Daniel Connor Jr. was born on December 1, 1919 to Albert and Virginia Connor of Pavilion, New York. He had four siblings.
Daniel graduated from Pavilion High School in 1939. In 1940, he moved in with his brother C. Maurice, who lived in Tredyffrin-Easttown, Pennsylvania.. Daniel found employment with the America Non-Gran Bronze Corporation in Berwyn. The company was named because they made bronze bearings to government specifications with nongranular qualities. The company made bearings that were used in Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis, for his historic flight across the Atlantic in 1927.
Daniel entered the Army Air Corps in July, 1942. He received training at several locations including St. Petersburg, FL Sioux Falls, SD, Harbinger, TX, Salt Lake City; UT, Tucson, AZ and Pocatello, ID. He was promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant after graduation from the Harbinger Aerial Gunnery School.
Daniel was shipped overseas to England in September, 1943 and assigned to the 579th Bomb Squadron, 392nd Bomb Group which flew from Manston, England. Daniel was the radio operator/gunner in flying in B-24 Liberator Bombers. He was promoted to Technical Sergeant and awarded the Air Medal in January, 1944.