Donald L. Beba was born on September 17, 1924, to Otto and Susan Beba, who lived in Cambria County, Pennsylvania. Donald was the oldest of five children. His father emigrated from Germany in 1902 and worked as a motorman in a coal mine.

Donald attended two years of high school and then left to find work to help support his family. Donald moved to Coatesville before entering the Army Air Corps on April 2, 1943.

Donald served in the 861st Bomber Squadron, 493rd Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Staff Sergeant and Waist Gunner on the B-17G #43-38190 "Sweet Sue" during World War II. On December 30, 1944, his crew took off at Felixstowe, England, on a mission to Kassel, Germany. After climbing on altitude over the English Channel, one of their engines began smoking, then caught on fire. As the pilots fought to regain control, five men bailed out while over the water. Their aircraft was stabilized, and the airplane successfully landed at an emergency airstrip at Woodbridge. Those men who bailed out were never found, which includes SSgt Beba. He is memorialized on the Tablets of the Missing, Cambridge American Cemetery, Cambridge, United Kingdom.

The five crew members who bailed out were:
Roland A Beaudoin - Ball Turret Gunner
Donald L Beba - Waist Gunner
Glenward S Fuchs Jr - Tail Gunner
Sidney W Minor - Flight Engineer
Donald Pelletier - Waist Gunner

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.abmc.gov, www.chescoheroes.org