Donald was born July 12, 1932, in Hamlet to Henry Riggan McDuffie Sr. and Helen R. McDonald McDuffie as their second son.
At the time of his death Nov. 30, 1950, he was 18 years of age and survived by both parents and five siblings.
Both parents and brothers Henry R. McDuffie Jr. and Arthur T. McDuffie are now deceased. Donald is survived by his brother, Maj. J. Vann McDuffie (US Army retired); sisters Carole M. Venable and Juanita M. Owensby (Jim); many nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews, as well as numerous cousins.
Donald never had children of his own, but his legacy was passed on to a nephew (Arthur’s son), Don, who is his name’s sake and served 30 years in the U.S. Army Medical Service Corps as an optometrist and attained the rank of colonel.
Donald was described as a handsome athlete who attended Hamlet High School prior to enlisting in the Army on Oct. 25, 1949. Before joining the Army, he was an active member of Marks Creek Presbyterian Church where he participated with many extended family members in youth activities and work projects. He worked for hours with others on the construction of our Fellowship Hall.
He enjoyed hunting and fishing as well as boxing with neighborhood boys. He worked some on small farming activities with his Dad. He was an “All-American“ guy described as “someone that one wanted for a friend.” His caring character prompted him to join the U.S. Army and fight for his country.
U.S. Army Pvt.1st Class Clem Donald McDuffie served in Item Co. 3rd Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division during the Korean War. Historians at the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency reported that on Nov. 30, 1950, he was reported killed in action during the fighting withdrawal to Hagaru-ri in the vicinity of the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea.
U.S. forces were unable to return to the area to search for remains as the loss area was in enemy held territory, and the U.S. Army issued a finding of Non-Recoverability on Jan. 16, 1956.
In 1954, the United Nations Command, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the Chinese Peoples Voluntary Forces exchanged the remains of fallen service personnel in an effort called Operation Glory. The Central Identification Unit Laboratory at Kokura, Japan was unable to positively associate any of these remains with Donald. All unidentified remains were interred in the National Military Cemetery the Pacific, AKA the Punchbowl, in Honolulu, Hawaii.
On March 29, 2021, the DPAA disinterred from the NMCP remains reportedly from the Chosin Reservoir Area and began further identification efforts (Phase 3). With advanced technology in DNA these efforts determined that Donald was accounted for Aug. 26, 2024, and his family was notified by phone of this good news on Sept. 2,2024.
A causality officer came to meet with the family on Oct. 15, 2024, to share a formal detailed presentation on these findings and the process of returning Donald’s remains to Hamlet. A full public military funeral will be held at Marks Creek Presbyterian Church on Nov. 30, 2024, at 11 a.m.
The family expresses their deep appreciation for all acts of kindness and support shared; especially to William “Shorty” Cox and the many others with the U.S. Army Causality Assistance Center.
Memorials may be made to Marks Creek Presbyterian—Fellowship Hall Upgrade Building Fund c/o Ginger Seymour, 150 Two Sisters Lane, Rockingham, N.C. 28379.
Online condolences may be made at watson-kingfuneralhome.com. Watson-King Funeral Home in Hamlet is serving the McDuffie family.
