Honoring Arthur Donahue: A WWII Hero's Legacy In Minnesota

ST. PAUL (WJON News) -- A special ceremony on Tuesday night will honor a Minnesotan for his unique service during World War II. The Minnesota Military & Veterans Museum will host a ceremony at 6:00 p.m. to honor Arthur "Art" Donahue, who served with the British Royal Air Force during the Battle of Britain in 1940.

Donahue was born in St. Charles, Minnesota, and traveled to England shortly before the battle, where he volunteered for service in the Royal Air Force, joining the Number 64 Squadron. He is remembered as the first American to see combat in the Battle of Britain and earned the Distinguished Flying Cross for his service.

Representatives from the U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom with speak at the event. Minnesota Military & Veterans Museum's Kevin Olson says the ceremony isn't just about honoring Donahue, it's about recognizing extraordinary courage at a moment when democracy hung in the balance and the enduring sacrifices that continue to resonate today.

The museum will also unveil a new historical marker honoring Donahue's legacy that will be put on permanent display next summer. The ceremony will take place at the Minnesota History Center in St. Paul and is free to attend.

No 91 Squadron 'A' Flight pilots pose beside an Supermarine Spitfire fighter aircraft, during World War Two at RAF Hawkinge, a Royal Air Force station in Hawkinge, Kent, England, circa 1941. No 91 Squadron comprised British RAF pilot John Knight Down (1917-2008 ), British RAF Squadron Leader Henry Collingham Baker (1917-2013), British RAF Wing Commander Patrick Peter Colum Barthropp, British RAF Sergeant James Enerton Cooper (1918-1941), American RAF pilot Arthur Gerald Donahue (1913-1942), French RAF pilot Jean Demozay (1916-1945), Belgian RAF pilot Eugene George Achilles Seghers (1910-1944), New Zealand RAF pilot Robert Lawrence Spurdle (1918-1994), and New Zealand RAF Sergeant Geoffrey Charles Russell Pannell (1913-1980). (Photo by Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

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