Daniel J. McLaughlin

• Battery “C” 230th AAA Artillery Search Light Battalion Radar Operator 514
• Corporal TEC 5
• December 1942- January 1946
• World War II Pacific Theater, Southern Philippines (Liberation) Western Pacific RYUKYS
• Philippine Liberation Ribbon with 1 Bronze Star, Good Conduct Medal, American Theater Service Ribbon, Asiatic-Pacific Theater Service Ribbon

Daniel, son of Michael T. McLaughlin and Mary Flanagan McLaughlin, was born June 24, 1922. Dan grew up with ten siblings on his parents’ farm in Lebanon Township near New London, Wisconsin.
During WWII, a service banner with four blue stars hung in a window of the family’s farmhouse. Dan, along with three of his brothers, served in the military at the same time.
Piecing together Daniel’s Military Journey (Direct quotes from an address book in which Dan recorded significant dates.):
12/22/1942 Left home for service.
12/31/1942 Basic training at Camp Callan, California
4/11/1943 Advanced basic training at Fort Bliss, El Paso, Texas
10/3/1943 Arrived home for a ten day furlough. Last time I’ll be home until ????
10/14/1943 Back at Fort Bliss
1/6/1944 Arrived at Camp Stoneham, California
1/7/1944 Boarded ship. Went under the Golden Gate Bridge. Going to Honolulu
1/17/1944 Arrived in Honolulu.
10/24/1944 Boarded the SS Meteor II for ???
12/22/1944 Arrived in Leyte (Philippines)
4/1945 Boarded LST. 207 for ???
5/1945 Arrived in Okinawa

Daniel was discharged from the Army in 1946, married in 1947, and became a “city boy” as his granddaughter once commented. While Dan’s life journey changed again, his WWII buddies along with his Lebanon family and neighbors remained strong and constant in his heart. Sunday jaunts “home” were part of family routine and summer vacations to Nebraska, South Dakota, Michigan and Indiana were fun road trips planned, with one strategic purpose: visit an army buddy. Over decades, the army buddies exchanged annual holiday greetings filled with newsy letters and photos.
Dan was a soft-hearted, jovial, regular kind of guy who was liked by many. He was fond of “shooting the breeze: with friends and strangers because he always learned something. Dan’s favorite sport was baseball and his early appreciation of reading a daily newspaper and listening to the radio became life-long habits. Dan’s actions often demonstrated some of his quiet beliefs: support your local businesses, buy American, go to the polls every election day, and always stay in touch with family and friends.
In December 2000, six months after Dan died; his family posted a final note to Dan’s remaining service friends. Dan’s obituary was enclosed with the note along with a copy of his eulogy which couldn’t be written without mentioning his WWII buddies who held a special place in Dan’s heart for over fifty years. Parent to Ellen McLaughlin Harford and Grandparent of Allison Harford and Michael Gorrilla.