Donald Forein

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In the early 1970’s while living in Ridge Farm I was a member of the American Legion Auxiliary. The members met in each other’s homes. One member, Cecil Cooke, was a gold star mother.

For some reason I have a memory of Cecil standing in her living room us the letter she had received from a family in the Netherlands that looked after her son’s grave. While planning a trip to Belgium I checked to see how far it would be to travel to the grave of her beloved son, Donald. Thanks to research done by Sherry McCool Kruzan, I carried with me the exact Plot, Row and Grave location. The drive from my daughter’s home to the Netherlands American Cemetery was an hour and a half trip. On March 20, 2019 Jim Honnold, Adrianne Honnold, and I traveled to Margraten, Netherlands.

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The first thing we noticed about the cemetery was the pristine condition of the buildings and the grounds. The markers, all identical, are white crosses made from Vermont marble. We were told the markers are regularly cleaned one by one by dedicated staff members. I told the story of Cecil, that as a Gold Star Mother, she received regular correspondence from the people who looked after Donald’s grave. Remarkably, we were told Dutch citizens adopt a specific grave site to maintain, and that there are generations of families that commit to visiting, laying flowers, and honoring the liberators of their country. There are currently 500 volunteers waiting to be assigned. It was one of these adoptees who communicated with Mrs. Cooke. In the American Cemetery in the Netherlands lie 8,301 American military soldiers. One of them is Ridge Farm’s own. There are an additional 1,722 soldiers missing in action who are honored on The Walls of the Missing.

I had the feeling that day that the people of Europe have not forgotten the war, and, in fact, it seems this war to end all wars had happened recently. We were treated as if we were family members even though they knew we weren’t. A docent walked with us to the gravesite carrying an old bucket and a sponge, and he proceeded to remove sand from the bucket and brush it into the deeply engraved name of Donald W. Forein. The sand was collected from the beaches of Normandy where many American soldiers first set foot in Europe. He wiped away the excess sand and stood back so we could observe and take photos of the white cross with name now sparkling gold. He left us alone and as we stood and looked at the grave, the gleaming white crosses stretching out before us.

Donald Foreign graduated from Ridge Farm High School in 1941. He was active in competitive sports including football, basketball, tumbling, and track. He played the tuba in the orchestra and the band, sang in the boy’s chorus and the mixed chorus. He participated in the junior play, and in an operetta. Donald was born in 1923, the son of Dennie Forein and Cecil Cooke. He grew up on the farm west of town.

foreign1 Donald was working in South Bend, Indiana prior to his induction into military service on February 5, 1942. He was sent to Camp Young, California for training for the Signal Corps, and was later transferred to Fort Benning, Georgia where he received paratrooper training. He had been overseas since February and had fought on the Anzio Beachhead in Italy before being sent to England.

On September 1944, the Germans put up a fierce battle for a vertical-lock bridge across the bridge near Margraten, they had held the bridge throughout the occupation. This bridge, built in 1929, was crucial to the war effort because it was built to withstand the weight of heavy machinery and was the only bridge in the area that remained intact. American paratroopers were well positioned for attacking the bridge from both sides, but the Germans stood their ground until nightfall.

This attack was named Market Garden and it was during this day Donald Forein while paratrooping as he was trained, and while defending a crucial bridge, was killed by a German sniper. He was twenty-one years old.

Tomorrow a Memorial Day celebration will be held and be attended by approximately 5000 mostly Dutch citizens from neighboring communities. Speeches are made, music is provided by both Dutch and U.S. military bands with songs sung by a men’s choirs. 75 countries, townships, patriotic organizations, and individuals lay wreaths to honor our soldiers. Near the end of the ceremony, there are Fly-Overs by both Dutch and U.S. military aircraft followed by a Pass and Review of military soldiers participating in the ceremony. Planning for this event takes over 400 hundred volunteers, planners, and direct participants to realize this incredible day of remembrance which has continued since the first Memorial Day at the Netherlands American Cemetery. foreign1

I had the feeling during this visit that war is never truly over. There are affects felt for generations perhaps to the point of damaging our collective DNA. Meanwhile our Donald Forein is like the farm where he was raised. He is being graciously honored by the Dutch who are grateful and still remember.

Abraham Smith, a venturous farmer, moved his farm from Tennessee to the glacial ridge in 1839 and called it his "Farm on the Ridge" or "Ridge Farm." He opened a post office, blacksmith shop, inn, tavern and a general store.