October 9, 1944 will always be a date to remember in my Father’s life. This is the date my Dad, 1st Sgt. George Donald, was wounded during WWII. And certainly, had things gone differently, I might not have been here to write this or his book that I call The Heart of a Soldier which I have been working on for a number of years. His action, bravery and determination to save his fellow soldiers that day earned him the Silver Star as well the Purple Heart. After he recovered, he rejoined his unit, the 44th Armored Infantry Battalion, part of Gen. Patton’s Sixth Armored Division, in time to serve during the Battle of the Bulge. He was awarded the Bronze Star for his action and leadership in that battle.
Anyone that knew my Dad, knew him to be a quiet, sweet, fun-loving man, not the tallest man and probably not someone that you would ever suspect was considered a war hero. However, as the expression goes, he had the right stuff. In all the research I’ve done for The Heart of the Soldier, I’m amazed at the challenges those serving faced and overcame. In my Dad’s case, as part of the Normandy invasion, they landed in July, 1944. There were many days of fighting but on October 9th, their platoon was ambushed in France and there were 20 casualties, including the platoon leader who was killed. My Dad told us that the tanks were behind them, unaware of the ambush since the area they were moving through was considered secure. My Father knew they needed to alert the tank unit of the need for support. With little to no cover, Dad had to dive behind the only thing available, a farmer's field of cabbage plants. In the process, he was shot 3 times, once through the nose and also through his shoulder and arm but this did not stop him. My Mom would then always tell us that the Germans were aiming for his head as they knew what he was trying to accomplish. The Silver Star citation said that under heavy enemy fire, he rallied the remainder of the platoon and led them forward and that he led a section of tank destroyers into his area to cover his men while they took up new positions. Although wounded, he continued to lead until he was eventually evacuated due to his injuries. "His aggressive leadership and gallantry are in keeping with the finest traditions of the United States Infantrymen."
I’m very happy to share on this anniversary of my Father’s wounding, that The Heart of a Soldier will be published in early 2022. The Heart of a Soldier centers around Dad's letters written home during the war, my parents' wartime love story, as well as the path and experiences of Patton’s Sixth Armored Division. To provide background to the letters Dad wrote, the book also includes excerpts and discussion of select World War II historical events from both the European Theater and the Pacific Theater where my uncles also bravely served. It is my hope to honor not only my father and mother, but also my uncles and others from that generation. The Heart of a Soldier also includes excerpts from some of my uncles’ letters and letters from a couple of my parents’ friends who also served. The book definitely provides some insight into the lives of the many soldiers and civilians so greatly impacted by WWII. With so many lives lost during that war, I know my Dad and our family were truly blessed during those war years, even those of us who were at the time still just a “twinkle in my parents’ eyes.” Stay tuned for more updates!!
