MacDonald, Stuart

Stuart MacDonald was born October 20, 1924; he was in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1941-46.  Stuart was born in New York City but grew up in Lakeville, Massachusetts, where he and his family endured the realities of the Great Depression.  His father found work in Providence, but Stuart – a senior in high school by that time – did not want to go.  His mother suggested he go into the military; Stuart’s brother was in the Coast Guard and his father had been a Marine, so Stuart joined the USMC too – in October 1941.  Pearl Harbor would be the event that determined the fate of his generation, and Stuart was called up for duty in December 1941, right after the attack.  He reported to Parris Island for boot camp, followed by a stint at Tent City in New River, where he learned the basics of artillery.  The time for deployment to the Pacific came next:  Stuart boarded the USS American Legion (APA-17) for the month transit to the Pacific. The men debarked from the ship climbing down rope nets into Higgins boats for trips to the shores of Guadalcanal, arriving on August 7, 1942. Stuart was assigned to the 1st Marine Division, 11th Marines Artillery, as a forward observer to call in artillery fire for the infantry. He contracted malaria in those early days, receiving Atabrine in sick bay which finally abated his condition. Stuart was consequently reassigned to the 3rd Division for operations on Bougainville and Guam. He was overseas for three years, returning home to San Diego before being sent back to Parris Island as an MP at age 20-21. He was on duty there when the war ended. Postwar, Stuart met his wife through a friend with the USN in Lynn, Massachusetts, and they married in 1951.  Stuart became CEO and president of a textile company and worked with Meals on Wheels. He also met with Vietnam Veterans at the Veterans’ Administration. Crestwood students were able to meet with Stuart MacDonald over zoom in September 2025, and this video was created by combining excerpts from that interview with the comprehensive footage shot by Rishi Sharma on an earlier occasion.  Sadly, Stuart passed away a short time after we met him, and we thank his daughter and family and send them our condolences.