Don Nass Obituary
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May 7, 1921 - Sept  9, 2008
In Loving Memory

Joyce and Don on their 50th Anniversary in March 2003

Don Nass passes away on Sept 9, 2008 after being stricken ill a few days before. He died with his family at his side, and knew he was loved.
He lived a full life. He loved his family, country and was interersted in Geography, Travel, Music and Photography. He will be missed.

This page is in tribute to his life and legacy.

Photo of Don Nass at Southbridge War Memorial dedication

Don (right) in India during WWII

Don (lower right) in India with the CBI (China/Burma/India)

Donald W. Nass recalls his
Record of Service in the U. S. Army during World War II
1942-1945
 

Reported for active duty at Fort Devens, Mass., September 12, 1942.  Left Fort Devens three days later for a short stint at the Army Air Force Base at Salt Lake City, Utah.  Then assigned to the 957th Engineer Aviation Topographic Company and shipped to the Army Air Base at Colorado Springs, Colorado.  (Later named Peterson Field.)  After basic training, we received technical training in the preparation of maps based on photographs supplied by the Air Corps Photo Squadron and on ground surveys performed by our company’s geodetic platoon.  After completing our training, we were then transferred to the 958th Engineer Aviation Topographic Company for preparation for overseas duty.

On June 18, 1943, we left Peterson Field in Colorado for the Overseas Staging Area at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey and on July 10, 1943, sailed from the New York Port of Embarkation on board the S. S. West Point, a Navy troop transport and formerly the luxury liner, the S. S. America.  With approximately 10,000 troops on board, we zigzagged, unescorted, south on the Atlantic Ocean to Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, then to Capetown, South Africa, and finally, landed at Bombay, India on August 13, 1943.  We were temporarily quartered in tents at the Willingdon Airdrome in New Delhi, India, and in November 1943, permanently stationed in Barrackpore, just north of Calcutta.

Our mission: - Under the command of the Tenth Air Force, prepare and produce maps, approach charts and target charts of all Southeast Asia for the medium and heavy bombardment units of the Tenth Air Force, the Strategic Air Force of the Eastern Air Command and the Royal Air Force.  We also prepared and produced Loran Charts, mosaics, other Aeronautical Charts, as well as weekly Intelligence Summaries.  My duties as a sergeant in the Operations section were to assist in the supervision of all such projects from start to finish.

With the war in Europe over in May 1945, we then received orders to leave India in early August for Chunking, China to set up operations for the final assault on Japan.  Shortly after, we arrived in Chabua, Assam, Japan surrendered and we returned to Barrackpore where preparations were then made for our return to the States.

On October 7, 1945, we boarded the General Brooke, troop transport at Calcutta; and via the Red Sea, Suez Canal, Mediterranean Sea, and Atlantic Ocean, arrived in New York City, November 3, 1945.  Proceeded to Camp Kilmer, New Jersey and then to Fort Devens, Mass., and then on November 17, 1945, Honorably discharged and returned home to Worcester, Mass., where I was born and went to school, graduating from Gates Lane School in 1935 and Commerce High School in 1939.
 

Joyce and Don Nass (L) with Jan and Don Whitney (1977)

Joyce, Bill, Peg and Don Nass in 1977

Bill, Don, Joyce and Peg in 2002
 
 

Celebrating their 50th in 2003

Sept 12,2008 - Don's Grandchildren pay tribute to their Grandfather
 

Don Nass's drawing of AO's Lens Plant layout (as it was in the 1960s and early 1970s)

WWII Washington DC Memorial - Project that Don Nass worked hard in supporting

Southbridge War Memorial - Another important project he was active in