John Joseph Donahue was born on November 9, 1923, in Dinwiddie, Dinwiddie County, Virginia. He was the son of John Carter Donahue and Clare C. Coleman Donahue. He served in the 703rd Bomber Squadron, 445th Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Technical Sergeant and Radio Operator of B-24 #41-29579 nicknamed 'Clay Pidgeon' during World War II.

On September 27, 1944, “Clay Pidgeon” took part in the mission against targets in the Kassel, Germany area while operating from RAF Tibenham, England. During the operation, the 445th Bomb Group became separated from the main bomber stream in clouds and was left without effective fighter escort. Exposed and flying alone, the formation was attacked by large numbers of German fighter aircraft in one of the most intense air battles of the war. Clay Pidgeon was shot down during the engagement and crashed in German-held territory. Its loss was recorded in a U.S. Army Air Forces Missing Air Crew Report and formed part of the catastrophic Kassel mission, during which the 445th Bomb Group suffered one of the heaviest single-day losses ever sustained by a U.S. heavy bombardment group in the European air war.

TSgt Donahue was Killed in Action and is now buried in the Saint Josephs Roman Catholic Cemetery, Petersburg, City of Petersburg, Virginia, USA.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, en.wikipedia.org