Donald Zahn was 22 when he set foot on the grounds of Camp Toccoa, Ga.

Zahn, who had enlisted in the Army paratroopers in 1942, had arrived for training — one of the original "Toccoa Men." A member of the 101st Airborne's H Company 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, training included running up and down Currahee Mountain — "3 miles up and 3 miles down" and included a 132-mile march to Fort Benning for jump training followed by a year in England.

On June 6, 1944, Zahn and his fellow paratroopers parachuted into France behind enemy lines prior to the Allied beach attack. The goal — to seize two bridges over the Douve River at Brevands.

Zahn volunteered to cross the bridge to scout enemy positions.

"He was the first to volunteer to cross the bridge as a scout and spent 30 minutes alone on the enemy shore," said his daughter, Barbara Ridley. "Armed with only a Tommy gun he was able to locate German troops and gun placements in the nearby woods."

Eventually he was joined by three others when they came under fire. The Americans returned fire before recrossing the bridge under the lower bridge supports to avoid further enemy fire, Ridley said.

Zahn was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the second highest valor award, for his extraordinary heroism, on May 9, 1945, in a ceremony at Berchtesgaden by Major General Maxwell Taylor. 

Additional combat jumps, Operation Market Garden and Bastogne, would follow as would a promotion to lieutenant of C Company 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment. He would receive a Bronze Star for heroic service and two Purple Hearts.

In May 1945, Zahn would become the officer in charge of a platoon assigned to guard the Berghof, a Bavarian mansion in the Bavarian Alps near the town of Berchtesgaden where Adolf Hitler would spend much of his time during World War II.

After the war, Zahn served in the Army Reserves, retiring after 20 years as a major.

Zahn, whose experiences were chronicled in World War II historian Mark Bando's books, passed away in 2015 at the age of 94 in Sandpoint.

It is soldiers like Donald Zahn that we at the Bonner County Daily Bee and the Bonners Ferry Herald want to honor as part of our special Veterans Day tribute.

Their stories will be shared in Valor; a special keepsake publication that pays tribute to the men and women with ties to Bonner and Boundary counties who answered the call to serve. 

To preserve their stories and their legacy, we need the public’s help gathering photos, stories and service details. If known, please include any awards and recognitions they received, such as the Purple Heart, Silver Star, Distinguished Service Cross or Medal of Honor.

All stories — from veterans new to the community to those who have lived here all their lives — are welcome.

Our goal is to share these stories and honor those who have served, capturing their words and memories before they are lost.

In addition, we’re collecting information on local service and military groups, veterans' services, and resources available to veterans and their families.

Our goal is to pay special tribute to those who have served, with particular honor to those who have earned this country’s highest awards.

The publication will include photos of our veterans. Everyone is invited to submit a service photo of their family member who served, along with information about their branch of service, years of service and location of service. Stories and memories from their time in uniform are also welcome and encouraged.

This keepsake edition will be published in the Nov. 6 issues of the Daily Bee and Bonners Ferry Herald.

All are invited to send a service photo of their family member who served, along with information on their branch of service, years of service and location of service. Stories and memories from their time in uniform are also welcomed and encouraged.

This keepsake publication will be published in the Nov. 6 editions of the Bonner County Daily Bee and Bonners Ferry Herald.

Please send your photos and information by Friday to [email protected].