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<em>Daniel S. Spengler</em> was born in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on September 20, 1909, the eldest son of Harry M. and Jessie B. Spengler. He grew up and attended schools in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, graduating from Fenidale High School in Johnstown. He matriculated at Juniata College in Juniata, Pennsylvania, in June 1928, and from there was appointed to the United States Military Academy, entering on July 2, 1928.</p>
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During the four years he spent at the Military Academy, Dan was always an outstanding figure. He ranked high scholastically, graduating 30th in a class of 262. In his first class year he was captain of “M” company. He played football, wrestled, and took part in track and field events, winning letters in all three sports. He was famous also throughout the Corps for his prodigious eating capacity.</p>
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Upon graduation in 1932, Dan was appointed in the Coast Artillery, his first assignment being to the 61st Coast Artillery at Fort Sheridan, Illinois. While stationed there, Dan served as Post Athletic Officer in addition to his duties as a battery officer. In 1934, he was transferred to Fort Mills, P.I., to the 59th Coast Artillery Regiment. While serving there he met and married Jane Coats Atkinson, daughter of Albert N. and Grace B. Atkinson of Forest Hills, Long Island, New York, and niece of General H. K. Loughry, U.S. Army. To this marriage were born three children, Jane, Daniel, Jr., and David.</p>
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In 1936, Dan transferred to the Corps of Engineers and was immediately assigned to river and harbor duty with the North Atlantic Division at Boston. He served there until September, 1937 when he was ordered to Massachusetts Institute of Technology as a student officer. He received the Degree of Master of Science in August, 1938, graduating first in his class. He was next ordered to the Engineer School at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, and again graduated first in his class in June, 1939.</p>
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For the rest of his career, Dan was with troops, which was his favorite type of duty. His next station was with the 2d Engineers at Fort Logan, Colorado. While with the 2d, he participated in the Provisional 2d Division maneuvers, held at Camp Bullis, Texas, at which time the work of developing the modern triangular infantry division was being done. In October, 1939, the 2d Engineers was expanded into the 2d and 7th Engineers and Dan was assigned to the 7th Engineer Battalion which joined the 5th Infantry Division at Fort McClellan, Alabama. Here, Dan’s company made an outstanding record in the construction of the temporary camp for the division.</p>
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During the next 18 months, the 5th Division was continuously in the field, participating in maneuvers in Wisconsin, Georgia. Alabama. Louisiana, and Tennessee. Dan was a great field soldier and always kept his outfit in a high state of morale and training. When Fort Custer was built as the first home of the 5th Division, Dan was sent with his company as advance party of the division and to construct a rifle range which was completed in record time. While at Fort Custer, Dan’s “B” company set records for the construction of fixed and floating bridges which were unequaled in any other Engineer company.</p>
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In March, 1942. Dan was transferred to the 23d Armored Engineer Battalion of the 3d Armored Division as Executive Officer, remaining with this unit until March 1943. He then took command of the 55th Armored Engineer Battalion of the 10th Armored Division which was then being organized. He brought this unit to a high state of efficiency and in October, 1943 was ordered to take command of the 220th Armored Engineer Battalion of the newly formed 20th Armored Division. While assigned to the 220th Dan was sent by the War Department on a secret mission to the Southwest Pacific area. On his return, he was given command of the 1110th Engineer Combat Group, stationed at Camp Carson, Colorado. The group sailed for England in December, 1943. Upon arrival there, the group was stationed near Bristol, Devonshire, and was assigned to the First Army. For the coming D-Day landings in France, Dan’s group was given the mission of supporting the assault of a division on Utah beach, Dan also had a personal part in the planning of the landings, being assigned to help write the overall plans in 21 Army Group Headquarters.</p>
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The 1110th Group’s mission was carried out most successfully, the unit contributing in a large part to the success of the landing by silencing enemy fortifications and opening up roads over the inundated area back of the beach. The group also played a vital role in the hard fought battle to link up the two American beachheads. After a bitterly fought engagement, one of its battalions succeeded in putting up a Bailey bridge across the Eure river at Carentan, under direct enemy artillery fire, thus permitting the American forces to join. As usual Dan was to be found in the thick of the show, narrowly escaping injury on one occasion when a shell struck down the battalion commander who was standing nearby.</p>
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Dan’s group was given another fighting mission in the St. Lo breakthrough, being charged with opening up the main axial road in the center of the drive to the east. It was while on personal reconnaissance with an advance patrol in the village of La Haye du Pults in the midst of the battle to break through the German positions that Dan met his death. He was killed by close range machine gun fire. His body was recovered by men of his own outfit and was interred at St. Mere Eglise Military Cemetery. News of his death spread quickly throughout the beachhead because of his many friends and wide acquaintance. Officers and men of his old outfit, the 55th Engineer Battalion, which had just landed, gathered at his grave and many old friends made journeys there to pay their last respects.</p>
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Dan had a great love for sports of all kinds. He always organized and played on teams in his own units. While in the Philippines, he was captain of the all-Army team which met the Philippine Olympic team for the championship of the Islands. Under his leadership. Company B, 7th Engineers turned out divisional championship teams in baseball and basketball, and had the only football team in the division as well. While commanding officer of the 55th Engineers, Dan played on the battalion football team until a division order stopped men of his age group from participating. He was a great competitor and always instilled an unbeatable will to win and to win cleanly in his teams.</p>
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Dan had a host of friends. He had a winning personality, a friendly smile, and a facile memory for names. He always had a cheery and encouraging word for his men. He was a soldier’s soldier, never asking a subordinate to perform any task that he would be unwilling to do himself. He never considered his own personal safety or comfort when there was a job to be done. He was always the first to volunteer for any difficult or dangerous job. He was extremely loyal to both superiors and subordinates, always insisting that proper credit be given to those under him for outstanding work done by his units. He was a tireless worker, always planning and acting for the future as well as the present.</p>
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Dan’s character might well be summarized in three words: determination, perseverance, and independence. Whatever he set out to accomplish, he accomplished it, and without asking the help of others. He set high standards, both for himself and for those who worked with him.</p>
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He was a regular church goer, never missing services at the church of his faith. He had a deep love for his family. I think that all of us who knew him felt his passing more keenly than that of any other soldier casualty of the war. He was a great credit to his school, his profession, and to his country.</p>
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Colonel Spengler is survived by his wife, Jane, and his three children, Jane, Daniel, Jr., and David. His decorations included the Purple Heart and the Croix de Guerre with Palm.</p>
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<em>—I. M. K.</em></p>
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