f K r A I' A \*
^ i W vl\
SERGEANT MAJORVtLLIAM P. DONOVAU 1®LATES DUTY WITH 3MARINE DIVISIONS
AND SEVERAL MARINE BARRACKS DURING 2Q YEARS OF COLORFUL MARINE SERVICE
oergeant Major Donovan joined the
Marine Corps on 29 November 1937,
at Chicago, Illinois and attended
Recruit Camp at San Diego, Calif.
His first duty Stationwas at Brem
erton, Washington in February 1938
as a member of the Security Guard
Force. Transferred aboard the twin
screw cruiser USS SALT LAKE CITY
and then on to Marine Bks, Great
Lakes during June 1940. Private
Donovan was discharged on ,28Nov4l
but as World War II broke .out, en
listed in the active reserves for
the duration of the war. He went
back to San Diego and then to Camp
Elliott, joining "K” Battery, 4thBn
10th Marines, 2dMarDiv as a Pvt.,
instrument man. Donovan was then
promoted to PFC and again to Cor
poral and transferred to the 3dMar
Div -as a cadre in charge of the
Battalion survey crew. InSeptember
1942, Corporal Donovan was promoted
to Sergeant and sailed with the 3d
Marine Division to New Zealand and
later.to Guadalcanal. He partici
pated in the Bougainville invasion
and was field promoted to 2d Lieu
tenant on 2 Jan 1944. After part
icipating in the Iwo invasion and
the retaking of Guam, he returned
to the States for release from act
ive duty. Recalled to. active duty
•,in 1948, he was ordered to duty
Camp. Pendleton and duty with the
Brigade. He participated in the
Korean brush fire in 1951, serving
as the forward observer with the
IstBn, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Div
ision, then back to the States for
release again from active duty in
July of that year. Recalled once
more in 1952, he joined the 3^Mar
Div again at Camp Pendleton to
and sent to Japan with them where
he served as Commanding Of ficer of
"A" Battery, IstBn, 12th Marines.
In March 1954, SgtMaj DONOVAN was
transferred to the IstMarDiv in
Korea, commanding H&S Battery, 2d
Battalion, 11th Marines. Uponhis
return to the States this time, he
was transferred to 29 Palms,Calif
ornia for du>ty with Force Troops,
FMFPAC. In 1955* while at the
Palms, he resigned his commission
as a Major in the reserves and re
enlisted as a Master Sergeant. He
was soon transferred to Vallejo,
California Marine Barracks serv
ing as Guard Chief and Training
NCO during 1956 and 57 and then
hack to 29 Palms once more, wherd
he served as Sergeant Major of the
1st Field Artillery Group and latep
as Sergeant Major for Force Troops
under the command of MajGen Alfa
Bowser. Promoted to the rank of
Sergeant Major in 1955, Sergeant
Major Donovan was transferred to
Adak in June of i960 to serve as
Sergeant Major, Marine Barracks.
His wife, Ruth, and their dau
ghter, Sharon, who will enter the
Freshman Class at Adak High this
Fall, reside here with him. They
expect to he transferred back to
CONUS during December of this year.
FROM THE ANNALS OF MARINE CORPS
BATTLES, the date 15 June 1944:
The 2nd and 4th Marine Divisions
with the 27th Army Division in re
serve landed on Saipan,and crushed
enemy resistance after 25 days hard
fiehtine.
’•MARINE BARRACKS, A DAK, ALASKA”