Town of Maine Cemetery in Park Ridge in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

S/Sgt. Donald E. Hurst

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, November 13, 2024

1. S/Sgt. Donald E. Hurst Marker

Inscription. WWII US Army Air Corps 1944-1946
8th Air Force - England 303rd & 305th BG
B-17 Waist Gunner

1947-1957 Cold War & Korean Conflict
15th Air Force (SAC) Strategic Air Command
B-29 Bombers

www.gunnerdonhurst.com

Sculpture cast at Wagner Foundry, Chicago, IL

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • War, Cold • War, Korean • War, World II. In addition, it is included in the Valor in Aerial Operations series list.

Location. 42° 0.483′ N, 87° 51.297′ W. Marker is in Park Ridge, Illinois, in Cook County. It is in Town of Maine Cemetery. It is on Touhy Avenue 0.2 miles south of Dee Road. The marker is in Town of Maine Cemetery, a few paces from the western roadway of the cemetery, not far from the Civil War Memorial. It is affixed to the base of a statue of Donald Hurst as a gunner that is placed next to the gravesites of Hurst and his wife Lillian. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2101 West Touhy Avenue, Park Ridge IL 60068, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally,

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this marker is in Greater Chicago.

It is also in the American Midwest

and on the Great Lakes.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Civil War Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); Town of Maine Cemetery (approx. 0.2 miles away); Corp. Mel Tierney (approx. 1.2 miles away); Pvt. Richard F. Boettcher (approx. 1.2 miles away); Park Ridge War Memorial (approx. 1.2 miles away); Sgt. Emmons Harries (approx. 1.2 miles away); Pvt. Henry J. Ziegenbein (approx. 1.2 miles away); Edmund F. Bentley (approx. 1.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Park Ridge.

Regarding S/Sgt. Donald E. Hurst. Donald Hurst is believed to still be alive as of November 2024. Born on July 4, 1928, Hurst was only 15 years old when he enlisted in the Army Air Corps in downtown Chicago in 1944. In January

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, November 13, 2024

2. S/Sgt. Donald E. Hurst Marker

of 1945, he joined the 308th bomb group as a gunner and participated in the Battle of the Bulge. On his 12th mission, in February, the B-17 Flying Fortress he was on was shot down by German troops, killing the co-pilot and injuring several others as the plane made a hazardous landing in German territory. Hurst was credited with holding off German troops until he and his comrades could return to Allied lines. Hurst received the Silver Star and Distinguished Flying Cross for his efforts. After the war ended, Hurst spent another 11 years with the Air Force until leaving the service in 1957.

Also see . . .
1. Donald E. Hurst official webpage. (Submitted on November 13, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)
2. Resident Spotlight: World War II Veteran Don Hurst.

Excerpt: "Several times a week, Don, who still drives his own car, travels the 12 blocks to the cemetery where his wife Lillian is buried. Lillian died five years ago, and he visits her grave as often as he can. And two years ago, a life-size statue of Don was erected in his hometown of Park Ridge, Ill. The 6-foot bronze statue re-creates Don in aviator
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, November 13, 2024

3. S/Sgt. Donald E. Hurst Marker
The gravestone for Hurst and his wife Lillian are immediately next to the statue.
cap and goggles, and a belt of ammunition for his Browning machine gun draped over his shoulder."

(Submitted on November 13, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

3. Statue gives form to one man's memory. From Journal & Topics, which covers Chicago's northwest suburbs.

Hurst’s heroic actions led to the 6-foot tall statue of a waist gunner in the Town of Maine Cemetery near Hurst and his wife Lillian’s gravestone. Hurst visits her final resting place frequently. On May 18, 11 days before Memorial Day, the sculpture that David Standifer of Wagner Foundry created from a photograph was installed in the Town of Maine Cemetery. The sculpture took over one year to complete."

(Submitted on November 13, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

Credits. This page was last revised on February 21, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 13, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 440 times since then and 86 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 13, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.