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Danny graduated from High School
in 1961.
WO Daniel Arthur Sulander was lost on December 2,
1966 along with WO Donald Harrison, SP4 William J. Bodzick and SP4 Lee J.
Boudreaux, Jr.
A brief synopsis of the mission in which they lost their lives follows. On December 2, 1966 Donald was flying an extraction mission when his aircraft was shot down by ground fire in Laos. The following were KIA in the crash:
Crew
Members:
MIA REFNO
Synopsis: Two gunships working the area were hit by enemy fire. Also, the exfiltration helicopter from 281st Assault Helicopter Company was hit, and crashed and burned, killing the crew of four and Irby Dyer, a medic from Det. B-52 Delta who had gone in to help treat the wounded. The wreckage of the plane and all five remains were found in searches conducted December 10-13. The remains, which had been horribly mutilated by the enemy, were left at the site. When a team returned to recover the remains, U.S. bombing and strafing activities had destroyed them further. The identifiable remains of three of the crew were recovered, but those of Daniel Sulander and Irby Dyer were not. Searches for Bott and Stark were unsuccessful. Vietnamese team members who evaded capture reported that they had heard North Vietnamese soldiers say, "Here you are! We've been looking for you! Tie his hands, we'll take him this way." Sgt. First Class Norman Doney, who was Operations Sergeant at that time at B-52 headquarters at Khe Sahn, overheard the Intelligence Sergeant on the "52 Desk” reviewing intelligence about Bott. Doney states that it was reported that Bott was seen with his arms tied behind his back going through a village, and that he was alive 3 days after he became missing. Information from the POW Network. This record was last updated on 09/20/98. WO Sulander’s body was not recovered. On 2 August 1973 his status was changed from missing in action to Killed in Action-Body Not Recovered. WO Sulander was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, The Bronze Star, The Air Medal for Heroism and the Government of South Vietnam awarded him the Gallantry Cross With Silver Star, The Military Merit Medal and the Gallantry Cross With Palm.
Danny was 23 years old when he gave his life in the performance of his duty. His service with the 281st AHC and his outstanding performance of duty under fire clearly marks him as an “Intruder” that that shall not be forgotten. His Grandmother, the late Mrs. Ella Bockler, his brothers Gary L. and George Sulander and his life long friend, Donald Michel, survived him.
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Daniel Arthur Sulander was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on September 18, 1943. Donald Michel, Danny's close friend from childhood, remembers him: I
would like to tell you about my best friend Daniel Arthur Sulander. Danny
was placed in a foster home in my neighborhood when he was about 10 years old.
He adapted well to being the new kid in the neighborhood and we soon found out
we shared the same interests. We belonged to the Boy Scouts and Danny really
enjoyed the outdoor activities especially camping out. Later on he joined The
Civil Air Patrol and explained to me that they had two things the scouts did not
have, airplanes and girls. He introduced me to one of those girls and she later
became my wife. He always liked gadgets such as cameras, tape recorders, and CB
radios, but flying was his favorite experience. Danny
graduated from Hopkins High School, in a suburb of Minneapolis, in 1961.
During his school years he played hockey, belonged to the ski club, and
did stage lighting for plays and shows. After high school he went to the
University of Minnesota for a year before joining the Army. While driving trucks
out of Fort Lewis Washington the opportunity came for helicopter training at
Fort Rucker. He jumped at the chance to do what he loved best, fly. He was proud
of his accomplishment of becoming a pilot. Danny
loved life and always had a plan and goals. His ability to adapt to any
situation always amazed me. I think of him often and wonder what could have
been. Sincerely,
Donald Michel Fred Philips, a fellow Intruder and friend remembers him: I'd been in
country for several months when Dan Sulander arrived. At first, we weren't much
impressed with his flying. He was just another clueless guy, like all of us had
been when we first got there. But Dan was different. Before long,
we saw that he could keep his cool under fire. When the bad guys started
shooting he was the greatest there ever was and that's a fact. It was his
downfall. In the 281st, the best pilots got the worst missions. But you
asked what Dan did that made us laugh, or chuckle, or puke, or whatever.
Before he went to flight school he was in the Army Engineers Dan
also owned the most extreme combat stereo system I ever heard. He had an amazing
amp and a pair of huge speakers (purchased in Hong Kong or maybe Bangkok) that
worked off of an Army generator. It didn't matter what kind of music you liked -
rock, country, big band, classical, jazz, folk, whatever - he had it all and you
got whatever you wanted, even in a firefight (Literally) in the middle of the
night at some forward operating base like Song Be or Tay Ninh. Dan Sulander was one cool guy and, like you, I miss him. Fred Phillips |
