U.S. Marines cheerfully and with great pride, holding up a captured Japanese battle flag on the island of Bougainville island, Papua New Guinea in the Solomon Islands, South Pacific ocean; November 1943.

Captured battle flag

Landing craft loaded with 3rd Division Marines heading for the beach on the Island of Bougainville, Papua New Guinea, north of Australia; 8 November 1943.

Approaching the beach


US Marine Donald Chatterton with a mother goat and her two young kids that were discovered on Okinawa during the bloody battle for the island. He became the goat family's self appointed guardian. Okinawa, Japan. April 1945

Donald Patrick Chatterton was born March 17, 1923 at St Paul, Minnesota. He was the oldest son of Fred and Marie Chatterton and had two younger brothers, Frederick and Milton. Donald grew up in St Paul and received his education there. 

He enlisted in the US Marine Corps on January 18, 1943 at the age of 19 and served with the 1st Marine Division in the Pacific. His two younger brothers would follow in his footsteps and also joined the Marines. Sadly one of them, Frederick, was KIA on March 6, 1945 during the Battle of Iwo Jima. He was only 19.

Donald reached the rank of corporal and was honorably discharged from the Marine Corps on January 11, 1946. 
 He married his sweetheart Henrietta Zappa that same year and they raised three children together.

Donald passed away on Christmas Day 1994. He is buried in Fort Snelling National Cemetery.
taken from fb/WW2 Through Their Eyes