By Deborah Larsen
Donald Harold “Don” Metro
Donald Harold “Don” Metro was born in Rochester, Michigan, on April 24, 1925, the son of Joseph and Mildred Busha Metro. Don attended Rochester High School, where he was active in boxing.
In November 1942, Don enlisted in the U.S. Navy and was trained as an aviation ordnanceman. He was stationed aboard the seaplane tender USS Onslow. The Onslow operated in the Marshall Islands and later supported operations in Saipan and the invasion of Okinawa.
Don was released from the Navy in May 1946, but had difficulty finding a good job in an employment market that was swamped with returning veterans, so he and a friend decided to return to military service. Don enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1946 and was trained as a military police officer. He was sent overseas to Korea and Japan and was released from the Air Force in 1953.
Upon his return home, Don used his G.I. Bill to earn a degree in criminal justice from Michigan State University, then went on to a 21-year career as a special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. Later, he worked as a safety administrator at Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan.
Donald Harold Metro died at age 85 on March 29, 2011.