Chief Engineman Donald L. McFaul was born on September 20, 1957, in Orange County, California, and grew up in Bend, Oregon. He graduated from Bend Senior High School in 1974 and soon enlisted in the Navy. His first assignment was at Naval Station Treasure Island, where he worked as an engine specialist.
In 1977 Don was selected for the Naval Special Warfare community, and in the spring of 1978 he completed Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training with Class 95. Assigned to SEAL Team ONE, he made three deployments in support of special operations out of Subic Bay in the Philippines. In 1985 he left the Navy, but he missed the challenge and camaraderie of the Teams and returned to Naval Special Warfare. He studied Spanish at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California, and in 1988 joined SEAL Team FOUR. With Team FOUR he deployed to the Persian Gulf in support of Middle East Forces and later to Naval Special Warfare Unit EIGHT at Naval Station Rodman, Republic of Panama.
Family and friends remember Don as a quiet man of stoic love and big actions. He enjoyed camping, water skiing, amusement parks, marathons and triathlons. Whatever Don did, he did thoroughly. He looked after the interests of others, especially his teammates, and his foresight and kindness were often visible only to those who knew how to read them in his actions.
His final deployment was as platoon chief of Golf Platoon during Operation Just Cause. On December 20, 1989, as the platoon patrolled toward its objective at Paitilla Airfield in Panama, it came under heavy small-arms fire. Realizing that most of the first squad ahead of him had been wounded and lay exposed, Chief McFaul left the relative safety of his position to reach them. He was carrying a wounded teammate to safety and had nearly reached the friendly perimeter when he was mortally wounded. He was 32. His sacrifice inspired further acts of heroism and helped the platoon accomplish its mission.
Chief McFaul was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross and the Purple Heart. His other awards include the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with gold star, the Combat Action Ribbon, the Navy Unit Commendation, the Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation, the Good Conduct Medal with bronze star and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal.
In 1998 the Navy commissioned the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul (DDG 74) in his honor, carrying his name across the world’s oceans. He is survived by his wife, Patricia; his daughter, Megan; his mother, Shirley Lee; his brothers, Michael McFaul, J.R. Schooley and Duane Schooley Jr.; and his sisters, Debbie Baker, Candy Nelson and Karie Tarte.
Chief McFaul knowingly left his position of safety under heavy enemy automatic fire to rescue a wounded teammate, shielding him with his own body.
Navy Cross Posthumous Citation
Sources
- U.S. Navy (SURFLANT): USS McFaul (DDG 74) Namesake
- Military Times Hall of Valor: Donald McFaul
- Defense.gov Valor: Navy Cross recipients, Panama
- DefenseLINK: Navy to commission Aegis destroyer McFaul (DDG 74)
- Family-provided records on file with MVF: Donald McFaul bio and 2024 stage bio
