2ND LT. HARRY J DANIELS

MIA • WWII

FEATURED CASE

2ND LT. HARRY J DANIELS HAS BEEN MISSING FROM WAR SINCE FEB. 23, 1944.

Overview

Second Lieutenant Harry Jay Daniels Jr. was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana, the son of Harry Frizzell Daniels and Mae Garrett Daniels. He attended Indiana University from 1940 to 1941 and worked for General Motors in Indianapolis before beginning his military career.

On July 31, 1941, Harry enlisted as a private at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana. He went on to become a pilot in the U.S. Army Air Forces and one of the legendary Tuskegee Airmen. During World War II, he served as a Second Lieutenant with the 301st Fighter Squadron, 332nd Fighter Group. His service number was O-811240.

Disappearance Over Italy

On February 23, 1944, 2nd Lt. Daniels departed Montecorvino Air Base in Italy, piloting a P-39L Airacobra, serial number 42-4478, on a training flight with three other aircraft.

During the flight, the group encountered poor weather near Mount Vesuvius. The flight leader ordered the aircraft to change course, but Daniels did not respond to the order. He was last sighted near Avellino, Italy, and was never seen or heard from again.

Daniels was reported missing in action, with the circumstances recorded as a non-hostile air crash. He was ultimately declared dead on May 18, 1945.

Still Unaccounted For

More than 80 years after his disappearance, 2nd Lt. Harry Jay Daniels remains unaccounted for.

Today, he is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery in Nettuno, Italy, honoring an Indianapolis serviceman and Tuskegee Airman who never returned home.

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) has categorized Daniels' case as Active Pursuit, meaning there is sufficient information to justify continued efforts toward resolving his case.

We remember 2nd Lt. Harry Jay Daniels and honor his service and sacrifice.