Marine Private First Class Donald Christian Jensen, 20, was killed in action on Okinawa on May 13, 1945. He was born in South Jordan, Utah on May 26, 1924.

A graduate of Jordan High School, he had worked for the Denver, Rio Grande and Western Railway and the Utah Copper Company. He enlisted in April 1944 and was sent overseas in October with the 7th Marine Division.

He was the son of James Marley Jensen and Mildred Blake Jensen. Both were from Utah and were married in 1915 in the Salt Lake City Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS). His father was employed by Kennecott Copper Company as a machine operator and his mother was a housewife. Both parents were active in the LDS Church.

His family held a memorial service at the time of his death, and after the war his body was returned to the States and interred at a service April 2, 1949 at the Draper City Cemetery. He was survived by his parents, two brothers and three sisters. His brother, LeRoy, was serving in the Pacific at the time of Donald’s death and survived the war. His father died in 1978 and his mother in 1985.

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project (www.storiesbehindthestars.org .) This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 400,000+ of the US WWII fallen here on Fold3. Can you help write these stories? Related to this, there will be a smart phone app that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery, scan the fallen person's name and read his/her story.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/10474122

Jensen, Donald C gravestone

Jensen Donald FFA Jordan HS 1941

Jensen, donald c

Jensen Donald death The_Salt_Lake_Tribune_Mon__Jun_18__1945_.jpg

Jensen funeral notice