Dean, Donald J. (1911-2002)

https://reflections.mndigital.org/catalog/stc:9870#/kaltura_audio

Biographical Information: Born in Ashby, Minnesota on September 14, 1911, Donald Dean enlisted into service on July 5, 1942 and joined the 133rd Ordinance Maintenance Battalion. He was present at the Battle of the Bulge as well as the liberation of the Mauthausen concentration camp. Dean had gotten married prior to being shipped overseas and had two sons.

Transcript Summary: Donald Dean described his experiences serving with the 133rd Ordinance Maintenance Battalion as a vehicle repairman during World War II. After training, Dean was shipped to England before his unit moved to Normandy, France in the fall of 1944, after it was declared a non-combat zone. Dean participated in the Battle of the Bulge, where he was responsible for issuing parts to vehicles for maintenance and combat repairs. In one instance, Dean described playing a “game” of hide-and-seek with a German plane that had spotted their truck while in Belgium. Dean discussed how he and another soldier, Glenn Johnson, billeted with a family while stationed near Bastogne, and befriended them. Though Dean returned to Europe on a reunion trip in 1984, he did not make it down to see the family. In another instance, Dean volunteered to deliver a 1939 Ford V8 car to Prague for an ambassador. He and a friend had three days to drive it behind the “Iron Curtain” through Czechoslovakia, they took all three days to explore the area and Prague before delivering the vehicle. Dean was also present shortly after the liberation of the Mauthausen concentration camp, and described the scene of the former prisoners and their actions towards their former German captors. Dean concluded the interview by sharing a personal story about his son refusing to fight in Vietnam if drafted.

Interview by David Overy