PFC Dan McBride
Photo courtesy of the McBride family.
PFC Dan McBride, Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, 502nd PIR, was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on April 9, 1924.
He enlisted in the US Army and completed basic training at Camp Wolters, Texas. In November of 1942 he completed jump training at Fort Benning, Georgia.
Dan made his first combat jump on June 6, 1944, into Normandy during the D-Day invasion. His second combat jump was in the Netherlands on September 17, 1944, for Operation Market Garden. He was then sent to fight in Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge.
Regardless of being wounded three times (D-Day, June 12, 1944 | Market Garden on The Island, Oct 1944 | Bastogne, January 1945), Dan McBride remained with his unit throughout the war. He would go on to fight in the Alsace Operations (Feb 1945), the Ruhr Pocket Operations (Apr 1945) and ended up in Berchtesgaden (May 1945).
On September 22, 1945, he was discharged from the Army and returned home.
Dan married his first bride Ann, on December 4, 1945. Sadly she passed away on September 5, 2000. Dan eventually remarried a new wife, Alivia, who passed away just weeks before his own death.
Daniel M. McBride Jr. made his final jump on Wednesday, February 16, 2022 at University Medical Center in El Paso, TX.
Dan McBride and James Dalman
The first time I met Dan McBride was in his hometown of Silver City, New Mexico. He was sharp as hell with a mischievous gleam in his eye; a master storyteller who never seemed to miss a beat. Dan had a larger-than-life personality, but he was humble, never considering himself special or a hero.
His memories and stories of World War II were incredible, but there were undoubtedly more aspects to his life than his military service. He was an outdoorsman and an adventurer, a husband and a father, and a fantastic friend to many.
I remember one of my last conversations with this incredible man.
He talked about how he dearly missed so many loved ones, as well as his buddies from the war. In a way, Dan was deeply saddened to have outlived the important people in his life. I think he was ready to make his final jump so he could be with them in eternity.
Many will miss Dan McBride, and there are days when I wish I could still talk with him about life. He definitely made a lasting impression on me, and I hope this website can serve as a way to honor his legacy.
Other Related Links
For more of Dan McBride's wartime encounters, we recommend reading Three of the Last WWII Screaming Eagles by LTC Jos Groen.
