Donald King

Donald Lawrence “Pappy” King (November 9, 1921 – August 11, 2003) was an American Army non-commissioned officer and World War II veteran. He served as a Staff Sergeant with Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division.

King joined Easy Company as a replacement after the Normandy campaign, shortly before Operation Market Garden. He was assigned to the 3rd Platoon and served with the company through Operation Market Garden in the Netherlands and the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium. He earned the nickname “Pappy” because he was older than many of the other replacement soldiers and was already a father when he joined the company.