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Private
First Class Donald G. Cunningham
(Page 3) |
Following the defeat of the
Germans during the Battle of the Bulge, the Regiment returned to Camp
Sissonne February 20, 1945 to await further orders. In early April 1945,
Don and his Regiment were moved to Chartres, France southwest of Paris. At
Chartres, the men of the 508th lived in tents at nearby airfields,
prepared to jump on 48-hour notice to liberate prisoner-of-war camps if
the Germans resorted to atrocities on allied prisoners. But these jumps
were not necessary because the allied prisoners were being freed without
being harmed by the American advancing ground forces as they raced across
Germany in the final days of the war in Europe. In late May 1945, Don and
his Regiment moved back to Sissonne to await further assignment. On June
8, 1945, the Regiment was transferred to Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany to
become part of the occupation forces and Honor Guard for General of the
Army Dwight D. Eisenhower at his Supreme Headquarters, Allied
Expeditionary Force. As the months wore on during occupation duty, the men
of the 508th were gradually being rotated back to the states for discharge
based on a point system. Don’s number came up in September 1945 and he was
discharged from the Army September 12, 1945 and returned to his home in
Indiana. He married and had four children and divorced. He remarried later
and had three more children. Don worked numerous different jobs, holding
several at the same time, to support his family. Don retired from Scot Lad
Foods in April 1984. He spent his remaining years traveling the country,
working on his lawn and flowers, and spent many hours playing with his
grandchildren. Don, the father of seven children was, grandfather to 18
and great grandfather to 10.
Don Cunningham's awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal,
Purple Heart Medal with oak leaf cluster, Parachute Badge, Combat Infantry
Badge, Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, Europe-Africa Campaign
Medal with four bronze battle stars and bronze invasion arrowhead,
National Defense Service Medal, WW-II Victory Medal, WW-II Occupation
Medal, US Distinguished Unit Citation, French Fourragere, Belgian
Fourragere, and the Militaire Willems Orde Degree of Knight (Orange
Lanyard of the Royal Netherlands Army). The 508th Copyright Irv Shanley,
Unauthorized copying or use in any manner is strictly prohibited –
September 2004 Page 3 of 3 pages
Parachute Infantry Regiment distinguished itself during the war in Europe
as the recipient of four special unit citations from France, Belgium,
Holland, and the United States. Don had been wounded twice during the
fighting with battle scars on his left elbow and right knee. Don passed
away March 16, 1997 at the age of 75. |
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Copyright Irv Shanley,
Unauthorized copying or use in any manner is strictly prohibited –
September 2004 Page 3 of 3 pages |
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