Colonel Donald Eugene Lunday

Colonel Donald Eugene Lunday, (U.S. Army Retired), servant of God, loving husband, father, grandfather, life time soldier, and patriot age 72 of Carlisle, Pennsylvania died October 11, 2012 at Forest Park Health Center, Carlisle.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, October 16, 2012 at Saint Patrick Church, 85 Marsh Drive, Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Interment will follow at St. Patrick's Cemetery, McClure's Gap Road in Carlisle. There will be a visitation with the family from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Monday, October 15, 2012 at Hoffman Roth Funeral Home, 219 North Hanover Street, Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
He was preceded in death by his first wife of 39 years, Marian Strzelec Lunday of St. Louis, Missouri. He is survived by his current wife, Patricia Crockett Lunday originally from Nashville, Tennessee, three sons and their wives, Mark and Pat Lunday of Hillsborough, NC, Coast Guard Captain Kevin and Lynda Lee Lunday of Suffolk, Virginia and Army Lieutenant Colonel Brian and Erin Lunday of West Point, New York, a step-son and his wife, Luther and Tamara Tanley of Nashville, Tennessee and a step-daughter and her husband, Lisa and Tim Silke of Galway, Ireland. He also is survived by eight grandchildren, Luke and Sean Lunday, Emily, Lola and Mia Tanley and Owen, Katie and Lauren Silke and a brother, John Lunday of Nashville, Tennessee. Additionally, he is survived by several very dear friends who were his extended family.
Born November 27, 1939 in Nashville, Tennessee, he was the son of the late George P.
and Mary B. Lunday. He attended the University of Nebraska at Omaha, graduating with a B.S. Degree in General Studies in 1971. He also attended George Washington University and received a Masters of Science Degree in International Affairs in 1978. His military education included the Infantry Officer Candidate School, Infantry Advanced Course, Special Forces Officer Course, Armed Forces Staff College and the National War College.
Colonel Lunday served our nation with distinction for more than 35 years as an enlisted man, an Infantry Officer and later as a Special Forces Officer. He served his last 13 years in the Army at the rank of colonel. During his military career he served in a variety of command and operations assignments including a tour in Germany with Special Forces and two combat tours in the Republic of Vietnam and Southeast Asia in Special Forces assignments. He commanded units at the platoon, company, and battalion level and was the Chief of Parachute Training for the Army in 1974 and 1975. Colonel Lunday served his last twelve years of active duty at the US Army War College in Carlisle as a faculty instructor, department chairman, Director of Academic Affairs, and finally as Deputy Commandant. After his retirement from the U. S. Army, Colonel Lunday served with the Pennsylvania Department of Education as a division chief, bureau director and as Deputy Secretary for Administration. He retired from the Department of Education in 2001. He also was a member of Saint Patrick's Parish, Carlisle and previously served on the Parish Pastoral Council and the Parish Cemetery Board.
Among his numerous military awards are the Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Bronze Star with oak leaf cluster, Air Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with palm, Presidential Unit Citation with oak leaf cluster, the Master Parachutist Badge, the Combat Infantry Badge, Aircrewman Badge and the Expert Infantry Badge. Colonel Lunday also was inducted into the Infantry Officer Candidate School Hall of Fame in 1980 and was selected as a Distinguished Fellow of the U.S Army War College in 1990. Additionally, he was awarded the Silver Beaver Award by the Boy Scouts of America. Colonel Lunday was a lifetime member of the Army War College Alumni Association, the Army War College Foundation, Special Forces Association, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Officer Candidate School Alumni Association.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations to the Saint Patrick Church Building Fund, 140 E. Pomfret Street, Carlisle, PA 17013, Special Operations Warrior Foundation, PO Box 13483, Tampa, FL 33681-3483, or Boy Scouts of America, New Birth of Freedom Council, 1 Baden Powell Lane, Mechanicsburg, PA 17011.
To sign the guest book visit www.hoffmanroth.com.