Donald Joseph Finneran, World War II CasualtyPorter County Data on World War II Casualties . . . .

Donald Joseph Finneran
Lieutenant Junior Grade, United States Navy Reserve
Date of Death: March 26, 1945
Burial: Buried at Sea
Cause of Death: Killed in Action (U.S.S. Halligan sunk off Okinawa, Japan)
Date of Enlistment: March 12, 1943
Monument: Tablets of The Missing At Honolulu Memorial, Honolulu, Hawaii
Awards: Purple Heart
Hometown: Valparaiso and Calumet City, Cook County, Illinois

Newspaper Notices:

VU Athlete War Victim In Pacific

Lt. (j.g.) Donald Finneran, 26, USNR, former Valparaiso athletic star, and husband of the former Mary Durand, of Valparaiso, has been killed in action according to word received Thursday by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. James J. Finneran, 501 Sibley boulevard, Calumet City, Il.

Lt. Finneran was the son-in-law of Joseph H. Durand, bailiff of Porter superior court.

He was killed in action while serving aboard the destroyer, U. S. S. Halligan, which was suck by the Japs on March 26, 1945, during a sea battle off Okinawa. Previously he had been reported missing.

Lt. Finneran was graduated from Thornton Fractional high school and from Valparaiso university law school, where he took part in football, basketball, track and tennis. In his senior year he was co-captain of the football team.

After graduation he practiced law in Calumet City, before accepting a position as attorney for the U. S. Land Acquisition Service.

He enlisted in the navy and was commissioned an ensign March 12, 1943, and was ordered to Quonset Point, R. I., where he received his initial training.

Lt. Finneran participated in the invasions of Normandy and southern France, serving aboard the USS Bayfield. It was after these invasions he was promoted from ensign to lieutenant (j.g.). He then went to the Pacific where he was killed.

Lt. Finneran is survived besides his parents, by his wife, the former Mary Durand, of Valparaiso, now of San Francisco; two brothers, Harold, of Calumet City, and James, of Whiting; three sisters, Mamie Finneran, Mrs. Edward J. Fitzgerald and M. Raymond Moore, all of Calumet City.
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Source: The Vidette-Messenger, Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana; August 10, 1945; Volume 19, Page 1, Column 1


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Information abstracted and transcribed by Steven R. Shook

 

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