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donald_w._north

Donald Wayne North (1933-1953)

Donald Wayne North of the First Cavalry Division was born in Constance on October 21, 1933. His parents were Charles North, an archaeologist working for the Works Progress Administration, and Jeanette Morand. He enlisted in 1950 and served in the Fifth Medical Detachment. North was captured on September 6, 1961 and became a prisoner of war in the Changsong POW Camp 1, where conditions were so brutal it has been estimated that 500 Americans died over a three-month period.1) He survived there for 24 months, being repatriated on August 21, 1953. He returned home at the Greater Cincinnati Airport, where his family, friends, representatives from Veterans of Foreign Wars and Boone Post 4 of the American Legion, Judge C. L. Cropper, and the county attorney greeted him. There was also a “motor parade” through Erlanger, Crescent Springs, and Constance.

In November of 1953, North was driving up from Fort Knox, since he was due back there after a 30-day leave and had three months left in the military before being eligible for discharge. One mile outside of Independence on Madison Pike, North’s car struck a telephone pole, leaving him with a skull fracture and internal injuries. He was pronounced dead on arrival at St. Elizabeth Hospital. He was driving with three other passengers—Patsy Riddle, Wanda Infram, and Alice Delk—who sustained only minor injuries.

North was awarded the Infantryman’s Badge, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, and the Unit Citation Award. He is buried in Hebron Cemetery.

References

Ancestry.com, WWI, WWII, and Korean Casualty Listings [database online]. Provo,UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2005.

1)
(1) Committee on Government Operations. (1954). Korean War Atrocities. https://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/Military_Law/pdf/KW-atrocities-Report.pdf
donald_w._north.txt · Last modified: 2020/11/03 18:42 by 127.0.0.1