Donald Joseph Gedye was born on 31 December 1917, in Davenport, Iowa, to Charles and Ann (Pryde) Gedye. He spent his formative years in Oglesby, Illinois, a small city nestled along the Vermilion River. The youngest of three brothers, Donald grew up in a close-knit family that valued hard work and community. His father, Charles, and his two older brothers, Robert and Charles Ronald, worked as electricians at the local cement mill, a key industry in the area. Donald, too, worked at the cement mill but distinguished himself by taking a laboratory position.
The Gedye family had deep roots in Oglesby, with both sides of the family contributing to the fabric of the community. Donald’s maternal grandparents, James and Mary Pryde, were immigrants from Scotland, bringing their traditions and values to the region. His paternal grandfather, Joseph Gedye, also called Oglesby home until his passing in 1934, when Donald was just 16 years old.
Donald registered for the draft on 16 October 1940 at age 22. Standing 5 feet 8 ½ inches tall and weighing 155 pounds, with blue eyes and brown hair, he answered the call to serve his country as tensions escalated in Europe and the Pacific. On 24 April 1941, he enlisted in the United States Army in Chicago and joined Company E of the 132nd Infantry Regiment, part of the newly formed Americal Division.
As part of the Americal Division, Donald was sent to the Pacific Theater, where his unit played a vital role in the Guadalcanal Campaign. This grueling battle was the first major Allied offensive against Japanese forces, and it marked a turning point in the war. On New Year’s Day 1943, Donald’s battalion was tasked with advancing through dense jungle to capture Hill 27, a strategic point needed to secure the surrounding area and enable the seizure of Mount Austen.
The operation was fraught with danger, and on 3 January 1943, the battalion faced a counterassault from Japanese forces as they moved over the crest of Mount Austen. During this fierce engagement, Donald was struck by shrapnel in his wrist and thorax. He succumbed to his wounds, making the ultimate sacrifice for his country. The battle eventually ended in victory for the U.S. forces, but at a heavy cost: 112 Americans killed and 268 wounded. Japanese casualties were estimated at 400.
Private Gedye was initially interred in the United States Army, Navy, and Marine Cemetery on Guadalcanal Island in the Solomon Islands. At the request of his grieving family, his remains were repatriated to the United States after the war. He was laid to rest with honor in Peru City Cemetery, Illinois, close to his hometown and loved ones. Private Donald Gedye would have received the following medals posthumously: American Campaign Medal, WW2 Victory Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, and American Defense Service Medal (ADSM).
Donald’s father, Charles, received several personal items that Donald had with him at the time of his death, including a camera, a Bulova wristwatch, a diary, a sewing kit, and a wallet containing $23.60. The return of these belongings, along with 52 photographs and 11 negatives, provided a tangible connection to the life and spirit of the young man they lost too soon.
Private Donald Joseph Gedye’s sacrifice serves as a poignant reminder of the cost of freedom and the bravery of those who fought to secure it. His memory endures in the hearts of his family, his community, and a grateful nation.
This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project (see www.storiesbehindthestars.org). This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 400,000+ of the US WWII fallen saved on Together We Served and Fold3. Can you help write these stories? If so, visit www.storiesbehindthestars.org and fill out the contact form.
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- SBTSProject/Illinois/LaSalle
- SBTS Historian: Pam Broviak
- Story was written with AI-assistance
You can also access this story at the following site:
Fold3 Memorial: https://www.fold3.com/memorial/664281956/donald-j-gedye/stories
Sources:
- 1920 U.S. Census, Charles Gedye, Ancestry.
- 1930 U.S. Census, Charles Gedye, Ancestry.
- 1940 U.S. Census, Charles Gedye, Ancestry.
- 1940 U.S. Census, James Pryde, Ancestry.
- “Illinois, County Marriages, 1810-1940”, Charles Gedye to Annie Pryde, FamilySearch.
- U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007, Annie Gedye, Ancestry.
- “Illinois, Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1947”, Joseph Geyde, FamilySearch.
- U.S., Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1861-1985, Donald J. Geyde, Ancestry.
- U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947, Donald Joseph Gedye, Ancestry.
- U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947, Robert Glenn Gedye, Ancestry.
- U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947, Charles Ronald Gedye, Ancestry.
- U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947, Charles Nathaniel Gedye, Ancestry.
- U.S., World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946, Donald J Gedye, Ancestry.
- Morning Reports for January 1940 – July 1943: Roll 1731 (1 of 4), image 405, National Archives.
- U.S., World War II Hospital Admission Card Files, 1942-1954, Donald J Gedye, Ancestry.
- Individual Deceased Personnel File, Donald J. Gedye, National Archives.
- “Forgotten Fights: The Battle for Guadalcanal’s Mount Austen, 1942,” The National WWII Museum.
- John Miller, Jr., “The War in the Pacific Guadalcanal: The First Offensive,” Center of Military History, U.S. Army, 1949.
- https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/136799909/donald-j-gedye
