Donald Kirby Ross (December 8, 1910 – May 27, 1992) was an officer of the United States Navy who received the first Medal of Honor of World War II.

He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in Denver, Colorado, on June 3, 1929, and graduated as company honorsman from basic training at Naval Station San Diego.

He completed Machinist Mate School at Norfolk, Virginia, first in his class and was assigned to the transport ship USS Henderson (AP-1) on a China service run.

Upon his retirement from active duty in July 1956, after twenty-seven years' of service aboard every type of surface ship then afloat, he was promoted to captain on the basis of his combat awards.

[4] He wrote a book about his fellow Medal of Honor recipients with ties to Washington State — Men of Valor — published in 1980.

[2] Ross' official Medal of Honor citation reads: For distinguished conduct in the line of his profession, extraordinary courage and disregard of his own life during the attack on the Fleet in Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii, by Japanese forces on 7 December 1941.

Nevada became almost untenable due to smoke, steam, and heat, Machinist Ross forced his men to leave that station and performed all the duties himself until blinded and unconscious.