#VeteranOfTheDay Navy, Marine and Army Veteran Donald Ballard

November 30, 2022: Donald Ballard

Donald “Doc” Ballard was born in Kansas City, Missouri, in December 1945. Growing up, he helped his family in house construction and entrepreneurial endeavors, although he felt his childhood “was just like any other kid.”

Influenced by his community’s respect for a local dentist, Ballard hoped to pursue the occupation. Though he worked in a local dental laboratory, he was unable to finance higher education. He therefore enlisted in the Navy in 1965, hoping to obtain educational opportunities.

At boot camp, Ballard was designated a corpsman. Although this did not allow him to pursue dentistry, he was able to “fulfill his goals,” albeit “on a different path than the one [he] set out to meet.” After attending the Naval Hospital Corps School in Great Lakes, Illinois, he served at the Naval Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. He then served with the Marines in the 2nd Marine Division at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, in October 1966.

Ballard deployed to Vietnam in December 1967 as part of the 3rd Marine Division. Although he believed he would be sent to a “fixed facility,” the Navy’s needs led him to serve on the front lines.

Shortly after his arrival in Vietnam, Ballard was assigned to Company M, 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines. As a corpsman, his main duties involved treating marines for health issues and enemy-inflicted wounds both on and off the battlefield.

On the afternoon of May 16, 1968, Ballard moved to regroup with his company after providing aid to two heat-stricken marines. As he was doing so, an enemy unit assaulted his company. He subsequently rushed to provide aid to an injured marine, placing himself amid enemy fire despite the risk to his life. As four marines were evacuating the injured marine to a safer area, an enemy soldier launched a grenade. Not satisfied with only cautioning the marines of the incoming threat, Ballard jumped onto the grenade to save them. Immediately after recognizing the failure of the grenade to explode, Ballard returned to providing aid.

For Ballard’s actions that day, President Richard Nixon awarded him the Medal of Honor in May 1970 at the White House, an experience the corpsman described as “beyond belief.” Describing his accomplishment, he later humbly explained that “there [are] a lot more deserving people than [him] that should have gotten the Medal of Honor.” In addition to the Medal of Honor, Ballard received the Purple Heart after suffering wounds while engaging in combat in Vietnam.

Ballard was evacuated to Japan for two months before returning to the United States, where he continued his work at the naval hospital in Memphis. After earning the Medal of Honor in 1970, he left the Marines and joined the Kansas Army National Guard, where he served for 30 years.

Ballard retired from service in 2000 with the rank of colonel. A year later, he was inducted into the Kansas National Guard Hall of Fame. He also became treasurer of the Medal of Honor Society in 2013.

In addition to his unique career in the military, Ballard had two children with his first wife. He later remarried and had another four children.

We honor his service.

Writer: Khaled Maalouf

Editors: Cate Manning, Daphna Gerber

Researcher: Ryan Nishiyama

Graphic Designer: Charles Hundley