With 16 million having served in the military during World War II, less than one million remain alive today, according to statistics from the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, La.
In California as of this year, there are approximately 93,157 WWII veterans alive. Donald H. LaFond is one of those veterans.
LaFond joined the marines at age 19 in January 1943 and became part of the 2nd Marine Division, where he not only saw combat in Saipan, the largest island of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, but lost a good friend in the process.
While engaged in battle on the island of Saipan, LaFond, a gunnery sergeant, saw his friend James Garner killed right in front of him.
“He got hit in the mouth and the bullet came out by his ear,” LaFond said. “I saw a rock nearby so I grabbed him and tried to get him behind the rock so he would have some cover, but I didn’t get him there in time.”
As LaFond was lifting his friend to get him out of the line of fire, the enemy opened fire, sending several more bullets into Garner, killing him.
LaFond tried to refocus his energies into returning fire, when a bomb exploded near his location and sent hot, sharp pieces of shrapnel at him. Some pieces became embedded into his stomach.
He later received the purple heart for being wounded during combat.
“I tried to save him (his buddy), but there’s only so much you can do when you’re under fire by the enemy,” LaFond recalled.
The memories of that day in Saipan are still fresh in LaFond’s mind. He remembered celebrating his 20th birthday in boot camp just the year before and a year later, had to say goodbye to his friend in the worst way possible while at the same time fighting off the fear that all young recruits feel when placed in the middle of combat.
“Wasn’t very pleasant to have people shooting at you,” he said. “At the time when you’re fighting, the fear kind of leaves you and you don’t feel any fear. All you can think about is getting the other guy. But then, when the fighting is over and you drop back behind the lines, that’s when you start getting a little nervous and start thinking: ‘gee whiz, what was I doing, I could have gotten killed back there.’”
After receiving medical treatment for the shrapnel in his stomach, La Fond and the rest of the 2nd Marine Division were sent to Okinawa, Japan to perform occupation duty.
During occupation duty, soldiers were placed in enemy territory that had been conquered in order to facilitate the disarming of enemy soldiers as well as the destruction of enemy ordinances.
“Looking back on it now, I don’t mind to much about what I did over there,” LaFond said. “It was quite an experience to go through all that. You tell people how it is in combat, but in order to know what its really like to be in combat, you have to be in it; you can’t be told because you just will never understand.”
Within a few months, La Fond was discharged and sent home to Muskegon, Mich. where he resumed his pre-war job as a machinist for Campbell, Wyant, and Cannon Foundry Company.
Not being a fan of Michigan’s harsh winters, LaFond packed his bags and headed to sunny southern California, a place he said he fell in love with while doing basic training in San Diego.
It was in California where he met Violet Principe and in 1960, married her. The couple settled in Los Angeles and raised two daughters, Lynne and Laura.
Once he settled into life as a civilian, LaFond took the state exam to earn his realtors license and then worked for Century 21 as a real estate agent before opening his own company, the Don LaFond Real Estate Company.
When the real estate market began having serious problems, LaFond found work at Hughes Aircraft designing parts for airplanes.
However, once LaFond retired, he realized he wasn’t ready to call it a life. So he joined the Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH) and began serving veterans through this organization. He was so good in his role that in 2007 he was elected the organization’s Chapter 2 Commander and later the Chapter 2 Adjutant, a position he still holds.
However, his biggest honor came in 2011 when LaFond was named Patriot of the Year for the state of California for his work with the veterans of MOPH.
As LaFond reflected on his experiences during World War II, he says that he feels very proud of his service.
“Looking back on it now, I don’t mind too much about what I did over there,” he said. “It was quite an experience to go through all that. You tell people how it is in combat but in order to know what its really like to be in combat, you have to be in it, you can’t be told because you just will never understand.”
While he never received any medals for his bravery during the battle of Saipan, LaFond says that for him, his service was never about accruing medals; it was about doing his duty and making sure he and his unit got out of the war alive and healthy.
“A medal is just something you hang on your chest,” LaFond said. “It’s better to come home in one piece.”