Born at Pawnee Oklahoma, Don moved to California at age 4 yrs. Attending school at Gridley, CA he learned to fly in High School. Joining the military reserves, he learned Morse and International Code as a Train Order Operator; then trained for intelligence and photography. Operating in the belly of an L-19 reconnaissance plane, Don was wiped off re-enlistment forms twice with notations, "Not available for signature."

Attending intelligence, commando, and Psy-Ops training in the east, prior to the special forces school in 1952, he also served as a Law Officer, during an Intelligence Project -1962–79. Don has a credential to teach Law Enforcement from Sept. 14, 1979 in California Community Colleges.