Arthur O'Donogue

Arthur O’Donogue was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1917 to Patrick and Gertrude O’Donogue and lived there with his three siblings until orphaned at age 12.  He was placed on a family farm in Ubly, Michigan with the Connelly family where he attended school until enlisting in the United States Marine Corps in 1935. 

After completion of boot camp at Parris Island, South Carolina, he was assigned the military occupational specialty (MOS) of infantryman (0311) and reported to the U.S. Navy “Banana Fleet” in Panama, where he served in the Marine detachment aboard various Navy ships.  From there he reported to the U.S. Naval Shipyard, Boston, where he served as a member of the Marine Barracks, Boston, Massachusetts. 

He was transferred to the 6th Marine Regiment and when they left to go to Iceland in 1941, he remained behind as one of a cadre of noncommissioned officers for drill instructor duty at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego.  He remained there until 1943 when he was assigned as the 1st Sergeant of the Marine Detachment aboard the USS SARATOGA (CV-3).  He supported various operations in the Pacific to include the operations on the islands of Eniwetok, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa.

He spent the interwar years at Camp Pendleton and was with the 1st Marine Division in 1950 when they deployed as part of the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade for the defense of South Korea.  He landed at Pusan and fought at the Pusan Perimeter.  He then reembarked shipping and landed at Inchon, captured Seoul, South Korea, and participated in the actions at the Chosin reservoir.  It was during this time he received a battlefield commission, serving in various capacities within 1st Marine Division until returning from Korea in 1951. 

Upon arriving stateside in 1951, he was assigned a 01 MOS (Personnel Officer) where he served again at Camp Pendleton, then with Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic in Norfolk, Virgina, then with 3rd Marine Division in Okinawa, returning to Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego in 1956 where he served as Personnel Officer and Recruit Assignment Officer until his retirement on 01 January 1958.

He subsequently was the General Manager/Chief Executive Officer of the San Diego County Credit Union from 1958-1980 when he fully retired.  He enjoyed retirement until his death in 1998. 

Arthur was married to the former Madeline Plietz of Ubly, Michigan for 55 years.  They had one son, Patrick, also a career Marine.