Donald Gerald Tobin

Donald Gerald Tobin (1927-2013)

Gunnery Sergeant Ret. Donald Gerald Tobin, 85, formerly of Cedar Falls, died Sunday, March 17, 2013, at his home in Mesquite, Nevada after battling mesothelioma.

He was born April 19, 1927, in New York City, son of Lester and Anna Tobin. Donald enlisted in the United States Navy and assigned to the Brooklyn Ship Yards, transferred to Panama Canal and assigned to a ship headed to Guadalcanal where he was involved with the Okinawa Landing, surviving attacks by Japanese kamikaze pilots during WWII. Don was then assigned to the USS Iwo Jima until his enlistment in the Navy was up. A few years later Don re-enlisted in the Marine Corp and assigned to Pearl Harbor. Don spent a year there and another 3 years stationed in Guam. Don then joined the Reserves until he was called up for the Korean War. Don was part of the artillery group to the 7th Marine Regiment. The Korean War ended and Don became a recruiter in the Kansas and Wisconsin areas. In 1968 after losing many of his enlisted recruits Donald volunteered himself to be sent to Vietnam and was assigned as part of the 5th Marines. Donald then came to Waterloo with his family and worked as a recruiter until his 30 years of military service were done and retired as a Gunnery Sergeant E7 with several honorable ribbons including: WWII Okinawa Combat with One Star; Korea-2 tours Inchon; Chosin Reservior Combat with 5 Stars; Vietnam TET Combat with 5 Stars; Presidential Unit Citation for Combat with 4 Stars; Meritorious Unit Citation for Combat with 2 Stars; Good Conduct Medal with 6 Stars; and the Korean Presidential Unit Citation 2nd Award with Leaf. Don worked in various sales positions in the Cedar Valley before making his home in Mesquite the last 12 years.