Daniel H. Vranesh
Era: World War II
Military Branch: Army
Daniel H. Vranesh was inducted into the Army on February 27, 1942, at Fort Snelling, Minnesota. Home at entry: Hibbing, Minnesota.
He served as a Technical Sergeant and Infantry Platoon Sergeant with Company K of the 378th Infantry Regiment of the 95th Infantry Division in the Rhineland, Northern France, and Central Europe. He was wounded in action on December 16-17, 1944, in the European Theater.
Mr. Vranesh recalls, "Landed in France in September 1944; went on line in October. Made three river crossings under fire....Together with the 90th and 95th Divisions, we captured Metz, went through the Maginot Line, entered Germany and took Saurlatern. Crossed the Saar which was in the Siegfried Line and 31 miles deep at that area. Our Division had to vacuate that area, Ensdorf, to assist in the Battle of the Bulge.
"I was wounded in Ensdorf and was evacuated and shipped back to the hospital for rehabilitation in England. Went back to my unit on V-E Day."
Mr. Vranesh was awarded the following: Bronze Star Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart, Commendation (from the Commander of the 95th Infantry Division), Good Conduct Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with three bronze battle stars, and World War II Victory Medal.
From the citation for the Bronze Star: "...for heroic achievement in connection with military operations against the enemy on 17 December 1944 in the vicinity of Ensdorf, Germany....while leading his platoon in an attack on a group of Ensdorf houses, Staff Sergeant Vranesh was painfully wounded by a ricocheting machine gun bullet. Refusing to seek medical aid, he intrepidly continued advancing with his men until the mission was completed. Then after supervising the evacuation of a seriously wounded man and carefully setting up a strong defensive system, Staff Sergent Vranesh reported to the Company K command post, where he received medical attention and was evacuated for hospitalization...."
Mr. Vranesh was honorably discharged on October 14, 1945, at Camp Chaffee, Arkansas.
Source: Hometown Heroes: The Saint Louis County World War II Project, 333.
