Don Baldwin was killed in February 1945, three months before the end of WW2. He served in the 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion (PIB), part of the First Airborne Task Force - a unit made up of American and British personnel. This is his known history, detailed by his Great Nephew Dan Baldwin, son of Kenneth Joseph Baldwin, Don’s only nephew. Dan is campaigning to find out any information about Don, especially what happened during the last few weeks of his life. This is some of what we do know about Don:

Don Baldwin was born in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1912. He graduated from Washington High School and earned an academic scholarship to Butler University. He was initially drafted into service on March 27, 1941 where he successfully served one tour of duty. Even though his younger brother Kenny told him, “Don¹t do it. You¹re committing suicide!” Don decided to reenlist as a Corporal with the Airborne and served as a medic with the 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion.

After heavy fighting during the Battle of the Bulge, which nearly wiped out the 551st PIB, Don along with surviving 551st members Jack Affleck, Dewey Bentley, and Wesley Richard moved back to Juslenville, Belgium on January 10th, 1945 where they lived two weeks with a Belgian family. This is the last piece of history known about Don.

Upon the deactivation of the 551st PIB on January 23, 1945, Don was transferred to an unknown unit of the 82nd Airborne and was KIA shortly thereafter. Don was interred in Belgium, and was finally laid to rest in Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis in 1947. His family is actively looking for information on the final few weeks of Don and his unit, anything that can help please email me!

The 551st was a battalion sized unit with a strength of 796 enlisted men and 46 officers. It was commanded by a well respected and admired young Lieutenant Colonel, Wood Joeerg. the Battalion arrived in Italy on May 25th, where it intensified training preparing for its combat role in the Southern France Invasion. On D-3, the 551st moved north of Rome to Montalto airfield, a dirty cow pasture lined with pup tents. Sealed from the outside world, the men were thoroughly briefed by means of sand tables, maps and aerial photographs, while D-Day targets and objectives were finally revealed. Just before D-Day , these paratroops were to take part in the second American mission of the day."Operation Bluebird" and conduct the first Battalion sized combat jump.