Donald Elmer Barker was born on 3 April 1925 in the city of Racine, Wisconsin. His father, Elmer Gerald Barker and his mother, Elsie Rasmussen Barker, died when Donald was a young boy and in his early life was spent at the Taylor Home for Orphan Children. To the average boy, this might have been a serious handicap; not so to 'Red', as he was called by all his friends...In Grade School, he took part in all games and was a favorite of the children. He attended Park High School and Horlick's High School in Racine and but for his enlistment in the United States Marines, he would have graduated in February, 1943.

During his last summer at Racine, he lived on the farm of Mr. and Mrs. J.M. Gifford and perhaps an idea of the splended young man that Donald was, may be had from the following quotation contained in a letter written by Mrs. Gifford:

"He was one of the most lovable boys we ever had in our home and there have been many for we live on a farm. He looked enough like my husband to have been his own son. They adored each other; only showing it by kidding. 'Red' was the best boy we ever had to help on the farm. This summer, while bailing hay and combing, the neighbors all spoke of him and of how much they missed him. Everyone liked 'Red' and he was a bundle of energy, possessing all the traits that it takes to make a young man to go far in this world. We loved him."

While at Mrs. Gifford's home and on April 3, 1942, on his seventeenth birthday, Donald enlisted in the United States Marines Corps and he was sent to Florida and San Diego, California for his training. His keen mind and perseverance earned him the rank of Staff Sergeant. Donald left in July 1943 for the Southwest Pacific with 'Red Devil' Squadron 232. As radioman and gunner, he carried on in combat with Captain Vernon Rubincam as his pilot.

The USAAF 403 Troop Carrier Group (TCG) was part of an organisation known as SCAT - South Pacific Combat Air Transport. It was based at Luganville Airport (aka Pekoa) on Espirítu Santo and provided an air freight and military passenger service all around the South Pacific.

On 23 November 1943, Douglas C-47 Skytrain 41-18675, call-sign "675-Baker-253" took off from Noumea-Tontouta Airport, New Caledonia bound for Espiritu Santo. Radio contact was established at 0810 but the aircraft failed to respond to a scheduled call at 0910. Two days later, damaged gear and some personal effects from the plane were found in Nakety Bay.

A cold front had passed through the New Caledonia area in the early hours of the morning of the 23rd bringing a cloud layer at 2 to 4 thousand feet and a visibility of 4 to 6 miles, with 3 miles in heavier rain. The route was considered flyable on instruments and several aircraft flew it that day without the pilots reporting any difficulty with the weather conditions.

The bodies of the 6 crew-members and 19 passengers, Staff Sergeant Donald Elmer Barker being one of them, were never found.