Colonel Donald E. Lunday was commissioned an Infantry Officer upon graduation from Officer Candidate School 24 June 1959, class number 2-59. His first duty assignment was as Platoon Leader, 1st Airborne, 6th Infantry, Fort Hood, Texas. | His subsequent duty assignments include:  XO and Commander, 1st Airborne, 6th Infantry, Fort Hood, Texas; Company Operations Officer, 10th SFG (Airborne), Germany; Company commander and Battalion XO, USATC Infantry; S-3 and XO, Company D, 5th SFG (Airborne); Operations and Logistics Battle Staff Officer, USCINorth CarolinaEUR Airborne Command Post, Mildenhall, England; Deputy Director, Acting Director, MCV, Joint Pers Recovery Cen.; Commander, 4th Student Battalion (Airborne), Fort Benning, Georgia; Chief, Parachute Training Group, Fort Benning, Georgia; Investigations Division, DIAG, Washington, D.C.; Assistant Chief of Staff, G-1, 7th Infantry Division, Fort Ord, California; Director, Strategic Appraisal Studies, USAWC, CBks, Pennsylvania.