The wounds he received on Okinawa proved too much for Stony Spooner.

Desmond E. Spooner was born in Watsonville, California on November 27, 1925, to Harry and Christine Spooner. Stony, as he was nicknamed, grew to adulthood, along with his brother Andrew, in the family home on Marchant Street in Watsonville. Spooner attended local grammar schools and studied at Watsonville High School for three years. He worked in the local canning and food preserving industry after leaving high school.

Desmond Spooner was inducted into the US Army in San Francisco on October 14, 1944, and sent to Camp Roberts and Fort Ord, California, for basic and advanced infantry training. In February 1945, he was shipped to Hawaii and began training with a unit, which is believed to be the 32nd Division of the 7th Infantry Division. Spooner also trained in the Philippine Islands prior to the Okinawa campaign.

On April 1, 1945, the 32nd Regiment took part in the landing at Okinawa and was deployed in the area of Duck Hill.

“Decisive action in the Japanese holding battle took place in the vicinity of Duck and Mabel Hills, east of Chan. Here, on 26 May, the 32d Infantry tried to break the enemy resistance, but in a fierce encounter on Duck Hill it was thrown back with heavy casualties. In the withdrawal from Duck Hill the dead had to be left behind. No gain was made on the 27th, and on the 28th there was no activity other than patrolling.”

During patrolling activities on May 28, Desmond Spooner received a wound to the abdomen by a sniper, for which he was posthumously awarded the bronze star. The accompanying citation stated,
"As acting squad leader PFC Spooner led his carrying party over a route covered by enemy small arms, machine gun and mortar fire and rendered further dangerous by the presence of a sizeable mine field.... continued to carry supplies after other men of his squad were forced to rest... led a demolitions patrol in reducing by-passed enemy position… volunteering to accompany his platoon leader on a reconnaissance...information thus secured enabled another battalion to fill a dangerous gap."

Stony was evacuated to a military hospital on Saipan and died there on August 16, 1945. An army chaplain later wrote to his mother sharing details of his wounding and death.

"During the fighting on Okinawa, his [Stony's] buddy was wounded first and fell to the ground some distance from Private First Class Spooner. He called Desmond to come and help him. In the attempt to reach his buddy, Desmond received the severe wounds, which finally resulted in the giving of his life."

The remains of Desmond "Stony" Spooner were initially buried on Saipan, but were later returned to Watsonville and interred in the Pioneer Cemetery.

(CBR; NARA2; ACGEN; Spooner Family History by Chris Huntze, November 2, 2009; US Army WWII, Okinawa the last Battle, http://www.history.army.mil/books/wwii/okinawa/382,index.htm#contents, Pg. 382, [16 September 2008]); WRP September 5, 1945 1:3, September 7, 1945 1:1)