BRIAN DANIS

DANIS BRIAN DANIS Former Special Forces Combat Diving Supervisor and Combat Medical Sergeant Brian Danis, who died February 26, 2016, as reported here, will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery on Friday April 7, 2017 at 2:45 p.m. Mr. Danis saw action with the 82nd Airborne in Grenada, 75th Rangers in Panama and the Gulf War and 7th Special Forces in both Afghanistan and anti-drug operations in Colombia. He was in federal service with the 120th Infantry Rgt. (NC) in Iraq and 69th Infantry Rgt. (NY) in Afghanistan. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Combat Infantry Badge twice, Combat Medical Badge twice and Combat Action Badge. Mr. Danis was an acknowledged expert on OSS Maritime history and closed-circuit diving. His personal research led to the declassification of the records of the World War II unit in the mid 1990s. He sought out surviving unit members including early scuba developer Dr. Christian J. Lambertsen. Mr. Danis was later action officer for the ceremony held in 1998 at Ft. Bragg recognizing the men as pioneers and predecessors to Special Forces Divers, Navy Seals and other underwater combat divers. Mr. Danis wrote history for the military and appeared on the Naval Special Warfare Origins panel held in 2001 at the Naval Academy. A recent project, "Fenians in the Woodpile" concerned members of the 69th Infantry Rgt. He graduated from St. Leo University with an associate degree in 1992. Born into the family of a career Air Force officer, Mr. Danis spent his youth in Bellevue, Nebraska and at Patch Barracks in Stuttgart Germany. Unwavering in an early intent to be a soldier, he enlisted in 1981. He left active duty as a Sergeant First Class in 2003, declined retirement pay and accepted reduced grade to serve again as a ground-level combat soldier. He was retired in 2015 with a full disability pension based on combat injuries. At the time of his death, he had lost much of his peripheral vision, complete vision in one eye and was unable to navigate alone without incident. Mr. Danis was predeceased by his parents Col. and Mrs. Lionel A. Danis of Oak Hill, VA. Survivors include Kathryn Danis Condello and Michael R. Danis of Alexandria, VA, Patrick C. Danis of Flower Mound, TX and Moira P. Danis, Robert E. Danis and Mark J. Danis of New York, NY. Funeral Services will be held Friday, April 7, 2:45 p.m. at Fort Myer Chapel (Old Post Chapel). Interment with Military Honors, Arlington National Cemetery. A memorial reception follows afterwards at the Fort Myer Patton Hall. Please contact family members directly for details. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Freedom Service Dogs http://freedomservicedogs.org/. Funeral Services will be held Friday, April 7, 2:45 p.m. at Fort Myer Chapel (Old Post Chapel). Interment with Military Honors, Arlington National Cemetery. A memorial reception follows afterwards at the Fort Myer Patton Hall. Please contact family members directly for details. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Freedom Service Dogs http://freedomservicedogs.org/.