Honoring the Memory
of Those
We Love

January 8, 1919 - January 26, 2018 Myers, Donald J. "Don", age 99, of Whitehall, died January 26, 2018. Beloved husband of the late Elizabeth (Coakley) Myers for over 65 years. He was a member of St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Virgin Church since moving to Whitehall in 1956.

Born on January 8, 1919, in Cleveland, Ohio to Harry Myers and Stella (Raimer) Myers. Also preceeded in death by his parents and brother, William Myers. Father of the late Sheila Myers, Thomas (Lesley) Myers of Ghent, New York, Patricia (Terence) Ryan of Whitehall and Barbara (Ronald) Karp of Castle Shannon. Grandfather of Katie (Kris) McGough, Kelly (Jeff) Koslow, Meghan Ryan, Cairi and Rowan Myers, and Allison Karp. Great grandfather of Aidan and Ben McGough, Andrew and Tyler Koslow, and Lainey Ryan. Also survived by sister, Marie Irr Sague, and her husband, Jack, of Shaker Heights, Ohio, as well as many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

He was transferred to the Pittsburgh office of the National Labor Relations Board in 1953. He was promoted to a supervisory position there in 1960 and received several outstanding awards for his work. He retired in June 1987 at the age of 68. He subsequently volunteered at Mercy Hospital for 18 years. A graduate of Cleveland Heights High School, he graduated from John Carroll University in 1941, as a class officer. John Carroll played ice hockey in the Ohio-Penn Hockey League with Baldwin Wallace, Case, Fenn, Western Reserve, Pitt, Carnegie (Tech) Mellon, and Duquesne. Don, a high scoring forward, was team captain in his senior year. As a U.S. Marine Corps Officer during World War II, he served in combat as a platoon leader in the Pacific. He was in the 22nd Marine Regiment, and was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation for outstanding heroism in action against the Japanese during the assault and capture of Engebi, Enewetak, and Parry Islands on the Enewetak Atoll in the Marshall Islands in February 1944. He had many close calls with death as the bullets came within an inch or two of his head. The Marine next to him on the first island was killed instantly by a bullet to his head just above his left ear. His platoon was hit by mortar fire on the second island and three of his men were wounded. He was on the receiving end of machine gun fire on two of the three islands and found it to be terrifying. Don was very lucky but felt that his luck was running out.

He thereafter trained on Guadalcanal, as a part of the first Provisional Brigade with the former Marine Corps Raiders for the invasion of Guam.

He and many other Marines were evacuated from the Guadalcanal because of tropical disease (malaria and/or Filariasis) shortly before the invasion of Guam. His tent mate on Guadalcanal was killed at Guam. That could have been Don.

The trip from Guadalcanal to San Francisco on a Liberty ship was a stormy one and took 6 weeks. During a violent storm they feared that the ship with it's loud creaky noises during every up and down movement was going to break in half. Thankfully, the ship held together and finally made it to San Francisco.

The 22nd Marines then part of the Marine Corps Sixth Division fought the horrific and lengthy battles on Okinawa where it suffered horrendous casualties.

It was his understanding that the Sixth Division, including the 22nd Marines, was selected to invade Japan and would have done so had it not been for the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. That would have been a terrible slaughter of marines.

Don was a coach in the Pittsburgh amateur Hockey League, a youth ice hockey program at South and North Parks, as well as Rostraver, for 6 years beginning in 1962.

He enjoyed sports, ice skating, gardening, and listening to the music, Big bands, and singers of the 30's, 40's and 50's. Glenn miller was his favorite band. Friends will be received at John F. Slater Funeral Home, 412-881-4100, 4201 Brownsville Road, Brentwood 15227 on Friday, February 2, 2018 from 2-8 p.m. Funeral Prayer on Saturday morning at 9:15. Mass of Christian Burial in St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Virgin Church in Whitehall at 10:00 a.m. Interment will be in Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Peters Township with Full Military Honors.

If desired memorial donations may be made to the St. Vincent de Paul Society at St. Gabriel Church, 5200 Greenridge Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15236.