Identified Envelopes
Envelopes identified to Donald M. Watson - D Company, 331st Infantry Regiment
Original WWII Army Covers dated May ?, 1945 and June 25, 1945. The envelops where sent by S/Sgt. Donald "Don" Watson to his mother Mrs. Ada Watson in Meyersdale, Pennsylvania. The address the envelope was sent from was APO #83 which was in Calbe (May) and Wernigerode (June), Germany on this dates.
S/Sgt. Donald M. Watson
Staff Sergeant
Donald M. Watson
Staff Sergeant Donald M. Watson
Donald Meyers Watson was born on August 5, 1920 in Youngstown, Ohio to the late Lawrence H. (1887-1948) and Ada E. (Meyers) Watson (1899-1979). His father Lawrence was Englisch-born and arrived in the US at age 17 on February 22, 1905 and worked as a coal miner before he served in the First World War. He married Ada Estelle Meyers in 1919. The family grew in 1922 with the birth of Donald's brother David, then the arrival of a sister, named Kathryn Jane, in 1923 and in 1928 with a second brother Robert.
He enlisted (#33254122) on September 29, 1942 in Altoona, Pennsylvania. The Morning Report from July 5, 1944 listed 33254122 Watson, Donald M., Pvt. at that time, as SWA and transfered to the 34th Evacuation Hospital. Company D was at time in the vicinity of Carentan, Normandy, France. The Morning Report from November 1, 1944 listed "33254122 Watson, Donald M., Pvt. at that time, as promoted to Private First Class while in Moutfort, Luxembourg. For his service he was awarded, among other decorations, the Combat Infantryman's Badge and the Purple Heart Medal
After the war Donald M. Watson married Jennie Catherine Orendorf on December 6, 1946 in Winchester, Virginia. They had two children, Donald Jr. and Barbara. He died on November 10, 1993 and is burried at the Reformed Cemetery, Meyersdale, PA.
click on the images to enlarge
photographs courtesy of Don Watson Jr., son of Donald Watson Sr.