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Pfc Donald M. Smeltzer was a driver before he enlisted in New Cumberland, Pennsylvania on 20 May 1944.

These men first dashed across Gorch-Fock Strasse to house B and from here at 08:30 Sgt Brauch and his men jumped to C, first of the uncleared houses. As they ran across the street, a German machine gun opened up on them from down Schillerstrasse. No one was struck and the men reached house C. This house had a hole blown in it at ground level, leaving an opening from the basement and above the floor where a man could squeeze through. Germans fired from the cellar part of the hole as the men headed towards them to jump through the hole onto the first floor. Last man in the team, Pfc Donald M Smeltzer, was struck and fell at the hole entrance. Inside as the men went to different rooms of the house, Pfc Willard C Cameran went to the head of the cellar stairs, saw Germans at the foot in the basement, promptly tossed a grenade down among them. Hearing the grenade go off, Lt Hardy, Lt Mark V Goodyear and Sgt James Bowen's third squad ran over to house C to help. Convinced that it was best to give up, six Heinies filed out of the cellar. Four others had escaped to house D while Sgt. Brauch and his men were making the initial jump, and had been fired on by others of the second platoon who had been waiting in B to follow up the assault. Houses B and C were in the direct field of fire of pillbox No. 1, but were receiving no fire from it, apparently it was unmanned. All this time Pfc Smeltzer lay wounded near the hole in the wall, everyone running into the building had to clear him. This action had all taken place within a few minutes, and as soon as their chance came, litter bearers got Pfc Smeltzer back to B. He was dead.

He was first buried at the Temporary American Military Cemetery of Limey, France.