Danny J. Petersen Memorial - MOH 1970 Fund

Goal: $2,500.00

Specific Need

We created this endowment for two specific goals: 

Check! 1. Become a perennial Match Sponsor for the SBCCF funds so that Danny's name will always be correlated with giving. The goal is $2,500 to become a match sponsor for 2026. (We did it! We are a 2026 Match Sponsor!)

2. The next goal is to raise an additional $12,500 in two years, so we can begin giving to local veterans in need. 

Profile

Specialist Fourth Class Danny J. Petersen was born on March 11, 1949, in Horton, Kansas, the oldest of six children in a hardworking, close-knit family. Known for his love of music, classic cars, and easygoing smile, Danny was both deeply responsible and remarkably kind. After high school, he worked at the Rockwell International steel foundry in Atchison, where his intelligence and work ethic quickly stood out.

In 1968, Danny was drafted into the U.S. Army and served in Vietnam with Company B, 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. On January 9, 1970, during intense combat in Tay Ninh Province, Danny’s armored personnel carrier came under fire when providing cover fire for another disabled track allowing them time to repair it. When his best friend and driver was wounded, Danny carried him to safety through heavy fire. He then returned to his vehicle to provide cover so his platoon could retreat—knowingly sacrificing his own life to save others.

For his extraordinary bravery, Danny was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, which his family accepted from Vice President Gerald Ford in 1974. His heroism has since been honored across the country, from a named Army headquarters in Washington to a memorial highway from Holton to Netawaka (where he is buried), and tributes at schools and bases across the nation.

Danny’s story is one of sacrifice but also of enduring love and community. His legacy continues through the Danny Petersen Memorial Endowment Fund, established by his brother Mark and sister-in-law Jackie, to carry forward Danny’s spirit of service. This fund supports our local charitable objectives as a match day sponsor (beginning in 2026)  and, as it grows, will also assist local veterans and their families in crisis —so that Danny is never forgotten, and his legacy of protecting others lives on.

Please help us continue Danny's legacy.