Fairlawn VFW Post 349 unveils tribute to local sailor who waded ashore with Gen. MacArthur
World War II veterans Bill Stiller and Ray Johns turn 100
World War II veterans Bill Stiller and Ray Johns reminisce as they turn 100
Akron native Harry Donovan steered the boat during World War II.
U.S. Gen. Douglas MacArthur, supreme commander of Allied Forces in the Southwest Pacific, was among the military personnel on board.
No pressure, right?
Donovan, 17, had dropped out of Kenmore High School as a junior to join the Navy in 1944. As a coxswain on the USS Leon, he was responsible for navigating a landing craft that carried troops to shore.
The Higgins boat, named for designer Andrew Jackson Higgins, was 36 feet long and nearly 11 feet wide, and armed with two .30 caliber machine guns. A four-man crew ferried up to 36 passengers at nearly 15 mph.
Akron sailor transported general
Donovan played a role in history Oct. 20, 1944, when he piloted MacArthur to the Philippine island of Leyte and waded ashore with him. The general who had pledged “I shall return” in 1942 had made good on his promise.
It signaled the start of the military campaign to liberate the Philippines from Japanese occupation.
A famous photograph shows MacArthur walking in calf-high water only a few feet ahead of the Akron teen. Donovan later admitted that he had to ask a buddy: “Who is Gen. MacArthur?”
Hey, he was only 17. He didn’t know! But he sure found out.
Donovan took part in seven invasions in the Pacific and received a Purple Heart after suffering shrapnel wounds in battle. Released from the hospital, he continued to serve on the USS Leon as a cook.
Donovan returned to Ohio after the war and attended the University of Akron on the G.I. Bill, eventually becoming a certified public accountant.
Support for Ohio veterans
He dedicated his life to supporting veterans’ causes.
His achievements included establishing the Donovan Veterans Fund at the Akron Community Foundation to support organizations that provide services such as rehabilitation and education to returning veterans.
Donovan set up a scholarship fund for children of veterans through the Veterans Service Commission of Summit County, served on the Honor Flight Board of Akron-Canton, supported the Wounded Warrior Project and helped establish Valor Home, a South Akron shelter for veterans.
He was a life member, benefactor and namesake of the Harry Donovan Fairlawn VFW Post 349, which formed in 1984. He was honored as Summit County Veteran of the Year in 2012 and inducted into the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame in 2013.
Harry Donovan Sr. was 90 when he died Feb. 8, 2018. Survivors included his wife, Fran; children Alan Donovan, Harry Donovan Jr. and Debbie Elton; five grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by Mabel Donovan, his wife of 56 years.
Tribute to Harry Donovan
VFW Post 349 recently unveiled a tribute to Donovan, trustee Chaker Fadel reported. Thanks to Donovan’s generosity, the post continues to provide financial support for military veterans and their families — everything from honor flights to housing assistance to personal items to hospice care.
In the fall of 2024, trustees agreed to commission a replica of the Higgins boat that Donovan had steered as a coxswain on the USS Leon.
Michael G. Soful, commander of the post, said the trustees authorized SD Model Makers of Carlsbad, California, to make an 18-inch craft.
The gray boat is fully assembled with a solid hull carved from kiln-dried mahogany. Putty, resin, metal and other types of wood are among the components used in its construction.
The model, which cost the post about $1,800, is mounted on a polished mahogany base and has a plate inscribed with Donovan’s name.
Fairlawn Mayor Russell Sharnsky and widow Fran Donovan joined post members at the unveiling ceremony in October.
Where to see model boat
Want to see the model in person? It has a place of honor in the VFW post’s display cabinet next to a replica of a Vietnam-era Huey helicopter in the lobby of Fairlawn City Hall at 3487 Smith Road.
The story ends with a little twist.
After the model company mailed the completed boat to Soful, the return address caught his eye.
“I was surprised to see it came from Manilla, Philippines — the Pacific area where Harry had served during World War II!” he said. “We were not made aware of where the model would be made, assuming it would be constructed in California. However, the irony is appropriate since Harry participated in the Pacific campaign during his combat service.”
When you see the boat, try to imagine a 17-year-old Akron boy steering a five-star general to victory.
Mark J. Price can be reached at mprice@thebeaconjournal.com
