2nd Lt. Howard Vernon Daniels was born in Maywood, Illinois, on April 2, 1922, to Edward L. Daniels and Florence S. Kelly-Daniels. His birth certificate shows his middle name as Milton. He had a sister and a brother. His family resided at 1612 South 5th Avenue in Maywood, and he graduated from Garfield School and Proviso Township High School in 1940.
He registered with Selective Service and on November 25, 1942, he was drafted into the Army and received the serial number 36 971 108. The Army tried to use the man’s civilian skills to determine what kind of training he received. Howard was allowed to train for the Army Air Corps. Since his score on the Army General Classification Test was 110 or higher, he was given the opportunity train as an aviation cadet and be commissioned an officer.
What is known is that he trained at Foster Field, Victoria, Texas, as an aviation cadet. Two days before he was scheduled to graduate and be commissioned an officer, on October 13, 1943, his plane crashed killing him. His wings were sent to his mother who had moved to San Leandro, California. It is not known where he was buried.
