Staff Sergeant Ralph McDonald, United States Army Air Force. He was born to a family in rural Georgia who found another child was too many to care for. Ralph was adopted by Robie and Mary Baldwin McDonald who had been married for eight years and did not have children of their own. Both were living and working in Georgia but were natives of Alabama. The family moved back to Alabama during the Great Depression, closer to their extended families. Ralph and his cousins spent much time together playing, going to church and telling family tales. Ralph's schooling ended at sixth grade and as a teenager he moved to find work in Alanta, Georgia. He worked as a driver of various vehicles from taxi cabs, buses, and trucks. On January 24, 1941, Ralph visited the enlistment office at Fort McPherson in Atlanta and joined the U.S. Army Air Force. Records say he was single, blue-eyed, had brown hair, stood five-foot-and-nine-inches tall, and weighed 124 pounds. He was trained as a tail-gunner and was a member of the 578th Bomber Squadron, 8th Air Force, 392nd Bomb Group. On the morning of April 29, 1944, Ralph and his crew loaded bombs onto their B-24 plane, dispatched to bomb in Belin, Germany. The aircraft was shot down just north of Hanover, Germany and the entire crew of ten was lost. His remains were recovered more than 66 years later and was buried on March 25, 2011 next to his mother's final resting place. His survivors are his cousins. Copyright by findagrave contributor 46778782. He is also honored and remembered at Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial and part of a group burial for the entire crew at Arlington National Cemetery. [Please see that memorial for complete crew list/links.]
Staff Sergeant Ralph McDonald, United States Army Air Force. He was born to a family in rural Georgia who found another child was too many to care for. Ralph was adopted by Robie and Mary Baldwin McDonald who had been married for eight years and did not have children of their own. Both were living and working in Georgia but were natives of Alabama. The family moved back to Alabama during the Great Depression, closer to their extended families. Ralph and his cousins spent much time together playing, going to church and telling family tales. Ralph's schooling ended at sixth grade and as a teenager he moved to find work in Alanta, Georgia. He worked as a driver of various vehicles from taxi cabs, buses, and trucks. On January 24, 1941, Ralph visited the enlistment office at Fort McPherson in Atlanta and joined the U.S. Army Air Force. Records say he was single, blue-eyed, had brown hair, stood five-foot-and-nine-inches tall, and weighed 124 pounds. He was trained as a tail-gunner and was a member of the 578th Bomber Squadron, 8th Air Force, 392nd Bomb Group. On the morning of April 29, 1944, Ralph and his crew loaded bombs onto their B-24 plane, dispatched to bomb in Belin, Germany. The aircraft was shot down just north of Hanover, Germany and the entire crew of ten was lost. His remains were recovered more than 66 years later and was buried on March 25, 2011 next to his mother's final resting place. His survivors are his cousins. Copyright by findagrave contributor 46778782. He is also honored and remembered at Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial and part of a group burial for the entire crew at Arlington National Cemetery. [Please see that memorial for complete crew list/links.]
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SSGT, US ARMY AIR FORCES WORLD WAR II
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