Donald Arthur Labonte
Hospitalman, U.S. Navy

Donald Arthur Labonte was born on 9 March 1944.

On 28 February 1968, Hospitalman Donald Arthur Labonte was serving with Headquarters & Service Company, 2nd Battalion, 26th Marines, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Amphibious Force, in Quang Tri Province, South Vietnam.

On that day, a Marine crew of 5 and 18 passengers (16 Marines and 2 U.S. Navy, including HN Labonte) perished when a U.S. Marine Corps CH-46D Helicopter was downed by heavy automatic weapons fire while en route to Khe Sanh on a recovery mission. The helicopter crashed, rolled down a mountain, exploded and burned. There were no survivors.

HN Labonte's body was recovered.

Badge and Medals

Purple Heart
Navy & Marine Corps Combat Action Ribbon
National Defense Service Medal
Vietnam Service Medal
Vietnam Campaign Medal

Honors

The name Donald A Labonte is located on Panel 41E Line 68 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall.

Burial

Hospitalman Donald Arthur Labonte is buried at Saint Jerome Cemetery in Holyoke, MA.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/100999583/donald-arthur-labonte