Honoring Our Veterans
This page is dedicated to honoring the Veterans in our community for their service and telling their stories.
What Tom Brokaw referred to as "The Greatest Generation" is quickly declining in number. This, of course, refers to not only our World War II Veterans but also to the families that supported those veterans in the war effort. These are some of the veteran's personal stories pertaining to their own war efforts. It's the club's hope that should you be so inclined, you will reach out individually to these veterans and get to know them a little better.
We will start with the World War II Veterans as we do not want to lose their stories. The goal is then to get stories from all Sunflower Veterans. Click on the veterans name below their picture to read that veteran's story.
U.S. Marine Corporal Daniel D. Coulter: A Life of Service and Adventure
Born in 1941 in FonDuLac, Wisconsin, Daniel D. Coulter grew up with a strong sense of duty and adventure. His father served on the local draft board during the early 1950s as young men were being called to fight in Korea. Meanwhile, Dan excelled in sports, earning accolades in baseball, basketball, and football during high school. His athletic talent even led to tryouts with the Chicago Cubs and Detroit Tigers. After graduating in 1959, Dan and his friends visited the local post office, where a Marine recruiter convinced him to enlist. Dan joined the U.S. Marine Corps, serving four years. He went through boot camp in San Diego, then received Infantry Training Regiment (ITR) instruction at Camp Pendleton. With little money and a 30-day leave, Dan began hitchhiking across the country, collecting incredible stories along the way. including the legendary tale of getting from Wisconsin to Hawaii. Dan was assigned to the 1st Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company (ANGLICO), providing close air support to the 25th Army Division. Later, he returned to the mainland and joined an artillery battery at Camp Lejeune. After his military service, Dan explored various careers, from managing a tavern to trucking, before finding his niche in real estate. He and his wife, Wendy, owned and operated a successful brokerage. Dan’s community involvement is extensive. He held leadership roles in the VFW, American Legion, Vietnam Veterans of America, and the DAV. He also served as treasurer for his local Chamber of Commerce and his church. Dan and Wendy have four children. His son and two daughters live in the Chicago area his oldest daughter lives in Oregon. If you ever meet Dan, buy him a beer—he has plenty of unforgettable hitchhiking stories to share.
