George Joseph Donoghue was born on March 6, 1924, in Elk City, Beckham County, Oklahoma. He was the son of Thomas Patrick Donoghue and Mary Bernadetta McManus Donoghue. George was inducted into the U.S. Army in November 1943. He served in the United States Army with the 740th Tank Battalion in World War II. Known as the “Daredevil Tankers”, the 740th was a separate battalion that fought from Utah Beach all the way to the Baltic Sea in support of various divisions of the US war effort. After completing basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky, the battalion was sent to Camp Bouse, Arizona, for specialized desert warfare training. By the time their training concluded, the North African campaign had ended, and they returned to Fort Knox to await deployment.

In July 1944, the battalion was sent to England, where they trained before crossing the English Channel in October and landing at Omaha Beach. They advanced through France into Belgium, arriving in Belgium shortly before the Battle of the Bulge, they were quickly thrust into combat when German forces launched a surprise offensive through the Ardennes. The 740th helped stop Colonel Joachim Peiper’s 1st SS Panzer Division at Stoumont Station, preventing them from reaching vital fuel supplies. The unit remained in continuous combat until Victory in Europe Day in 1945, often supporting the 82nd Airborne Division. In May 1945, they crossed the Elbe River and linked up with Soviet forces at the Baltic Sea as part of General Simpson’s Ninth Army. After serving in the occupation of Germany, George returned home in January 1946.

During his service, George was part of Headquarters Company, serving as a driver for both the Assault Gun Platoon commander and later the battalion commander, a role he humorously attributed to his ability to see well in the dark. After the war, George earned his GED and completed trade school. He worked for 18 years as a civilian machinist at Tinker Air Force Base before retiring early and entering the real estate business, where he bought, renovated, and sold homes while also managing rental properties in the Oklahoma City area. He died on September 15, 2017, and is now buried in the Resurrection Memorial Cemetery, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, USA.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com