Flag honors veteran of Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps
NEW BEDFORD — During September, the 444th flag waving atop Old Glory Tower honored the memory of World War II veteran Donald C. Allen of Fairhaven, who died Oct. 9, 1994, at age 69.
Born in New Bedford, he served in three branches of the military over his lifetime. Enlisting in the Marines in 1942 on his 17th birthday, he saw action in the Marshalls, Saipan, Tinian and Iwo Jima. He received the Presidential Unit Citation for "outstanding performance in combat during the seizure of the Japanese-held islands of Saipan and Tinian in the Marianas from June 15 to Aug. 1, 1944."
Following his discharge from the Marines in November 1945, Allen enlisted with the Naval Reserve. Then in February 1948, after an honorable discharge from the Navy, he enlisted in the Air Force and was assigned to Westover Air Force Base, working as a senior aircraft mechanic of the 1255th Air Transport Squadron in the Atlantic Division of the Military Transport Service.
Honorably discharged from the Air Force in February 1952, he was employed by NYNEX as a cable splicer for 33 years until his retirement in January 1986.
Allen was married to Jeanne A. (Houghton) Allen and was the father of three daughters, Susan Zahradnik of San Juan Capistrano, Calif., Deborah Gabriel of New Bedford and Judith Allen of Natick.
According to Gabriel, Allen enjoyed working on plane engines in the Air Force, but he was most proud of his service in the Marines.
Allen had a passion for reading geography and military history and was an avid collector of miniature models of cars and planes.
"His collection would fill three rooms," Gabriel said. "It was immense."
The late Joseph Theodore, a World War II veteran and Purple Heart recipient, began the practice of flying veterans' flags above Old Glory Tower 37 years ago.
Linda Ferreira, a marketing representative at Ashley Ford in New Bedford, researches the life histories of area veterans, and Paul Neary, general manager of the dealership, raises the memorial flags on the veterans' behalf.