A master passes

[Dphariss]

If this is in the wrong place please move it to its proper one.
Today Don King, one of the premier makers of the 1960s and 70s was interred at the National Cemetery at Laurel Montana. Marine, Chosin Res survivor, barely.
Don was a prolific, highly skilled maker and expert engraver, being trained as a photo engraver.  He started making rifles in the 1950s and was doing restoration work by 1958. I have very little on his first work but he was making and selling rifles by the late 1950s, by the early 1960s he was making highly engraved and decorated rifles of all schools.
Don was a huge mentor to me and a long term friend, first met him at the fall Flintlock and Buckskin Rendezvous at Friendship fall 1968. I really go to know him after I moved to Big Timber, Montana in 1977 his shop was a wonder. Bringing a finished rifle and having him say "I have seen worse"...
Here is a link to a sample in photographs.  I hope.
Dan


https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000127103372&sk=photos&collection_token=100000127103372%3A2305272732%3A69&set=a.2350734464940767&type=1

[bgf]

My condolences to his family and friends, and you, as I know you have spoken highly of him in the past.  The loss of a teacher and influence on your life is one of the more devestating losses.  He sounds like a wonderful human being in general as well. 

[M. E. Pering]

A definitive Master.  My condolences to you and his family.

M. E. Pering

[Old Salt]

My condolences  his family.

[Bigmon]

Didn't have the honor of ever meeting Mr. King.  But I noticed the "Chosin" reference.  Do you know if he was a MArine or maybe the 7th Inf Division?  My recently passed Father was a member of the 7th Div.  Thirtyfive below was the temp, plus all those Chinese!
GOD Bless them all.

[Bob Roller]

Our condolences to Don's survivors. I met him for the first time in 1960 when
he made a visit to Bill Large's shop.He had a nice "Hawken type"halfstock with
him.As Dan says, "Another Master has passed away"and I am glad to have known him.
I think I have a picture of him taken at Friendship.

Bob Roller

[Dphariss]

Didn't have the honor of ever meeting Mr. King.  But I noticed the "Chosin" reference.  Do you know if he was a MArine or maybe the 7th Inf Division?  My recently passed Father was a member of the 7th Div.  Thirtyfive below was the temp, plus all those Chinese!
GOD Bless them all.

Don was a Marine. Wounded during the pull back from Chosin.  Had bullet fragments in his lower back near the spine that they could not, or did not, remove. Lived with it and some frostbite on his hands. Yeah, Don had some stories. Its interesting that he was a Reservist, his unit was called up and he went to Korea without ever going to boot camp. He was not the only one.
Remembering that the a Marine Division and an Army Division put two Chinese field Armies out of the fight for months.... They certainly made an impression on the Chinese.
God Bless them all....
Dan

[Dphariss]

Our condolences to Don's survivors. I met him for the first time in 1960 when
he made a visit to Bill Large's shop.He had a nice "Hawken type"halfstock with
him.As Dan says, "Another Master has passed away"and I am glad to have known him.
I think I have a picture of him taken at Friendship.

Bob Roller

I had a photo of Don and Ron Long at a match in Cody WY but someone slimy SOB stole Camera out of the car before I got it onto the computer. 

Dan

[Daryl]

Thanks for the note, Dan. It is hard to lose a long-time friend.
My prayers to you, his family and other friends.

[Dan Fruth]

Jack Haugh talked highly of Don's work.......We are loosing these pioneers who brought these treasured old guns out of the museum and into shooters hands...

[Bob Roller]

Didn't have the honor of ever meeting Mr. King.  But I noticed the "Chosin" reference.  Do you know if he was a MArine or maybe the 7th Inf Division?  My recently passed Father was a member of the 7th Div.  Thirtyfive below was the temp, plus all those Chinese!
GOD Bless them all.

I remember seeing an article about the frigid fighting at the Chosin Reservoir and one of
our guys asking "How many hordes are there in a Chinese division"?

Bob Roller

[oldtravler61]

 Dam this is another great loss to our community. Cherish the times you had. May he rest in peace. My condolences to his many friends an family...!
  Oldtravler

[Jay Close]

I'm sorry to hear this Dan. Another of the modern masters gone. Condolences to you and his family.

[Carney Pace]

Knowing both Don King and Jack Haugh I recall a conversation with them that they both agreed if they had to own  another smiths rifle it would be between them as respective makers.
 Lots of Don stories as we met in 1958 at he Wichita, Ks. gun show.  Great friend and ML builder.  Many a evening passed while enjoying watching him work and visiting.

Enough

Carney

[Dave Patterson]

Didn't have the honor of ever meeting Mr. King.  But I noticed the "Chosin" reference.  Do you know if he was a MArine or maybe the 7th Inf Division?  My recently passed Father was a member of the 7th Div.  Thirtyfive below was the temp, plus all those Chinese!
GOD Bless them all.

I remember seeing an article about the frigid fighting at the Chosin Reservoir and one of
our guys asking "How many hordes are there in a Chinese division"?

Bob Roller

To quote a young Marine, reporting enemy sightings directly to his battalion commander, "A whole G** d*** P***-pot full, Sir!"

[Michigan Flinter]

as Chesty told the higher ups "we got them where we want them we can fight them in any direction"  my friend has one of don's rifles what a craftsman he was. Rest in Pease .

[trentOH]

Second hand story from  a plumber I know, who is buddies with a Frozen Chosin veteran.....

A marine unit "attacking in a different direction" needed a resupply of bazooka ammunition. Each round came in a black cardboard tube, and was nicknamed "Tootsie Rolls" for the similar appearance. The moral of the story is "Somebody never gets the word". The Air Force conducted a parachute drop of two pallets of ammunition. Except it wasn't ammunition, it was actually two pallets full of tootsie rolls. I understand that some new curse words and comments on Air Force heritage were invented that day.
However, the tootsie rolls were put to good use. Placed under an armpit for a while, they warm up and become a source of calories which you can eat quite easily on the move. And the pallets are good firewood, albeit not so portable.

For the record, chocolaty tootsie rolls are not especially effective at stopping Chinese tanks.

Rest in peace Marine. You are not forgotten.