Donald Fredrick Ward

1922 - 1945  (22 years)

• Name	Donald Fredrick Ward
  Birth	23 Aug 1922	St. Louis, St. Louis City, Missouri, USA
  Gender	Male
  Military	1942-1945	World War II
  	Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps. Enlisted 16 Aug 1942, died 3 Mar 1945, in action on Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, Western Pacific. He received the Order of the Purple Heart. Served as Paramarine, U.S. Naval Air Operations; in action forty-one days on Bougainville Island, Southwest Pacific.
  Death	3 Mar 1945	Iwo Jima, South Pacific
  Newspaper	4 Apr 1945	Bloomington, Illinois, USA
  	Donald Ward Dies of Wounds on Iwo Jima. Word was received in Normal Wednesday that a former resident, Donald Ward, son of the Rev. and Mrs. Frank Ward, who has been a member of the marine paratroopers, died of wounds received in action on Iwo Jima on March 2. The parents reside in Tonkawa, Oklahoma, where Mr. Ward is pastor of the First Christian Church. The message of the death was received Friday afternoon by the parents. Mr. War, however, conducted the Easter services on Sunday morning before one of the largest audiences in the history of the church. Letter from Buddy. The parents had previously received a letter from their son, dated Feb. 26, in which he said he had been in battle for seven days. Another letter was received later from his "buddy" saying that Donald had been severely wounded. He had participated in previous campaigns in the Pacific notably at Bougainville. Donald was a student at University High School while his parents resided in Normal for approximately five years. Mr. Ward was pastor of the Normal Christian church, leaving to take over the pastorate in Oklahoma in 1942. Service April 29. Another son, Lt. Frank Ward Jr., also a member of the marines, has also been in campaigns in the Pacific area. He is now recuperating at the home of his parents. He formerly attended Illinois State Normal University. The daughter, Margaret Alice, is also at the parent's home, while her husband, Gordon Longenback, is in service. He is now in Germany seeing action on the western front. Normal friends have been notified that a memorial service for Donald is to be held in Tonkawa on April 29.
  	The Pentagraph, Bloomington, Illinois, April 4, 1945, p 2.
  Burial	Memorial	Camp Butler National Cemetery, Springfield, Sangamon Co, Illinois, USA
  		Donald Fredrick Ward Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps World War II Plot: Section 3, Site 964-M, Memorial
  Person ID	I41347	My Genealogy
  Last Modified	10 Oct 2022

  
  

  Father	Frank Barton Ward,   b. 10 Dec 1889, Bonner Springs, Wyandotte Co, Kansas, USA d. 1 Sep 1955, Shelbyville, Shelby Co, Illinois, USA (Age 65 years)
  Mother	Lillie Mae Wallace,   b. 29 Mar 1890, Cameron, Caldwell Co, Missouri, USA d. 26 Jan 1966, Rantoul, Champaign Co, Illinois, USA (Age 75 years)
  Marriage	4 Oct 1910	Leavenworth Co, Kansas, USA
  Family ID	F16248	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map

  Newspaper - Donald Ward Dies of Wounds on Iwo Jima. Word was received in Normal Wednesday that a former resident, Donald Ward, son of the Rev. and Mrs. Frank Ward, who has been a member of the marine paratroopers, died of wounds received in action on Iwo Jima on March 2. The parents reside in Tonkawa, Oklahoma, where Mr. Ward is pastor of the First Christian Church. The message of the death was received Friday afternoon by the parents. Mr. War, however, conducted the Easter services on Sunday morning before one of the largest audiences in the history of the church. Letter from Buddy. The parents had previously received a letter from their son, dated Feb. 26, in which he said he had been in battle for seven days. Another letter was received later from his "buddy" saying that Donald had been severely wounded. He had participated in previous campaigns in the Pacific notably at Bougainville. Donald was a student at University High School while his parents resided in Normal for approximately five years. Mr. Ward was pastor of the Normal Christian church, leaving to take over the pastorate in Oklahoma in 1942. Service April 29. Another son, Lt. Frank Ward Jr., also a member of the marines, has also been in campaigns in the Pacific area. He is now recuperating at the home of his parents. He formerly attended Illinois State Normal University. The daughter, Margaret Alice, is also at the parent's home, while her husband, Gordon Longenback, is in service. He is now in Germany seeing action on the western front. Normal friends have been notified that a memorial service for Donald is to be held in Tonkawa on April 29. - 4 Apr 1945 - Bloomington, Illinois, USA Burial - Memorial - Camp Butler National Cemetery, Springfield, Sangamon Co, Illinois, USA  = Link to Google Earth