Donald's terminal condition prevented him, from departing with his jump mates.

Donald A. Provost was born in Fresno, California, on June 17, 1920, and he was the last child born to William and Lillian Provost. Their other children included sons Robert, William and Harold, and daughters Lucille, Pearl and Alice. Provost was raised in Fresno where he completed three years of high school. After high school, he worked as commercial vehicle driver.

Donald Provost enlisted as a private in the regular army at Fresno on October 24, 1940, and requested duty in Hawaii. It is believed that he was then sent there for basic training.

While Provost's initial unit in January is not known, he is likely to have been assigned to an infantry unit serving in Hawaii. His early World War II activities are also unknown; however, he was serving with the 17th Infantry (Airborne) Division in the United States after it was activated on April 15, 1943.

In about the summer of 1944 Donald Provost contracted an unspecified illness or medical condition that prevented him from remaining with his unit when they were deployed overseas in August.

The medical condition affecting Donald Provost was such that he was released to his family's care in their home in Santa Cruz. At this time, his condition worsened and on July 7, 1944, he died. Following an LDS (Mormon) funeral, he was buried with military honors at the Golden Gate National Cemetery in San Carlos July 19, 1944.

(USCR, 1920 US Census, CA, Fresno; NARA2; USDVA; SCSn July 9 1944 8:1, July 20 1944)