Don Lahrman tried to enlist in the US Air Corps (renamed the USAF in 1948) as a pilot on Monday, 8 Dec 1941. He was not accepted until 19 Nov 1942. In the meantime he earned his Pilot wings at the CPT program at Hamilton College in NY. He was a pilot in Piper Cubs, Waco UPF7, PT17, B13, AT10, C45, C47 After graduating as a Pilot in the Air Corps he became an Aircraft Commander (Pilot in Command) in the B17.

He remained in service after the war in Germany & flew the first day in the Berlin Airlift in C47s until late November 1948. (He flew a B17 loaded with milk & The Stars & Stripes newspaper to Berlin in the days before the airlift officially started.) Don remained in the USAF and joined SAC (Strategic Air Command in 1953 as a Select Crew AC, retiring in June 1966.. He was an AC who flew B17, B25, B29, B50, B36, B47, B52 . He also flew the P51B & F51H models.

Don flew the B47 for over 6 years and was on alert for several years spending every 6 weeks on alert for 3 weeks in England. In 1960 he Transitioned to the B52G and flew many 24 hours nuclear loaded missions as one of the two Airborne Alert Bombers is SAC. These missions included a maximum inflight takeoff, 2 Maximum Gross Weight Inflight refueling. These were airborne 24/7 in both the European area & in the Artic area. At various times Don in SAC was also a Quality Control Officer, Standboard Crew Commander, Squadron Commander and even President of a Board of Court Martial (Judge) He, however, was not a "Guardhouse Lawyer"

After his Military retirement Don was a Financial Planner for 18 years.