Don W. Aliff

31st Reg, I Company
Survived Chosin Reservoir, North Korea 1950

He was BAR man with I Company in Japan and Korea on 1950 - 1951. He later served in Vietnam and retired from the Army after 33 years with 4 Purple Hearts as a Command Sergeant Major.

Don was killed on April 18th, 2000, in an automobile accident. This is Dad's and my story.
It was on January 4th, 2000, as I was checking some sites out on the computer, that I saw another Veteran looking for Charles Mutter - one of William's best friends. The Veteran looking for Mutter was Don. I hurriedly E-Mailed Don to call or write. I gave Don some information on Mutter and wrote that I'll tell Dad the next day. Don and William did talk on the phone the next day, and yes - they were both in the 3rd Platoon and they both hung around with Mutter!

On January 11th, 2000, I recieved an E-Mail from Margaret, Don's wife. Here's an excerpt from that E-Mail:
"Dear Karen, My Husband can't get over talking to your Father. He talks about all the people he can remember the names of and then I try to find them, just as you are doing for your Father. We sent your father some pictures and a roster of men we now for sure that were in I Co.

signed Sarge and Margaret" Since January I have kept in touch with Don and Margaret by E-Mails and regular mail and Dad talks to Don on the phone.

As a surprise birthday gift for Dad - all of us kids paid his way to the Chosin Few reunion in Lancaster PA, in June.

Don, of course knew of the surprise and would play with Dad about going. Dad would say, I don't think I'm gonna go. We finally gave in and told Dad he was gonna go to the reunion and that Don is going also!

Then April 7th,on this date William's only son, my brother - Pete died in an accident. I wrote to Margaret as she sent us some words of hope in our time of sorrow.

June 6th came, as I was Dad's escort to Lancaster (really his secretary and publicity agent!) I would ask and look for Don and other I Company men - but found none. I checked at the front desk, no one here by that name, I was told. I checked with the Chosin Few secretary, he told me Don did not sign up for the trip.

After Lancaster, I wrote to Don and Margaret with no response.

Till in July, an I Co daughter, Cookie, sent a note that Don was killed in a car accident on April 18th and that Margaret has just passed away due to injuries from the accident.