An professional uncovered new particulars in regards to the mysterious lifetime of a forgotten Lengthy Island hero killed in World Conflict II after an article in The Submit impressed him to cement the soldier’s place in historical past — however one large query mark stays.
The story of Albertson-born First Lt. John Joseph McDonald, who was killed in Normandy, had been largely misplaced to time till a latest story about his heroics as an Military Air Corps bomber sparked newfound curiosity.
The story caught the attention of army historian John Plotkin, who spent two months researching McDonald to search out out extra about his upbringing and his valor within the face of lethal battle.
“If I hadn’t seen the article, I’d by no means have recognized he existed,” Plotkin stated. “He’s just like the lots of of hundreds of others who didn’t come residence.”
Sadly, he additionally got here up in opposition to some nagging mysteries that also encompass his life, which ended throughout the Nice Campaign. The story of his marriage — and id of his spouse — remains to be a thriller, for now.
Plotkin, a Decatur, Georgia, native, first learn the article in June that described a bunch of Chaminade Excessive College college students who had prayed on the battlefield grave of McDonald, who graduated from the Mineola Catholic faculty in 1935.
Chaminade president Brother Thomas Cleary had very restricted details about McDonald on the time, however stated a number of individuals got here ahead to assist fill within the gaps of McDonald’s life because the story was first revealed.
“They learn the article in The Submit, and it simply caught individuals’s creativeness,” Cleary stated. “He’s poured again into our lives.”
Plotkin traveled to Lengthy Island on Monday to talk with the scholars who visited the grave.
He informed them that McDonald, whose B-26 aircraft was fatally shot down on D-Day plus two — June 8, 1944 — had a extremely “uncommon” upbringing in Nassau County.
McDonald was the one little one of an Irish immigrant household, and his father, additionally John, made a residing by buying horses for rich tycoons just like the DuPonts and the Belmonts, for whom the Triple Crown horse race is called.
His dad later grew to become a New York Metropolis cop, and the youthful McDonald was referred to as Jackie to simply establish one from the opposite, based on info another person relayed to Cleary.
Jackie first enlisted within the Marines proper out of college in 1936, which was additionally distinguishable for the time, Plotkin stated.
“He’s uncommon in that he went into the service within the 30s,” stated Plotkin. “Most individuals didn’t.”
McDonald, who grew to become a bandsman within the Corps, was ultimately stationed in Peking, China, the place the personal top quality contracted an undisclosed sickness that sickened the soldier for nearly a 12 months in 1940.
“It clearly was a legit illness,” Plotkin stated. “Nothing shameful, as a result of he was given an excellent conduct discharge, and his character was rated as glorious.”
McDonald bravely re-enlisted within the Military a 12 months later and flew tons of perilous bombing raids on German infrastructure in Europe, intentionally drawing the enemy’s air drive into the sky.
“The true recreation was to drive the Luftwaffe to stand up and assault them. They have been bait in order that the American fighters may chew up the German air drive,” Plotkin stated.
“He obtained the Air Medal with 11 oak leaf clusters — that interprets into at the very least 22 or 23 missions.”
The 387th bomber group member was additionally awarded the Purple Coronary heart and the Distinguished Flying Cross earlier than being killed in motion.
Plotkin did attain one useless finish on McDonald’s life stuffed with nerve and braveness — particulars on the soldier’s spouse, whom he wed whereas on depart in 1943.
She is recognized in data as solely “Mrs. JJ McDonald.”
“I searched up and down, backwards and forwards,” stated Plotkin, including that the girl wasn’t even listed as subsequent of kin.
“I couldn’t discover something indicating who this woman was … I’m not giving up. I intend to dig.”
