Donald Eugene Purcell was born on 14. Oct. 1920 at Demopolis, Marengo County, Alabama. He was the son of
Thomas Eugene Purcell and
Lula Edna Porter. Served with the 8th Air Force--England bt 1942 - 1945. Donald Eugene Purcell married
Dorothy Bert McCrary, daughter of
Jewell Watson McCrary and
Daisye Eugene Laupton, on 26. Jun. 1945 at Hueytown, Jefferson County, Alabama. Don was a Captain and pilot of a B-24. The planes name was 'SNAFU' and had a full length painting of a pinup next to the name. After the war he went to work for Eastern Airlines, flying out of Atlanta, GA., and retired on his 60th b-day.
Military service data:
He enlisted on 7 May 1942 and trained at Maxwell Field, Alabama; Union City, Tenn; New Port, Ark; Nashville, Tenn; Tucson, Ariz; and Alamogordo, N.Mex. and was discharged on 5 June 1945 in Atlanta, GA.
He was stationed in England in the 8th Air Force, 466th Bomber Group. He flew 30 combat missions and did not have one of his crew members get wounded. That is amazing because he was either the lead plane in the 'Vee' formations or the alternate. That was because he was one of the designated planes to carry the 'Norden Bomb Sight' and those planes were the target of the German's.
After the war Don flew passenger planes for Eastern Air Lines out of Atlanta, GA., until his manditory retirement at age 60 years. Eddie Rickenbacker, was the President of Eastern Air Lines and a Captain in WW I where he won the Medal of Honor as a fighter pilot.