DANIEL N. DONATINI

March 25, 1969 – November 9, 1991

SP4 U.S. ARMY

VETERAN OF DESERT STORM

Dan Donatini was a member of Troop 82 in the 1980’s.  Dan served in several leadership positions during his years with the troop and participated in every troop activity he could.  His cheerful spirit and positive example led to him being elected into the Order of the Arrow Allogogan Lodge #83 where he was a dedicated member of the Ceremonies Team and reached Brotherhood status.  He was selected by the troop to attend Powderhorn Training, the predecessor to Junior Leader Training.  He attended summer camp at the Moses Scout Reservation for several years eventually serving on camp staff in different areas and teaching several different merit badges at the waterfront.

After he graduated from Agawam High School in 1987, Danny joined the Army to serve his country.  He became a U.S. Army Medic in D company in the 5^th Battalion, 5^th Cavalry, 3^rd Armor Division (also known as the “Bayonets”), achieving the rank of corporal.  He was stationed in Germany when his unit was deployed to Iraq during operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.  He was awarded the Bronze Star for treating wounded during the fighting in Iraq.

He would stop in to troop meetings whenever he was in town on leave.  It was on one such leave home, only a few months before his tour of duty was scheduled to end, when Danny was killed in a motor vehicle accident in Palmer, MA.

Knowing of his love for Scouting, his parents donated a small savings account of Dan’s along with his old camping equipment to the troop.  It was decided that the money should somehow be used to memorialize him and the Dan Donatini Campership Fund was established.  The purpose of the campership is to assist young troop leaders with the cost of leadership training.  In the years since his passing, donations have kept the fund alive.  There have also been a couple of events set up specifically to add to the fund so that it will in some form always remain a part of Troop 82.