North, Donald Wayne

Item

Title: North, Donald Wayne
Gender: Male
Biography: 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.(Committee on Government Operations) 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.
Member: North family
Birth date: 21 Oct 1933
Place of birth: Constance (Ky.)
Father: North, Charles Sherman
Mother: Morand, Jeanette Brown
Death date: 14 Nov 1953
Place of death: St. Elizabeth Hospital (Covington, Ky.); Covington (Ky.)
Death and burial information: Cause of death: Basal skull fracture and internal injuries due to automobile accident; Hebron Lutheran Church Cemetery (Hebron, Ky.)
Occupation(s): Soldier
Employed by: U.S. Army
Military service: Co. D, 1st Cavalvry Division, U.S. Army
Held rank: Private first class
Service began: 20 Oct 1950
Service ended: 14 Nov 1953
Resided in: Constance (Ky.); Ludlow (Ky.)
Bibliographic citation(s): U.S., Korean War Prisoners of War, 1950-1954; Committee on Government Operations. (1954). Korean War Atrocities. [PDF]
Source(s): Kentucky, Birth Index, 1911-1999; Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940; Kentucky Death Records, 1852-1965; U.S., Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1925-1970

Item sets: Korean War, 1950-1953--Veterans--Kentucky--Boone County