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Donald
J.
MacLellan
POW (Korea)

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Awards Received

  • Distinguished Flying Cross

    Service:

    United States Army Air Forces

    Rank:

    Captain (Air Corps)

    Regiment:

    3d Bombardment Group

    Division:

    5th Air Force

    Action Date:

    World War II

    (Citation Needed) – SYNOPSIS: Captain (Air Corps) Donald J. MacLellan (ASN: 0-790369), United States Army Air Forces, was awarded a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Second Award of the Distinguished Flying Cross for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight while serving with the 3d Bombardment Group, FIFTH Air Force, during World War II. His devotion to duty and courage under all conditions serve as an inspiration to his fellow flyers. His actions on all these occasions reflect the highest credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of the United States.

  • Distinguished Flying Cross

    Service:

    United States Army Air Forces

    Rank:

    Captain (Air Corps)

    Regiment:

    3d Bombardment Group

    Division:

    5th Air Force

    Action Date:

    World War II

    (Citation Needed) – SYNOPSIS: Captain (Air Corps) Donald J. MacLellan (ASN: 0-790369), United States Army Air Forces, was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight while serving with the 3d Bombardment Group, FIFTH Air Force, during World War II. His devotion to duty and courage under all conditions serve as an inspiration to his fellow flyers. His actions on all these occasions reflect the highest credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of the United States.

  • Distinguished Flying Cross

    Service:

    United States Army Air Forces

    Rank:

    Major (Air Corps)

    Regiment:

    3d Bombardment Group

    Division:

    5th Air Force

    Action Date:

    August 10, 1945
    Headquarters, Far East Air Force, General Orders No. 2208 (November 27, 1945)

    The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 2, 1926, takes pleasure in presenting a Second Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Third Award of the Distinguished Flying Cross to Major (Air Corps) Donald J. MacLellan (ASN: 0-790369), United States Army Air Forces, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight over Kumamoto, Kyushu, Japan, on 10 August 1945. Major MacLellan led a formation of 36 A-20 and 14 A-26 aircraft against the heavily defended city of Kumamoto. Although the area of the target which he was to bomb was completely hidden by smoke and haze from a previous raid, he dropped to a low altitude and, skillfully avoiding anti-aircraft defenses, led his formation over the heart of the target. Making his bomb run almost entirely on instruments, he dropped all of his bombs in the target area and led his planes from the objective without the loss of a single aircraft or injury to any of the men. The outstanding courage and devotion to duty displayed by Major MacLellan during this flight are in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Army Air Forces.

  • Silver Star

    Service:

    United States Army Air Forces

    Rank:

    Captain (Air Corps)

    Regiment:

    3d Bombardment Group (L)

    Division:

    5th Air Force

    Action Date:

    April 5, 1945
    Headquarters, Far East Air Forces, General Orders No. 672 (May 3, 1945)

    The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Captain (Air Corps) Donald J. MacLellan (ASN: 0-790369), United States Army Air Forces, for gallantry in action while serving with the 3d Bombardment Group (Light), FIFTH Air Force, in action off Chia-Tsu-Point, Kwantung Province, China, on 5 April 1945. Captain MacLellan with other officers and enlisted men, were crew members of three A-20 Havoc aircraft which carried out an extreme range mission against a Japanese convoy consisting of a destroyer, four destroyer escorts, and a medium-sized freighter. As an experiment, belly tanks were attached to the wings of the A-20s to increase their range sufficiently so that they could accompany B-25 medium bombers. These A-20s proceeded to a scheduled rendezvous with a formation of B-25 aircraft and a fighter escort. When the B-25s failed to make the rendezvous, the A-20 crews nevertheless proceeded to the target although they were fully aware of the extreme danger involved in attacking five warships and a freighter with only three airplanes. Deploying in the most strategic manner, they made a run over the vessels and in the face of heavy anti-aircraft fire succeeded in destroying the freighter and scoring a near miss on one of the destroyer escorts. The outstanding courage displayed by these officers and enlisted men in participating in one of the longest missions ever flown by A-20 aircraft and the gallantry in carrying it out in the face of overwhelming enemy opposition reflect the highest traditions of the United States Army Air Forces.

  • Prisoner of War Medal

    Service:

    United States Air Force

    Rank:

    Lieutenant Colonel

    Batallion:

    729th Bombardment Squadron

    Regiment:

    452d Bombardment Wing

    Action Date:

    May 7, 1951 – September 6, 1953
    NARA Database: Repatriated Korean Conflict Prisoners of War, 7/5/1950 – 10/6/1954

    Lieutenant Colonel Donald J. MacLellan (ASN: 0-790369), United States Air Force, was captured by communist forces after he was shot down over North Korea on 7 May 1951, and was held as a Prisoner of War until his release on 6 September 1953, during Operation Big Switch at the end of the war.