richard willis donald
1917-2000
Life Story
Early Life and Family Origins in Mississippi
Richard Willis Donald was born on October 26, 1917, in Newton County, Mississippi, to John Donald and Addie B. Ware Donald, the eldest child of a family whose roots ran deep in the Lawrence community of Beat 4. Through his mother, Richard was a grandson of Richard David Ware and Laura Cooper Ware, linking him to one of Newton County’s longstanding African American families. From the lineage of his father, he was the grandson of Lewis Willis Donald and Laura Herd Donald, for whom he was named after his grandfathers.
Richard spent his childhood along the Hillsboro and St. Johns Road, where farming shaped everyday life. The 1920 federal census records him as a two-year-old living with his parents and infant sister, Laura Beatrice Donald. During the following decade, the Donald household continued to grow, and by 1930, Richard was attending school alongside his younger siblings—Beatrice, John Lee, Levie Mae, Cleveland, and Catherine.
Like many African American children growing up in rural Mississippi during the Jim Crow era, Richard balanced education with the expectations of family and community life. Census records note that he was able to read and write, reflecting his parents’ commitment to education despite the unequal opportunities provided by the segregated school system.
Young Adulthood and the Approach of War
As Richard entered adulthood, he sought employment beyond rural Newton County. By 1940, he had relocated approximately thirty miles east to Meridian, Lauderdale County, Mississippi, where new economic opportunities accompanied the city’s railroad and industrial economy.
On October 16, 1940, at twenty-two years of age, Richard registered for the Selective Service as the nation prepared for the possibility of entering World War II. His draft registration described him as 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighing 140 pounds, with a dark complexion, black hair, and brown eyes. At the time, he was employed by B. L. Knost and listed Annie May Donald, his wife, as his next of kin.
Although the United States had not yet entered the war, young men across the country were preparing for military service as global conflict intensified.
Military Service During World War II
Following America’s entry into World War II, Richard answered his country’s call to service.
He enlisted in the United States Army on December 12, 1942, at Camp Shelby, Mississippi, and entered active duty one week later as a Private.
During nearly three years of wartime service, Richard served through some of the conflict’s most critical years. His dedication and leadership earned him promotion to the rank of Sergeant, reflecting both experience and responsibility within his unit.
Like millions of American servicemen, Richard became part of the generation whose military service reshaped both the nation and the lives of those who served. For African American soldiers, military service carried additional significance, as they served honorably while confronting segregation and discrimination both within the armed forces and at home. Their contributions helped lay the foundation for the growing demands for civil rights in the decades that followed.
Richard received an honorable discharge on November 29, 1945, returning to civilian life after faithfully serving throughout the Second World War.
A New Life in New York
Following the war, Richard joined thousands of Southern veterans who migrated north in search of greater economic opportunity.
He relocated to New York City, where on July 2, 1952, he applied for a marriage license in Manhattan with Margree Richard, who was later known as Margaret Richard. This marriage marked the beginning of a new chapter as Richard established permanent roots far from the rural Mississippi community where he had been raised.
The couple eventually settled in Wyandanch, Suffolk County, New York, on Long Island, where Richard spent the remainder of his life. His journey from rural Newton County to suburban Long Island reflected the broader migration patterns of many African American veterans who sought improved employment, housing, and educational opportunities following World War II.
Final Years
Richard Willis Donald remained in Suffolk County during his retirement years.
He passed away on January 15, 2000, at the age of eighty-two. Official military interment records note January 21, 2000, reflecting the administrative date associated with his burial arrangements.
On January 26, 2000, Sergeant Richard W. Donald was laid to rest with full military honors at Long Island National Cemetery in East Farmingdale, New York, Section 2J, Site 908. His burial in a national veterans cemetery stands as lasting recognition of his honorable World War II service and his commitment to his country.
Legacy
Richard Willis Donald belonged to the generation of African Americans whose lives bridged two defining eras of American history.
Born into the segregated rural South, he witnessed the hardships of the Jim Crow era before answering his nation’s call during World War II. Following the war, he embraced the opportunities created by the Great Migration, establishing a new life in New York while carrying with him the values learned in the close-knit farming communities of Newton County.
His story reflects the experiences of countless African American veterans whose military service, migration, and perseverance helped reshape both their families and the nation during the twentieth century. Though his life carried him hundreds of miles from Mississippi, his roots remained firmly planted in the Donald and Ware families whose legacy continues through succeeding generations.
Resting Place
Long Island National Cemetery in East Farmingdale, New York
Photos/Albums
Sources
- 1920 U.S. Census, Newton County, Mississippi, Beat 4, John Donald household.
- 1930 U.S. Census, Newton County, Mississippi, Beat 4, John Donald household.
- Leon F. Litwack, Trouble in Mind: Black Southerners in the Age of Jim Crow (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1998), 237–272.
- U.S. Selective Service System, World War II Draft Registration Card, Richard Willis Donald, October 16, 1940, Meridian, Lauderdale County, Mississippi.
- U.S. Army Enlistment Record, Richard Willis Donald, enlisted December 12, 1942, Camp Shelby, Mississippi.
- WD AGO Form 53–55 (or equivalent military separation record), Richard Willis Donald, documenting service from December 19, 1942, through November 29, 1945, and discharge as Sergeant.
- Chad L. Williams, Torchbearers of Democracy: African American Soldiers in the World War I Era (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2010), 329–346. (For World War II, you may substitute a work focused specifically on African American service during WWII, such as Neil A. Wynn, The African American Experience during World War II.)
- New York City Marriage License Application, Richard Willis Donald and Margree Richard, Manhattan, New York, July 2, 1952.
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Nationwide Gravesite Locator, Richard W. Donald, Long Island National Cemetery, East Farmingdale, New York, Section 2J, Site 908.
- Social Security Death Index and New York death records for Richard Willis Donald, January 2000.
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