DONALD MORLEY
HAINER b. April 14, 1925 Michigan d. Feb
24, 1945
Missing in Action/Killed in Action Iwo Jima
Hospital Apprentice
1c 8625675 Navy 3rd BN 25th Mar Div
Memorials: Honolulu Tablets of the Missing or
Burial at Sea, Hawaii and Detroit Memorial Park, Redford
Parents: Welby & Alvina Emma (Hoeft)
Siblings: Flora, Loraine, Joyce Adel (died age 2)
Welby was born in Canada but was in the US in time
to serve in the army in WWI in spite of having rheumatism. He worked as a
foreman and Receiving Clerk in an Auto Factory in Detroit. Alvina, born in
Rogers City, MI, came from a large German family. She had 12 siblings.
They lived in a nice, small brick home in Brightmoor at
15064 Stout, not one of the cheap B.E. Taylor models that dominated most of Brightmoor. They lived
4 houses away from the Kammer family (also on the blog). Currently for sale,
the house condition is shocking. (Yes, the
homeowners are in the listing photos.) It is a disgrace to the memory of the
Hainers and the people who worked hard for their homes.
Donald graduated from Redford June 1943. He
enlisted July 9, 1943 right after graduation. He was a Hospital Corpsman with
the Navy. A hospital corpsman is an enlisted medical specialist who may serve
in a Marine Corps unit, as was the case with Donald. These corpsmen are often
the only medical care-giver for many Marine units. They also serve as
battlefield corpsmen with the Marines rendering emergency medical treatment to
include initial treatment in a combat environment.
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| USS Solace hospital ship |
He served on the USS Solace AH-5, a hospital ship, in
July 1944 where he served with the Fleet Marines. For much of the time in WWII the
ship avoided direct contact with the enemy. But in Feb 1945, at Iwo Jima, enemy
shells fell within 100 yards from her.
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| Corpsmen on Iwo Jima |
Donald was injured in the foot the summer of 1944, with
the Marines in the Mariana Islands. Then he was wounded again Feb 1945 during the Battle
of Iwo Jima receiving a shot to the abdomen while reaching for his first aid kit
to help a casualty. He died while abroad the rescue ship. Initially he
was reported MIA, later changed to KIA. As the body was unrecoverable it’s
likely he was buried at sea.
He is listed on the Tablets of the Missing and
Burials at Sea and also has a memorial plaque at Detroit Memorial Park West, formerly
designated as a state veteran’s cemetery. He received a Purple Heart
Battle for Iwo Jima 71st Anniversary video:
Very unique experience to learn about Donald is to read some of his personal letters sent home. They were donated by his mother to
The Institute on WWII and The Human Experience at Florida State University.
Excerpts from these letters are on a separate blog post.
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