Daniel J. Coonan Jr.
Early Life and Education
Daniel J. Coonan Jr. died on October 18, 2014, at age 97. Born on January 6, 1917, in Jersey City, New Jersey, to Elizabeth and Daniel Coonan Sr., he was raised in Warwick, Rhode Island, a suburb of Providence. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Rhode Island. While in college, he and his brother, Bud, earned civilian pilot licenses.
World War II Service
After graduation, Bud joined the Navy, and Dan joined the Army Air Corps, now the U.S. Air Force, after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. His cadet training began in June 1941 at Chanute Air Force Base, Illinois, where he studied engineering. He completed AT-6 maintenance training at Stockton, California, in January 1942; primary flight training in the PT-22 at King City, California, in November 1942; basic flight training in the BT-13 in January 1943; and advanced AT-6 training at Stockton, where he earned his pilot wings in May 1943.
Before going to war, Dan persuaded his sweetheart, Helen Connor of Auburn, Massachusetts, to marry him. Following their September 1943 wedding, they moved west, living in single rooms in farmhouses in Roswell, New Mexico, and Ardmore, Oklahoma, while Dan trained to fly the B-17 bomber.
Dan and his crew ferried their aircraft from Ardmore to Parham, United Kingdom, arriving in March 1944. Flying their B-17, which Dan named “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” they completed 31 successful missions over Germany, France, Belgium, and Czechoslovakia. More than 5,000 B-17 crews did not return. Dan received the Distinguished Flying Cross for bravery in aerial combat, and he regarded his part in that effort as the capstone of his life. After his combat tour, he transitioned to the C-47 transport and flew support missions in Europe for the remainder of his tour.
Postwar Air Force Career
Dan returned to the United States in December 1944 and served as a B-24 test pilot at the production factory in Willow Run, Michigan. In 1948, he returned by ship to Germany with Helen and their two children to fly C-54 transports in the Berlin Airlift. The operation supplied Soviet-blockaded West Berlin, with aircraft landing at Tempelhof Airfield every 48 seconds for a year.
In October 1951, Dan and Helen returned to the United States with three children. Stationed at Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, near their homes in Billerica and Bedford, he maintained his flight proficiency in the C-45 while serving in aircraft maintenance. In October 1956, now with four children, the family moved to Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, where Dan flew the B-36 and B-52.
After the birth of their fifth child, Dan became base commander at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, in August 1964. In 1965, he was assigned as the 15th Air Force civil engineer at March Air Force Base, California. He later served in Vietnam as commander of the 555th Civil Engineering Squadron (Red Horse) at Cam Ranh Bay. His final assignment was as base civil engineer at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. Decorated with the Legion of Merit, Dan retired as a full colonel in March 1971 after a distinguished 30-year career.
Retirement and Travel
After Dan retired from the Air Force, he and Helen took a first-class trip around the world, a gift from their children. They settled in a beloved home in Lompoc, California. Dan later worked for Martin Marietta Corporation and performed engineering work in residential development in Vandenberg Village.
During their 55-year marriage, Dan and Helen shared many adventures, moved more than 12 times, and raised five children. In retirement, Dan continued his lifelong passion for travel, visiting many countries. His journeys included cruises on Russia’s Volga River and China’s Yangtze River, as well as a multinational tour of South America. In later years, he moved from Lompoc to Santa Barbara to be closer to family.
Legacy and Family
Dan will be remembered as a courageous warrior who always had your back and as one of the few remaining patriots who repeatedly put his life on the line for his country. His family will always be proud of him. He, in turn, was deeply proud of his children and took an abiding interest in their lives.
Dan was preceded in death by his wife, Helen; his daughter, Betsy; and his son, Kevin, who died at birth. He is survived by his sons, Daniel (Frances) Coonan of San Antonio, Texas, and Stephen Coonan of Las Vegas, Nevada; and, in California, his daughter, Patty (Jon) Colman of Santa Barbara and Tim (Michelle) Coonan of Escondido.