Donald R. Mockrud, age 85, died Saturday, May 26, 2007, at City View Nursing Home, Madison. Donald was born on March 28, 1922, in Westby, the youngest child of Oliver and Sara Mockrud. He was preceded in death by five brothers, Stanley, Arthur, Lee, Paul and Harry and a sister, Alice Nimz. He is survived by his special friend of many years, Mary Loui and his guardian, Diane Loui, both of Madison. He is further survived by two sisters-in-law, Mary Mockrud of Viroqua and Carmen Mockrud of West Bend; as well as nieces and nephews. Don served his country honorably as a Navy fighter pilot in World War II. He entered active service on Dec. 15, 1942, in the V-5 Program, Madison. He was commissioned on Feb. 19, 1944, as a fighter pilot. He served on the U.S.S. Franklin from Feb. 9, 1945 to March 19, 1945. His date of separation was May 16, 1946. He piloted one of the Hellcat fighter planes based aboard the U.S.S. Franklin carrier when it was attacked by Japanese bombs on March 19, 1945, off the coast of Japan. He was awarded the Victory Ribbon for World War II, American Theater Ribbon and an Asiatic Pacific 1 Star. He attained the rank of Lt. j.g. A1 in the U.S. Navy Reserves. In later years, Don participated in the Voluntary Service Program at the VA Medical Center in Madison. He was honored in 1998 by the Department of Veterans Affairs in appreciation for his 10 years and 4081 hours of service to fellow veterans. A memorial service will be held on Thursday, May 31, 2007, at 11 a.m. at the CRESS FUNERAL HOME CHAPEL, 3325 E. Washington Ave., Madison, with the Rev. Bryan Peterson officiating. A time of gathering will be held on Thursday at the funeral home from 10 a.m. until the time of the service. Private burial will be held at a later date in Westby. In lieu of flowers, donations made in Don’s memory to a charity of your choice would be appreciated. Cress Funeral and Cremation Service 3325 E. Washington Ave (608) 249-6666 http://www.cressfuneralservice.com
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