1st Battalion 22nd Infantry Donald N. Lee Page 2

1st Battalion 22nd Infantry

Donald N. Lee

Company B and Company D

A Veteran of the 22nd Infantry Regiment

Upon discharge from the Army Donald N. Lee returned to Minneapolis, Minnesota.

He took a bookkeeping course and worked for a couple of years as a mechanic for a
bus company in Minneapolis. He married Eleanor Dorothy Dorn in 1948 and in 1950
they had a daughter Corinne Eleanor and in 1954 a son Mark Allen.

Donald got a job with the State of Minnesota Motor Vehicle Division.
He worked there until he retired in 1980 or 1981.

He was an original member of the Twenty Second Infantry Officer's Association .

Above: Letterhead of the Twenty Second Infantry Officer's Association on a letter sent to Donald N. Lee in early 1946
announcing the deactivation of the Regiment.

Donald and Eleanor attended reunions of the Association together. He kept in touch with his fellow officers
from the 22nd Infantry, noted their passing and wrote letters to their loved ones when they died, giving
glowing remembrances and testimonials to their lives. Donald remained good friends with many
of the officers of the 22nd Infantry such as Bill Boice and John Ruggles throughout their lives.

Before long the Association was changed to include enlisted men and the name was changed to the
22nd Infantry Association. The organization evolved from a World War Two membership only
to one which included veterans of the Regiment from all time periods and the name was finalized
into the 22nd Infantry Regiment Society which still stands proud today.

Donald and Eleanor continued to attend reunions of the Society well into their later years. Donald's son Mark
accompanied him to the reunion in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania which was the last he attended
before his health stopped him from going to further reunions.

Above: The decorations of Donald N. Lee

Top: Combat Infantryman Badge

Center left to right: Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart with two oak leaf clusters, Good Conduct Medal,
American Defense Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
with arrowhead and four bronze service stars, World War II Victory Medal, Army of Occupation Medal with Germany clasp,
WWII French Normandy Commemorative Medal

Below left to right: Presidential Unit Citation with oak leaf cluster, Honorable Service Lapel Button

Bottom: Belgian Fourragere

In 1994 Donald Lee traveled to France to take part in the ceremonies and festivities celebrating
the 50th aniversary of the D-Day landings. He was accompanied by his son Mark.

Above: Donald and Mark Lee were featured in an article in the Lakeville Life & Times
of June 6, 1994 which told of their visit to Normandy and related some history of Donald's
service during the war. The article incorrectly implied Donald had received a "silver star"
but mostly gave an accurate description of his wartime experiences.

Above: Donald N. Lee is awarded the WWII French Normandy Commemorative Medal
by a French dignitary in Normandy, France during the celebrations of the 50th anniversary
of the D-Day landings which took place in June 1994.

Donald Lee's personal display

Donald Lee's personal license plate.
"Ivy" for the 4th Infantry "Ivy" Division and "22" for the 22nd Infantry Regiment

Donald N. Lee lived to the age of 87 and died on December 16, 2005.

The lines of the tribute to him on the Find A Grave website speak volumes
of the man who was a veteran of the 22nd Infantry Regiment:

"We lost a gentle man On December 16, 2005 Father, friend, husband, grandfather and favorite brother-in-law, amongst others.
Donald Lee had a rich circle to sustain him. He was born on July 25, 1918. He was a lifelong resident of Minneapolis
and told stories about how he and his young friends would test their 'jalopies' on the hills of Mount Curve. He was
a member of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church and the VFW for over 50 years, and worked for the State of Minnesota for nearly 30.
Don served in World War II as a 1st Lieutenant and landed on Utah Beach on D-Day. He was wounded multiple times and his continuing
appreciation of the small things in life were evidenced in letters from the Front, one of which talks of nearly spilling his 'precious cup of coffee'
when a bomb detonated a building behind him. His children would like to say that it was an honor having him as a father."

Grave marker for Donald N. Lee

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