| John W. Donaldson | |
| Birth Date: | 7 February 1924 |
| Allegiance: | United States of America |
| Branch: | United States Army |
| Rank: | Brigadier General |
| Commands: | 11th Infantry Brigade, 23rd Infantry Division |
| Battles: | World War II Korean War Vietnam War |
| Relations: | John Owen Donaldson (uncle) |
John W. Donaldson (1924–2008) was a brigadier general in the United States Army. He served in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
On 2 June 1971, Donaldson was charged with the murder of six South Vietnamese civilians during operations in November 1968-January 1969 while conducting aerial reconnaissance in Quảng Ngãi Province. A colonel at the time of the alleged crimes, he was the first U.S. general charged with war crimes since General Jacob H. Smith in 1902 and the highest ranking American to be accused of war crimes during the Vietnam War.[1] The charges against Donaldson were dropped for lack of evidence.[2]
Donaldson later retired from the Army in good standing and died on August 13, 2008, at the age of 84.[3]