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Donald Muntz was born in Valley City, Ohio.
His mother was born in Valley City also, and his father was born
in Burbank, Ohio. They were both raised on
farms. Donald did not consider his parents to be very strict. His dad worked
in a feed mill. Donald’s siblings were born in Valley City. He was
very close with his brothers and sisters.
He grew up in Valley City. The school Donald attended was
Liverpool. He did not go to college. He did not like school and he was an
average student. He enjoyed fishing and playing ball during his youth. Before
he went into the military, he worked part time in an auto garage.
Donald was drafted on October
10, 1945.
When he joined, he was 18 years old. He never thought about joining the
war. Donald was drafted after the war
was over. He was stationed in Chester Field, Mississippi. He learned how to march and
shoot M1 rifles. He was trained to set up tents and learned the operation of
the air force. Donald was trained to be a mechanic, truck driver, and learned
how to refuel aircraft. He did not have a choice as to what area he wanted to
be in. The Air Force put you where they thought you would fit best. After
basic training, he went to a special mechanics school. He learned about truck
engines, operations, and gasoline pumps.
He made a few friends as he went through basic training.
One was from Cleveland, Ohio. There was only one friend he saw
after finishing his time in the service. Donald found the food to be good and
bad while in the Air Force. Rules were very strict. He was on duty in the
morning until four in the afternoon. When they had free time, the men did
their laundry, wrote letters, and went to shows.
Their uniforms consisted of coveralls, khaki shorts and
pants, jackets, and caps. He first “home” that was provided was a barrack.
There were twelve men in a barrack. After basic they moved to more substantial buildings. The weather
was hot in Nebraska and Alabama. He remained in the military
for 14 months. His main job was refueling trucks.
The highest rank Donald received was PFC. He was
stationed in Grand
Island, Nebraska and Montgomery, Alabama.
He liked Alabama more than Nebraska. When he was in Montgomery he had the opportunity to ride
in airplanes with the pilots on practice runs when he had free time. As soon
as he received his discharge orders, he went back and worked at the sheet
metal shop he worked at before being drafted. His next job was working for an
oil company. He worked there for 33 years and then retired.
Donald met his wife, Beatrice, at a basketball game.
They married on February 19, 1949. He has eleven children; nine
girls, and two boys. Donald also has 26 grandchildren. He lived in Valley City, Medina, and then moved to Mallet
Creek; all in Ohio. The organizations he belonged
to were Erhart Volunteer Fire Department, Rescue
Squad, and Township Trustee. Donald’s hobbies include gardening, farming, and
wood working.
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