Donald Monroe
Donald Monroe was born 19-Apr 1920 in Webster Groves, St. Louis County MO. His service number was 371939. He was the son of Guy Monroe (1889-1933) and Lucille Monroe (1892-?). His father and mother died when Donald was young, and he and his few siblings were raised by relatives. In 1935 he was known to be under the care and guidance of Father Flanagan. There was a famous endeavor known as Boy’s Town, a community in Nebraska, mostly for orphans and displaced children of the Depression era. Donald enlisted in the US Navy on September 19, 1939. His aunt Nannie Steward was recorded as his next of kin. In July, 1941 Donald wrote to Father Flanagan while stationed aboard the USS Arizona. – “I am now in Honolulu. It’s very warm here. I saw the motion picture on Boys Town. We had it on our ship the USS Arizona. It was wonderful! I enjoyed myself. Everyone enjoyed it. All the boys on the ship ask me was Boys Town just like in the picture? I told them was you up and down.” Donald was a Steward’s Mate Second Class.
On 6-Dec 1941, the Arizona returned to its base at Pearl Harbor. The next morning, at approximately 7:55 AM, Japan launched a surprise attack on the naval base. For nearly two hours, more than 350 Japanese aircraft—which included torpedo planes, bombers, and fighters—dropped bombs on U.S. vessels. At approximately 8:10 AM, the Arizona was struck by a 1,760-pound (800-kg) projectile. The impact caused munitions and fuels to ignite, creating a massive explosion that reportedly lifted the battleship out of the water. As it sank, the ship was struck by more bombs. In addition, some claimed that the Arizona was also hit by torpedoes, though no evidence was found to support that assertion. While 334 crew members survived, the death toll on the Arizona was 1,177 and remain entombed on the ship today.
His body was never recovered. Donald Monroe was likely posthumously awarded the following medals:
- Purple Heart
- Combat Action Ribbon
- World War II Victory Medal
- American Campaign Medal
- Navy Presidential Unit Citation
- Navy Good Conduct Medal
- Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
- Navy Expeditionary Medal
He is memorialized at the Tablets of the Missing in Honolulu Hawaii.
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