World War II Honoree

Nicholas N. Daniloff

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Moisenay-le-Grand, France

Honored By

Marc Daniloff

Relationship

Son

HE WAS JUST 17 WHEN HE RESCUED A DOWNED AMERICAN FLYER, DURING WWII NEAR HIS HOMETOWN OF MOISNENAY-LE-GRAND, IN JANUARY, 1944. HIS FAMILY HELPED HIDE THE PILOT FROM THE GERMAN TROOPS IN MOISENAY, AND HELPED HIM GET TO MEMBERS OF THE FRENCH UNDERGROUND WHO LATER ASSISTED HIS ESCAPE FROM OCCUPIED FRANCE TO SPAIN, AND LATER LONDON. SHORTLY AFTER D-DAY, AMERICAN FORCES LIBERATED MOISENAY, AND WORD OF HIS RESCUE OF THE AMERICAN FLYER DREW THE ATTENTION OF THE U.S. ARMY. HE HAD LEARNED RUSSIAN FROM HIS PARENTS WHO ESCAPED FROM RUSSIA AFTER THE REVOLUTION, AND HE ALSO SPOKE FRENCH, GERMAN, ENGLISH AND SOME BALTIC LANGUAGES. AFTER LEARNING THAT OF HIS LANGUAGE SKILLS, HE WAS 'DRAFTED' INTO THE U.S. ARMY, BATTERY B, 203RD ANTI-AIRCRAFT BATTALION OF GENERAL PATTON'S 7TH ARMORED DIVISION. HE SERVED FROM AUGUST 27, 1944 TO MAY 8, 1945 AND WAS AN INTERPRETER FOR CAPTURED PRISONERS OF WAR, AND WHILE ON RECALL WAS ALSO PART OF SEVERAL SPECIAL OPS MISSIONS INTO GERMANY. FOR HIS EFFORTS DURING THE WAR, HE WAS AWARDED FRANCE'S MEDAL OF VERDUN, AND THE COUNTRY'S HIGHEST MILITARY HONOR, THE CROIX DE GUERRE. IN ADDITION, HIS NAME IS INSCRIBED ON THE WWII MONUMENT IN VERDUN. ON MARCH 12, 1947, HE WAS ONE OF THE YOUNGEST WWII RECIPIENTS TO RECEIVE THE AMERICAN PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM, WITH GRATITUDE AND APPRECIATION OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE FOR GALLANT SERVICE IN ASSISTING THE ESCAPE OF ALLIED SOLDIERS FROM THE ENEMY. HE CONTINUED SERVING UNTIL THE 7TH ARMORED DIVISION LEFT GERMANY FOR THE U.S. IN SEPTEMBER 1945. HE LATER MOVED TO MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.