Donald Kingdon SANDERS
"Don"
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NUMBER OF SERVICE | O-1287953 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
AGE | 27 yo | |||||||||||||||||||||||
DATE OF BIRTH | 19 December 1917 from St Louis | |||||||||||||||||||||||
ETAT | MISSOURI | |||||||||||||||||||||||
FAMILY |
Married of : Helen | |||||||||||||||||||||||
RANK | Captain | |||||||||||||||||||||||
FONCTION | Infantry | |||||||||||||||||||||||
JOB BEFORE ENLISTEMENT | Student | |||||||||||||||||||||||
DATE of ENLISTEMENT | 1940 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
COMPANY | Company I | |||||||||||||||||||||||
REGIMENT | 121st Infantry Regiment | |||||||||||||||||||||||
DIVISION | 8th Infantry Division | |||||||||||||||||||||||
DATE OF DEATH | 8 August 1944 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
STATUS | KIA | |||||||||||||||||||||||
PLACE OF DEATH | Pleurtuit | |||||||||||||||||||||||
CEMETERY | BRITTANY AMERICAN CEMETERY of St James | |||||||||||||||||||||||
GRAVE |
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DECORATION |
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STORY | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Captain Donald Kingdon SANDERS, Army number O-1287953, was born on 8 November 1916 in Saint-Louis, Missouri. He studied at Washington University where he practised athletics, boxing and swimming. He graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce as head of his class. He married Helen Armstrong MILLER on 21 July 1942 and their only daughter Dona was born on 20 November 1944, after the passing of her father. He enlisted on 16 July 1942 and became 2nd Lieutenant of 63rd Training Bn., C Coy. He joined the 8th Infantry Division on 18 July 1944 as Commander of I Coy, in the 3rd Bn of 121st Inf. Reg. After training in Ireland, the men of 8th Inf. Div. had landed at Utah Beach on 4 July 1944. They fought in La Haye du Puits from 8 to 15 July. Operation Cobra was launched on 25 July in order to break the German lines between Périers and St Lô. On the evening of 30 July, the 6th Armoured Division, commanded by General GROW, liberated Avranches. Pontorson would follow, thus paving the way for the Allied Forces towards Brittany. On 2 August, General PATTON set Brest as his objective. However, the German forces had come to strengthen the garrison in the fortress of Saint-Malo which had to be taken at all costs. The 3rd Bn of Lt-Col. EYLER, including Don SANDERS’ unit, was sent on 6 August to Dinan where the American forces obtained the surrender of the German troops. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
On 7 August at 7:00 a.m., the men of the Combat Team 121, the «JETER Task Force» (named after its commander), now attached to the 83rd Division, headed towards Dinard to attack the German garrison. The 1st and 3rd Bn as well as the 83rd Cavalry Recce Troop opened the march and met a weak enemy resistance. Then they encountered a German patrol which they also eliminated. On 8 August at 7:00 am, the 2nd and 3rd Bn advance as best they can: through the obstacles placed by the enemy for the 2nd Bn, and into a minefield for the 3rd Bn, which slows them down. Around noon, after clearing a stronghold on the road, thus opening an access South of Pleurtuit, the 3rd Bn continues its advance towards the city; the leading elements of the L Coy enter its outskirts without meeting any enemy soldier. On the night of 8-9 August, the Germans blocked again the access to Pleurtuit (chevaux de frise, etc.) and they dug in on either side of the road. The 3rd Bn was now isolated, surrounded and trapped. They would only be delivered by the 1st and 2nd Bn, supported by a platoon of the A Coy of the 709th Bn tanks on 12 August, after several days of intense fighting, at the cost of many victims on both sides as well as civilians.
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Don SANDERS’ body remained where he had fallen for six days and his death was not recorded until 14 August. He received posthumously, among others, the Silver Star and the Purple Heart.
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With Jayson Clark (grandson of Captain Don K. Sanders), to City of Pleurtuit. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
8th INFANTRY DIVISION - GOLDEN ARROW
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SOURCE INFORMATION & PHOTO | Maxime RIVIERE - Jayson CLARK - Abmc.gov - Findagrave.com - facebook.com - Frédéric LAVERNHE - Antoine NOSLIER - Gilles BILLION |
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PROGRAMMER | Garrett, Clive, Frédéric & Renaud |