Adams was born in Manhattan, son of William Yarmy and his wife Consuelo. Adams and his brother Richard (who later became an actor, known as Dick Yarmy) were each raised in the religion of one parent: Don in the Catholic faith of their mother, and Dick in the Jewish faith of their father.\n', '

Dropping out of New York City\'s DeWitt Clinton High School (comedian Larry Storch was a classmate), Adams worked as a theater usher.\n', '

During World War II, he joined the United States Marine Corps. Adams participated in the Battle of Guadalcanal in 1942 in the Pacific Theater of Operations. His combat service was short-lived. He contracted blackwater fever, a serious complication of malaria, known for a 90% rate of fatality. He was evacuated and then hospitalized for more than a year at a Navy hospital in Wellington, New Zealand. After his recovery, he served as a Marine drill instructor in the United States.\n', '

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