World War I Medal of Honor Recipient. He was a Sergeant, United States Army, Company I, 165th Infantry, 42d Division, and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Congressional Medal of Honor. He was born one of four children as Michael Aloyisius Donaldson to Patrick Donaldson (1839-1909), and his wife Julia Moxely Donaldson (1853-1921), in Haverstraw, New York, on January 16, 1887. He was educated locally attending the St. Peter's Parochial School in Haverstraw, New York, and the Haverstraw High School in Haverstraw, New York. Following his education, he became an amateur boxer and worked as a laborer in the brickyards. He then entered the military in his native Haverstraw, New York, and was stationed with the National Guard at an Armoury in New York City, New York. He was then sent to Europe and served overseas seeing acting in such countries as Montenegro and France during World War I. He notably fought in the Meuse-Argonne, Aisne-Marne, Champagne-Marne, St. Mihiel, and the Defensive Sector campaigns in France during World War I. He served as a Sergeant, United States Army, Company I, 165th Infantry, 42d Division, and also saw action in Sommerance-Landres-et St. Georges Road, France, on October 14, 1918, during World War I. His Irish-American 165th Infantry Regiment was also known as, "The Fighting 69th. For his bravery during this campaign, he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, the highest military decoration which is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians, and coast guardsmen, who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor, by then President of the United States Calvin Coolidge at the White House in Washington, D.C., in 1923. He was one of only 92 Congressional Medal of Honor winners in World War I. His citation reads-The advance of his regiment having been checked by intense machinegun fire of the enemy, who were entrenched on the crest of a hill before Landres-et St. Georges, his company retired to a sunken road to reorganize their position, leaving several of their number wounded near the enemy lines. Of his own volition, in broad daylight and under direct observation of the enemy and with utter disregard for his own safety, he advanced to the crest of the hill, rescued one of his wounded comrades, and returned under withering fire to his own lines, repeating his splendidly heroic act until he had brought in all the men, 6 in number. In addition to his Congressional Medal of Honor, he was also awarded the World War I Victory Medal with one silver service star to denote credit for five campaign clasps, the Army of Occupation of Germany Medal, the Médaille militaire from the French Republic, the Croix de guerre 1914-1918 with bronze palm from the French Republic, and the Medal for Military Bravery from the Kingdom of Montenegro. His active military service was from October 26, 1917, until he was honorably discharged on May 5, 1919. Following his return home to Haverstraw, New York, he was hailed a hero. He then traveled the world seeing New York City, Washington, D.C. and lived in Florida for a time where he was hospitalized before being brought back home by a Rockland County, New York, Veterans Organization. In his later years, he would also often meet in person with every President of the United States from Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924), to Harry S. Truman (1884-1972), who said of him after hearing about his death, "one of the great Americans." He passed away at the Montrose Veterans Administration Hospital in Montrose, New York, on April 12, 1970, at the age of 83. Following his death, his funeral service was conducted by the Rockland County Veterans Co-Ordinating Council of Rockland County, New York, at the Victor J. Shankey Funeral Home in Haverstraw, New York, with a requiem mass being sung at the Saint Peter's Church in Haverstraw, New York, which concluded with his being buried with full military honors in Saint Peters Cemetery in Haverstraw, New York. He never married nor had any children, but he was survived by a sister, two nieces, and eight nephews. He was posthumously inducted into The New York State Senate Veterans' Hall of Fame in 2005.