Rank Brigadier General Service/branch United States Army | Died 13 August 2008 | |
Born February 7, 1924 ( 1924-02-07 ) Allegiance United States of America Battles/wars World War II
Korean War
Vietnam War Relations John Owen Donaldson (uncle) Battles and wars World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War Commands helds 23rd Infantry Division, 11th Infantry Brigade | ||
John W. Donaldson was a brigadier general in the United States Army. He served in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
Career during the Vietnam War
On 2 June 1971 Donaldson was charged with the murder of 6 Vietnamese civilians during operations in November 1968-January 1969 while flying in his helicopter over Quảng Ngãi Province. A Colonel at the time of the alleged crimes, he was the first U.S. general charged with war crimes since General Jacob H. Smith in 1902 and the highest ranking American to be accused of war crimes during the Vietnam War. The charges against Donaldson were dropped for lack of evidence.
Donaldson died on August 13, 2008 at the age of 84.
References
John W Donaldson Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA