Donald King

Born

1921-11-09

Died

2003-08-11

Birthplace

Washington, Illinois, USA

Biography

Donald Lawrence “Pappy” King (November 9, 1921 – August 11, 2003) was an American Army non-commissioned officer and World War II veteran. He served as a Staff Sergeant with Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. King joined Easy Company as a replacement after the Normandy campaign, shortly before Operation Market Garden. He was assigned to the 3rd Platoon and served with the company through Operation Market Garden in the Netherlands and the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium. He earned the nickname “Pappy” because he was older than many of the other replacement soldiers and was already a father when he joined the company. King remained with Easy Company through the remainder of the European campaign and the company's advance into Germany. He was among the Easy Company veterans who later shared their experiences for the HBO documentary We Stand Alone Together: The Men of Easy Company, which accompanied the 2001 miniseries Band of Brothers. His interview appears in the fourth episode, “Replacements,” where he discusses the original Toccoa men and the challenges faced by replacement soldiers. King died on August 11, 2003, at the age of 81. He was buried at Glendale Cemetery in Washington, Illinois.