Donald Barton

First Lieutenant Donald Barton, of Canandaigua, New York – a college junior at the time – joined the Army Air Corps Reserve following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.  He was called up for navigation and bombardier training and served from April 1942 to December 1945. 1st Lt. Barton served as lead bombardier on 12 of 19 successful B-17 combat missions of the 457th Bomb Group, 369th Bomb Squadron, 8th Air Force, flying out of Peterborough, England.

On his 20th mission, 1st Lt. Barton was the lead bombardier of a 36-plane wing over Augsburg. His plane was shot down by Messerschmitt fighter aircraft on July 19, 1944, and four of the crew members did not survive. 1st Lt. Barton broke both bones in one leg and dislocated his ankle. He was captured by the Germans and held captive for almost a year. For his service, he earned the Air Medal with three clusters, the Purple Heart with two clusters, and the Prisoner of War Medal.

Following his military service, 1st Lt. Barton earned his doctorate in genetics from the University of California Berkeley and then worked as a professor at Cornell University. He served for 22 years as the Director of the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva. For 12 years, he performed worldwide consulting on agricultural research management in 17 countries.

Currently, he is a notable community guest speaker for patriotic anniversaries to remember and honor those who served. He has been interviewed for the Library of Congress World War II history series.