Donald V. Bennett Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
Donald V. Bennett (May 9, 1915- ) retired as a four star general from the U.S. Army in 1974. He graduated from West Point in 1940 and served overseas in WWII. Bennett won the Distinguished Service Cross as well as two Purple Hearts for his service. As a Lieutenant Colonel, Bennett, along with the 62nd Armored Field Artillery Battalion on the 6th of June 1944 landed with the second wave at 0720 on D-Day. His party was subjected to a tremendous volume of machine gun fire which inflicted 50 percent casualties before they reached the comparative safty of the shingle at the base of the cliff adjoining the beach. Observing that following units were pinned down on the beach, he immediately left his cover and moved about the beach under heavy fire in order to assemble and reorganize the infantry assault companies, four tanks, and an antiaircraft unit. By redistributing the remaining officers and equipment; by emplacing the .50 calibre machine guns of the antiaircraft unit so as to give close support to the infantry; and by raidioing for tank and artillery fire support from the LCTs, he organized a sizeable force and at about 1000 hours, successfully assaulted the ridge. He then continued moving about the beach under intense fire and succeeded in locating a protcted place to bring his battalion and move it across the beach. Lieutenant Colonel Bennett, in disregarding his own safety under such heavy enemy fire throughout the day and in his clear thinking contributed immeasureably to the establishment of the beachhead.Bennett was born in Lakeside, Ohio May 9, 1915 and has retired to Asheville, North Carolina. He entered military service from Ohio. General Bennett recounts his WWII experience in his memoir, Honor Untarnished, published by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC in 2003. General Bennett also served as superintendent of West Point from 1966 to 1969.
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