S1/c Donald William Garrison was born in Cook County, Illinois, on July 14, 1925, to Edward W. and Antoinette M. Garrison, and had three sisters and two brothers. His family resided at 2655 North 72nd Court, Elmwood Park, Illinois. He graduated from John Mills Middle School and then – since Elmwood Park was undistracted for a high school – chose to attend Proviso Township High School in Maywood. He left after completing his first year and it is not known what he did after he left school.
Donald enlisted in the US Navy on April 21, 1943, in Chicago. He did his basic training at Great Lakes Naval Station. His serial number was 726 63 08. After that, it is not known where he trained. What is known is that he became a member of the USS Nashville which was a light cruiser. Records show he was on the ship’s muster from July 31, 1943 until December 14, 1944. On December 14th, during the battle to retake the Philippine Islands, while the ship was off the Negros Island it came under attack from Japanese planes. A Japanese a kamikaze hit the ship about ten feet off its deck – the two bombs it was carrying exploded when it hit the ship – at the port 5 inch/127milimeter gun mount. The plane’s fuel set the deck on fire killing 133 members of its crew. S1/c Donald Garrison was among those men killed. From his Individual Deceased Personnel File, the burns he received covered his entire body.
Records show that three days later, on December 16, 1944, he was buried, in a shelter half since caskets were not available, in the United States Armed Forces Cemetery, Tacloban #2, Leyte, Philippine Islands, in grave 75 with a cross marking his grave. Most of those buried around him were also members of the Nashville’s crew. His grave would later be designated Grave 1726.
After the war, the military was consolidating the cemeteries and moving the dead from the smaller cemeteries to new American Military Cemeteries. At some point, Donald’s remains were exhumed and taken to what was called the American Military Mausoleum in Manila. The mausoleum was a series of hangers at Nichols Field in the city. His remains were casketed and placed in storage in Hanger 802, Bay Q, Crypt 4849. His parents then received a letter telling them the options available to them for Donald’s final burial. They were asked to fill-out and return an enclosed form to the Office of Quartermaster General, Washington DC. The form was returned indicating that they wanted their son returned to the United States and buried at Rock Island National Cemetery. The cemetery was later changed.
Donald’s casket on the USAT Dalton Victory on July 10, 1948, and the ship sailed. It arrived at Fort Mason om the San Francisco Port of Entry on August 13, 1948, after making stops at other islands so the caskets of other men could be sent home. By train with a military escort, Donald’s casket was sent to the Quartermaster Corps Distribution Center #13 in Chicago. In a military hearse, with an escort, his casket was sent to the Daniel J. Murphy Funeral Home, Elmwood Park. On September 8, 1948, S1c Donald W. Garrison was buried at the Chapel Hills Gardens West Cemetery, Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois.
