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Donald E. Hawk, now deceased, served four years with the U.S. Marines, enlisting at Detroit in January of 1940, and serving in both the North and South Pacific. 

Hawk saw action against the Japanese at Guadalcanal, Bougainville and Guam.  His duty also took him to New Zealand, New Caledonia, Treasure Island, Russell Island, the Marshall Islands, Pearl Harbor and Saipan waters.  He was a quartermaster sergeant at division level.

Mrs. Evelyn (Hawk) Flieg of Farmington, Hawk's widow, wrote, "I made my acquaintance with Quartermaster Sgt. Donald E. Hawk after he completed his tour of duty in the North and South Pacific.   His overseas campaign was over.  When I met him he was still in the Marine Corps.  He experienced many extreme circumstances and months of privations, serving overseas duty from May of 1942 to November of 1944." 

She married Hawk on March 19, 1945, in Bonne Terre.  They had five children, all of whom are still living.  He was employed by St. Joe Lead Company and worked there from 1945 to 1961 when he died in a mining accident. 

Mrs. Flieg recalls of the war, gas rationing: "Remember when you got five gallons a week for residential people.  Men on furlough got five gallons and we had a 35 mile speed limit through the country.  Farmers had T stamps for tractor use and also got ration stamps for a running farm.  Having no vehicle myself and being a teen-ager, I depended on someone else for transportation." 

She also recalled "no new cars were made from 1941 through 1946, you needed a permit for a heating stove, sugar was rationed for $5 a ticket, if you could get it.  Corn meal, bananas and flour were hard to get.  Diapers could only be bought a dozen at a time."

[THE DAILY JOURNAL, St. Francois County., Wednesday, April 26, 1995]

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