Don Forrester Pratt was born on 12 July 1892 in Brookfield, MO.

Pratt received his commission as a Second Lieutenant of Infantry in the U.S. Army after he joined in August 1917.

From 1932 to 1936 he served as Adjutant, 15th Infantry Regiment, in Tientsin, China. Next he served as an Instructor at the Infantry School at Fort Benning, GA, from 1937 until 1941. When the U.S. entered World War II, he served as Chief-of-Staff of the 43rd Infantry Division, from 1941-42. His next assignment, in August 1942, was as the Deputy Commander of the newly-formed 101st Airborne Division, at the rank of Brigadier General. Pratt was named the Assistant Division Commander, under Division Commander Major General William C. Lee on 15 September 1943. Stationed near the town of Newbury, England, on 9 February 1944 fate dealt a cruel blow to Bill Lee; he suffered a major heart attack and was rushed to the hospital. Ten days later, doctors gave Lee the terrible news; he would have to be sent to the U.S. for treatment. As Assistant Division Commander, Pratt thought that he would be chosen to succeed Lee. But, for whatever their reasons, Eisenhower and Bradley turned down the diminutive Pratt for Brigadier General Maxwell D. Taylor, then 82nd Airborne Artillery Commander, to lead the Screaming Eagles of the 101st Airborne Division. Taylor flew to England from Italy, and on 14 March 1944, he formally took command.

For the American airborne landings that were part of the Normandy Invasion, Pratt was originally assigned to command the division train and reserve troops of the 101st that were to be landed by sea. However, he received permission to land with a force of CG-4A Waco gliders assigned to Mission Chicago, the first U.S. glider assault during the invasion.

Pratt flew as a passenger (along with his Aide-de-Camp, 1st Lieutenant Lee John May), in the lead glider, a quickly substituted CG-4A with a bolt-on Griswold nose protection device, painted to represent The Fighting Falcon. The original "Fighting Falcon" was moved to position #45 in the flight serial. It was a CG-4A paid for by War Bond funds raised by Greenville, MI, students who intended to raise the $17,000 cost of one glider, but ended up raising over $72,000. Piloted by Lieutenant Colonel Mike Murphy, senior glider pilot of IX Troop Carrier Command (and Second Lieutenant John M. Butler), the #1 glider came down into its designated landing zone, LZ "E", two miles west of Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, Manche, Normandy, between 0345 and 0400 hours on 6 June 1944.

At 0400, Mike Murphy spotted landing zone E, which Screaming Eagle pathfinders had marked with light patterns. Zooming down, Murphy began his landing, locking the brakes, and the glider skidded across the wet pasture for more than 700 feet, then smashed with enormous impact into tall Poplar trees. If a glider pilot were to survive the Russian-roulette odds involved in landing, his body usually paid a heavy price. Murphy broke both legs and Pratt, sitting in the Jeep, died from a broken neck resulting from whiplash. The Jeep was not chained, but was tied down with nylon rope and did not break loose. Pratt became the second US airborne General to be killed in action (Charles Keerans of the 82nd Airborne had lost his life in Sicily).

On hearing of Pratt's death, Max Taylor bypassed two regimental commanders senior in age and grade, Colonel's Bob Sink [Honoree Record ID 307133] and Howard R. Johnson [Honoree Record ID 307134], and named his 34-year-old Chief-of-Staff, Colonel Gerald J. Higgins [Honoree Record ID 49] to be 101st Airborne's Assistant Commander. Elsewhere in the airhead, a small group of airborne officers gathered solemnly around a fresh, deep excavation in a pasture. Wrapped in a parachute, Screaming Eagle Don Forrester Pratt was buried. There was no official salute of guns, it was not necessary. All during the service, artillery pounded away and rifles cracked in background.

Medals, Awards and Badges

Purple Heart
World War I Victory Medal
American Defense Service Medal
American Campaign Medal
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
World War II Victory Medal
Parachutist Badge

Burial

Brigadier General Don Forrester Pratt was first buried in Normandy, France, wrapped in a parachute,until after the end of the war. On 26 July 1948, he was re-interred in Section 11 at Arlington National Cemetery.