MOST WATCHED STATION, THIS IS
WCCO 4 NEWS.
DOWN IN HISTORY FOR THE
ROLE HE PLAYED IN THE TURNING
POINT OF WORLD WAR II.
BUT HIS KINDNESS IS WHAT
FRIENDS AND FAMILY WILL
REMEMBER MOST.
WILL ALWAYS BE WITH ME,
PHYSICALLY NOT, BUT IN EVERY
OTHER WAY HE IS.
RALEIGH DANIELS, 94-YEAR-
OLDS WHEN HE DIED LAST MONTH.
HE WAS AN ARMY VETERAN WHO
SERVED AS A PARATROOPER IN THE
D DAY INVASION OF NORMANDY
FRANCE IN 1944.
HIS FAMILY SAW A SIDE OF HIM
THAT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH
COMBAT.
14, 15, 16.
Reporter: AS A MAN IN HIS
90s, RALEIGH DANIEL DEFIED THE
ODDS, REGULARLY PLAYING
SOFTBALL, TENNIS AND EVEN
VOLLEYBALL WITH HIS RETIRED
BUDDIES.
HE WOULD GO FIVE DAYS A WEEK
TO PLAY WHENEVER THEY WERE
PLAYING.
Reporter: AS A YOUNG MAN,
RALEIGH WORKED FOR HIS DAD'S
COMPANY IN NEW YORK, MAKING
PROSTHETICS FOR PEOPLE WHO HAD
LOST LIMBS.
THAT'S WHEN HE MET HIS WIFE
CONNIE, A CUSTOMER WHO NEEDED
STOCKINGS FOR HER PROSTHETIC
LEGS.
HE WAS SO INTERESTED IN HIS
WORK.
Reporter: CONNIE SAYS AS
THEY CONSIDERED MARRIAGE,
RALEIGH WAS VERY OPEN ABOUT HIS
PREVIOUS MARRIAGE AND HIS
DEVOTION TO HIS CHILDREN.
HE'S REQUIRING A PACKAGE.
I COME WITH MY THREE CHILDREN
AND THAT WAS VERY FINE.
Reporter: BUT WHAT RALEIGH
DIDN'T LIKE TO TALK ABOUT WAS
HIS MILITARY SERVICE AND WHAT
HE DID TO EARN A PURPLE HEART
AND MANY OTHER HONORS.
HE DIDN'T REALLY SAY THAT
MUCH ABOUT ANY OF HIS SERVICE.
Reporter: ON JUNE 6th, 1944,
PRIVATE RALEIGH DANIEL WAS ONE
OF THE U.S. ARMY PARATROOPERS
WHO DROPPED FROM THE SKIES OVER
NORMANDY, FRANCE AS PART OF THE
D DAY ASSAULT.
FOR THE NEXT 34 DAYS HE FOUGHT
JOURNAL TROOPS -- GERMAN
TROOPS, MOST OF HIS FELLOW
SOLDIERS NEVER MADE IT BACK
HOME.
MY GUNNER WAS INJURED RIGHT
AWAY SO I BECAME THE MACHINE
GUNNER WHICH WAS NOT A GOOD
POSITION.
Reporter: RALEIGH TALKED TO
WCCO IN 2014, JUST BEFORE HE
RETURNED TO MORMANDY FOR THE
70th -- NOR NORMANDY FOR THE
70th ANNIVERSARY OF D DAY.
HE LOVED ALL OF THE KIDS AND
GRANDKIDS.
IT WAS FAMILY.
WAS SO IMPORTANT TO HIM.
Reporter: ANGELA DAVIS, WCCO
4 NEWS.
RALEIGH'S DAUGHTER SAYS HER
FATHER OFTEN SAID, EVERY DAY
AFTER WORLD WAR II WAS A GREAT
DAY.
RALEIGH DANIEL DIED ON MARCH
31st, THE CELEBRATION OF HIS
LIFE IS PLANNED FOR MAY 5th.
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