with induction at Chicago, Illinois. He completed basic training with the Eleventh Recruit Battalion Recruit Depot; Marine Corps Base San Diego, California. He served as a Combat Demolition Engineer Specialist, assigned to Headquarters Company, First Battalion, Eighteenth ‘Pioneers’ Engineers, an element of the Second Marine Division. His division participated in the amphibious assault on Betio Island, Tarawa Atoll, Gilbert Islands Code Name: Operation Galvanic Location: Central Pacific Theater of Operations. Saturday, November 20, 1943 he was mortally wounded, during offensive operations against the Imperial army forces. Succeeding the Battle, his Brothers-in-Arms buried him in the Betio Lone Palm battlefield cemetery. In the post-war era, this Marines’ family requested that he be buried with Military Honors at Honolulu Memorial Cemetery, with interment January 31, 1949 Location: Honolulu, Hawaii. This American Patriot received the following decoration posthumously: Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. The Bronze was awarded to the Marine for Bravery, Act of Merit and Meritorious Service in Combat, and the Purple Heart for his Heroism and ultimate sacrifice.