As a WW2 Navy Seabee celebrates 99, his family celebrates a hero

John Danielson, or simply “Jed” among family, does not have big plans for his 99th birthday on Friday, July 24. And he prefers it that way.

The Kenilworth resident will spend some time with family for his special day, but if it were up to him, he said he would go about the Friday like any other: enjoying the serenity of his garden or the charm of a historical biography.

The pomp and circumstance was never an attraction for Danielson, especially when it centered his achievements — whether that’s serving with the Navy Seabees, creating a career at the YMCA or taking care of his wife with Alzheimer’s.

He doesn’t consider himself a hero. But that is just one man’s opinion.

“He doesn’t take credit for the things that he does,” Danielson’s step-daughter Sara Brady said. “He’s had quite an amazing life with the things that he’s done. He just doesn’t have that hero mentality, but I certainly think he’s a hero. He’s a hero not only with what he’s done in his time in the military but in his career.”

Serving his country

At just 17 years old in 1944, Danielson eagerly insisted that his father enlist him in the military because he was too young to do so on his own. 

He chose the U.S. Navy and ended up in the Construction Battalion, a decorated and historic battalion affectionately known nationwide as the Seabees.

“This is the 1940s and our country was at war on two major fronts, and there was a lot of patriotic paraphernalia: ‘We want you,’” Danielson said. “But I felt patriotic even as a kid. I just wanted to go in the service badly, and … even though I was young, there’s a sense of serving your country, and so I managed to join.”

Immediately after training, he was shipped overseas. He went to Hawaii and Saipan before going to Okinawa’s White Beach during the Battle of Okinawa. He spent most of his days unloading construction materials, driving trucks and building Quonset huts.

“I followed him closely in my mind, he’s three years older than me, I’ve always looked up to him,” said his brother Ted Danielson, now 96. 

Though he spent years in service and has great pride for his decision, Danielson constantly reminds everyone he speaks to that he is not a hero. He had friends who died in the war, but Danielson himself was never on the front lines.

“There were people that were on the front lines; people getting killed,” Danielson said. “(I could) hear the gunfire and all, but no combat at all. It takes an enormous number of people to support the front lines too. … That’s my story. It’s not very glamorous. It was sort of ordinary.”

To Danielson’s son-in-law Charles Elder, however, Danielson’s story is anything but ordinary.

Elder also served in the Navy his entire career. He said his father-in-law is modest and got choked up while describing the sacrifices of war veterans like Danielson.

“There’s all different kinds of roles that people play to bring about a successful mission,” Elder said. “Some of the most important roles people play are in support roles. … Whether they’re being the cooks or the lawyers or the truck drivers … all of these other things that don’t seem very glamorous, these are critical positions. … That entire generation was asked to leave their home … and basically save the world. And they did it.”

Starting a career and family

When he came back from the war, Danielson attended and graduated from Springfield College in Massachusetts. He had wanted to work for the YMCA since attending programming as a child. He started as the YMCA youth program director in Massachusetts and then moved to Cleveland’s Y as a branch executive.

He made his way up to president of Greater Boston’s YMCA and eventually became deputy executive director of the national YMCA.

“He supported so many people, whether they were other employees of the YMCA or the community that he served with the YMCA,” Brady said. “He’s given his whole life … to support people, and he has done that in every city that he worked in.”

As Danielson was building his career, he built his family in the suburbs of Cleveland. He raised three daughters with his first wife, Ellen Danielson. 

His daughter Judy Danielson recalled having an “idyllic childhood” and described her family as “very close.” She said her dad was known for his themed parties and “hat parties” where everyone would wear hats.

“We had a great time (in Cleveland) as a family,” Judy Danielson said. “(My dad) was very family oriented. We always did lots of things together as a family, always as a family.”

Two of his daughters tragically passed away within years of each other. Both were in college at the time.

John Danielson has experienced lots of loss in his life, but his daughter said that hasn’t stopped him from enjoying the other parts of his life. 

“He’s had a lot of heartbreak in his life,” Judy Danielson said. “That makes him more reflective and philosophical, but it hasn’t defined who he is as a person. He’s still able to have fun in life and enjoy people, enjoy himself. He’s a strong person in that way.”

John Danielson carries the loss of his daughters, but he tries to focus on joyful memories with them.

“When a kid dies, you never forget, and that’s true,” John Danielson said. “ … You just can never forget it. But then I look at the good times. I enjoy looking at the photos and think of the good times we had as a family, and so that’s what I do.”

Celebrating love and laughter

John Danielson went on to marry Gail Danielson, who had five children, including Brady. In Wilmette, he raised them like his own. 

When Gail was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, he became her primary caregiver. Danielson had never been much of a cook, according to Brady, but he learned after Gail became sick. During the pandemic, Brady recalled, Danielson even taught a cooking class over Zoom to other dementia caretakers.

Danielson said the experience of taking care of Gail, who passed away in 2022, taught him the two most important things in life: love and laughter.

“You got to look at the good things in life. That’s what I think,” Danielson said. “ … It’s tough taking care of someone who has Alzheimer’s. But I think two words that I’d use were love and laughter. If you can’t love somebody and have a sense of humor, you’re going to be in trouble, I think.”

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Become a member of The Record to fund responsible news coverage for your community.

Already a member? You can make a tax-deductible donation at any time.