Two of Ridgewood's 113 Honored Dead died after the fighting had stopped; one was not even in the service when he died.
Charles "Don" Connolly was born August 7, 1924 and lived at 214 Fairfield Ave. with his sister and parents. Nicknamed "corn", he graduated from Ridgewood High School in 1942 where was on the student council, Hi Y, the art committee for the Arrow, did stage and ticket committees, decoration and publicity for the Junior and Senior Proms, was in the senior play, bowled and played intramural basketball. He attended the Citadel for a year and entered the service June 22, 1943, volunteering for service in the paratroopers and was assigned to Company G, 517th Parachute Infantry, 17th Airborne Division - "Golden Talon" - one of the U.S. Army's first elite combat units. Initially formed in March of 1943, they trained in the backwoods of Georgia.
Don went overseas February 11, 1945 as the 517th assembled near Hurtgen and on March 1 they joined the 13th Airborne Division at Joigny, France for the final thrust into Germany after the Battle of the Bulge.
He returned victoriously to the USA with the 517th August 22, 1945, moved to Fort Bragg and was discharged February 5, 1946. He fell ill the following day. He survived some of the fiercest fighting of the final days of the war but died of tuberculoses September 3, 1946 at the Cornell Medical Center in New York City. As such, he is the only name among Ridgewood's 113 Honored Dead who did not die while on active service. He is buried in J 167C #1 at George Washington Memorial Park, Paramus. At death, he was 22 years old
From book "At Death He was 25 Years Old" By Christopher C. Stout (F.A.G. contributor #48289027)
Charles "Don" Connolly was born August 7, 1924 and lived at 214 Fairfield Ave. with his sister and parents. Nicknamed "corn", he graduated from Ridgewood High School in 1942 where was on the student council, Hi Y, the art committee for the Arrow, did stage and ticket committees, decoration and publicity for the Junior and Senior Proms, was in the senior play, bowled and played intramural basketball. He attended the Citadel for a year and entered the service June 22, 1943, volunteering for service in the paratroopers and was assigned to Company G, 517th Parachute Infantry, 17th Airborne Division - "Golden Talon" - one of the U.S. Army's first elite combat units. Initially formed in March of 1943, they trained in the backwoods of Georgia.
Don went overseas February 11, 1945 as the 517th assembled near Hurtgen and on March 1 they joined the 13th Airborne Division at Joigny, France for the final thrust into Germany after the Battle of the Bulge.
He returned victoriously to the USA with the 517th August 22, 1945, moved to Fort Bragg and was discharged February 5, 1946. He fell ill the following day. He survived some of the fiercest fighting of the final days of the war but died of tuberculoses September 3, 1946 at the Cornell Medical Center in New York City. As such, he is the only name among Ridgewood's 113 Honored Dead who did not die while on active service. He is buried in J 167C #1 at George Washington Memorial Park, Paramus. At death, he was 22 years old
From book "At Death He was 25 Years Old" By Christopher C. Stout (F.A.G. contributor #48289027)
Two of Ridgewood's 113 Honored Dead died after the fighting had stopped; one was not even in the service when he died.
Charles "Don" Connolly was born August 7, 1924 and lived at 214 Fairfield Ave. with his sister and parents. Nicknamed "corn", he graduated from Ridgewood High School in 1942 where was on the student council, Hi Y, the art committee for the Arrow, did stage and ticket committees, decoration and publicity for the Junior and Senior Proms, was in the senior play, bowled and played intramural basketball. He attended the Citadel for a year and entered the service June 22, 1943, volunteering for service in the paratroopers and was assigned to Company G, 517th Parachute Infantry, 17th Airborne Division - "Golden Talon" - one of the U.S. Army's first elite combat units. Initially formed in March of 1943, they trained in the backwoods of Georgia.
Don went overseas February 11, 1945 as the 517th assembled near Hurtgen and on March 1 they joined the 13th Airborne Division at Joigny, France for the final thrust into Germany after the Battle of the Bulge.
He returned victoriously to the USA with the 517th August 22, 1945, moved to Fort Bragg and was discharged February 5, 1946. He fell ill the following day. He survived some of the fiercest fighting of the final days of the war but died of tuberculoses September 3, 1946 at the Cornell Medical Center in New York City. As such, he is the only name among Ridgewood's 113 Honored Dead who did not die while on active service. He is buried in J 167C #1 at George Washington Memorial Park, Paramus. At death, he was 22 years old
From book "At Death He was 25 Years Old" By Christopher C. Stout (F.A.G. contributor #48289027)
Charles "Don" Connolly was born August 7, 1924 and lived at 214 Fairfield Ave. with his sister and parents. Nicknamed "corn", he graduated from Ridgewood High School in 1942 where was on the student council, Hi Y, the art committee for the Arrow, did stage and ticket committees, decoration and publicity for the Junior and Senior Proms, was in the senior play, bowled and played intramural basketball. He attended the Citadel for a year and entered the service June 22, 1943, volunteering for service in the paratroopers and was assigned to Company G, 517th Parachute Infantry, 17th Airborne Division - "Golden Talon" - one of the U.S. Army's first elite combat units. Initially formed in March of 1943, they trained in the backwoods of Georgia.
Don went overseas February 11, 1945 as the 517th assembled near Hurtgen and on March 1 they joined the 13th Airborne Division at Joigny, France for the final thrust into Germany after the Battle of the Bulge.
He returned victoriously to the USA with the 517th August 22, 1945, moved to Fort Bragg and was discharged February 5, 1946. He fell ill the following day. He survived some of the fiercest fighting of the final days of the war but died of tuberculoses September 3, 1946 at the Cornell Medical Center in New York City. As such, he is the only name among Ridgewood's 113 Honored Dead who did not die while on active service. He is buried in J 167C #1 at George Washington Memorial Park, Paramus. At death, he was 22 years old
From book "At Death He was 25 Years Old" By Christopher C. Stout (F.A.G. contributor #48289027)
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