Ronald Buckingham "Red" Daniels (February 9, 1925-) was a US Army corporal who served in the US 1st Infantry Division during World War II. Daniels saw action in Normandy, the Liberation of France, the Siegfried Line campaign, the Battle of the Bulge, and the Central Europe Campaign; he was involved in several risky operations, and he distinguished himself as a fine soldier. Daniels' bravery during the war earned him a Bronze Star.
Biography[]
Ronald Daniels was born in Longview, Texas in 1925, the son of World War I veteran Emmet Daniels (who won a Silver Star at the Battle of Cantigny) and the younger brother of Paul Thomas Daniels. In 1938, his brother was killed by wolves while hunting with Ronald; Ronald Daniels would seek to live up to his older brother's legacy. On 7 March 1944, he joined the US Army, despite having never left his hometown. He was assigned to the US 1st Infantry Division and deployed to Europe, leaving behind his pregnant wife Hazel to fight in World War II. Daniels served in Lieutenant Joseph Turner's squad, with Sergeant William Pierson, Frank Aiello, Drew Stiles, and Robert Zussman being his squad mates.
Liberation of France[]
Daniels on D-Day, 6 June 1944
Daniels' first action was at Omaha Beach on D-Day, 6 June 1944. He and his squad stormed the beach at Normandy from a landing craft, and Daniels saw several fellow soldiers be slaughtered by German machine guns. Daniels would press forward and assist in clearing the German bunkers, and he rescued a wounded Zussman from a German bunker after Zussman took a wound while saving Daniels from a knife-wielding German soldier. He and Zussman became good friends, with Daniels earning Turner's respect, while Pierson became known as a perpetually angry and callous soldier.
Daniels later proceeded to fight in Operation Cobra in July 1944, taking part in the breakthrough at Marigny on 25 July 1944. He was later sent to destroy a German armored train carrying V-2 rockets, teaming up with British SOE agents to perform the task. Daniels recovered papers from the destroyed train that allowed for French Resistance fighter Camille Denis to infiltrate the German garrison in Paris and make contact with the German Resistance. On 25 August 1944, Daniels and his squad took part in the ambush of the German garrison with the French Resistance, and the Allies held off a German counterattack, successfully liberating the city.
Push into Germany[]
After the liberation of France, the 1st Infantry Division pushed into Germany, and Daniels and his squad fought at the Battle of Aachen in October 1944. Daniels helped with securing a German-held hotel, and he assisted in the rescue of some German civilians, including a young German girl named Anna, who he stealthily spirited out of the hotel as the Germans searched for any Americans in the building, and as the Americans made a push to retake the hotel from the Wehrmacht.
In November 1944, the squad proceeded to fight at the Battle of Hurtgen Forest, taking part in some of the heaviest fighting of the war. Daniels was briefly stranded from his squad after he was knocked out by an explosion, but he managed to regroup with Lieutenant Turner and seize a mill from the Germans with Stiles. The squad then assaulted Hill 493, and Turner was mortally wounded while saving Daniels from a German soldier. Daniels was extremely hesitant to leave Turner behind to face the enemy alone in his dying moments, and he had to be dragged away by his comrades. Pierson became the new squad leader, and he reluctantly made Daniels his second.
Battle of the Bulge[]
Daniels, now a Corporal, took part in the fighting in the Ardennes forest during the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944, and he helped with calling in US Air Force airstrikes on advancing German armor after using up all of his gun ammunition on advancing German troops. On 27 December 1944, the squad took part in the ambush of a German air base in the Ardennes, during which Zussman was captured. Daniels disobeyed orders and attempted to rescue Zussman, but his car crashed, and Pierson was about to execute him for "desertion" when Stiles and Aiello arrived and persuaded Pierson to not kill Daniels. Daniels was discharged from 1st Platoon, and he was sent to the 42nd Field Hospital, staying there for 8 weeks. He was honorably discharged instead of being court-martialled, as he had secured vital intelligence for the Allies.
End of the war[]
Daniels refused to abandon his former friend, and he persuaded Pierson to allow him to rejoin the platoon for the push into Nazi Germany, tearing up his honorable discharge papers. In March 1945, he fought at the Battle of Remagen, taking part in the capture of the bridgehead at Remagen and the push across the Rhine River while under heavy fire. After the battle, the squad liberated several POW and concentration camps, and Daniels rescued Zussman from Erwin Metz after tracking the surviving prisoners down to the woods near the Berga concentration camp in April 1945. In June 1945, the squad members gathered at Le Havre, France to be shipped home, and the squad members bade farewell to each other. On 13 June 1945, Daniels returned to Longview, Texas, and he put his Bronze Star on top of his brother's grave before reuniting with Hazel and his son, Joseph Turner Daniels, named in honor of Joseph Turner's sacrifice at Hill 493.