By Deborah Larsen
Donald Maynard Clark
Donald Maynard Clark was born in Rochester, Michigan, on November 12, 1924, the son of Gale and Florence Kunzi Clark. The Clark family lived on Drace Street, and Donald attended Rochester schools. Before the war, Donald worked at Yellow Truck & Coach in Pontiac.
In March 1943, Donald entered the U.S. Army. After training, he was assigned to the 377th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion, which was part of the 101st Airborne Division. The 377th landed at Normandy on D-Day and later participated in Operation Market Garden to clear a path for the Allied advance toward Germany by seizing and holding key bridges. During this operation, Donald was wounded while fighting in the Netherlands. He later wrote about his injury and recovery:
“I was there [in Holland] for just about seventy days when I had the misfortune of catching the blast from a German 88 or larger full in the face. I was evacuated and sent to a hospital. I spent a couple of weeks there until I finally got tired of it and asked to be relieved so that I could return to my unit.”
Donald was released from military service in December 1945.
After the war, Donald married, started a family, and moved to Holly, Michigan, where he operated the Holly Cab Company for many years.
Donald Maynard Clark died at age 59 on June 7, 1984, and was laid to rest in Holly, Michigan.