SSG Tremper served in World War II with Company F, 117th Infantry Regiment, 30th Infantry Division. He fought on D-Day and was killed on 07 July 1944. At the time, his friend, PFC Ysidor M. Sanchez, Company Sharpshooter, witnessed his death and killed the German soldier in retaliation. Daniel SSG Tremper rests for eternity in the American Cemetery above Omaha Beach at Colleville-sur Mer, Normandy, France, in Plot E, Row 7 Grave 30. PFC Sanchez was one of 100 veterans who were invited to France to receive the French Legion of Honor in 2004; here, he was able to honor and salute the grave of his Sergeant and friend (photo below).
Below is the story of Tremper and Sanchez’s relationship as it is recalled by SSG Tremper’s family member, Dave Tremper in Nanuet, NY. (Read more here.)
Below is the story of Tremper and Sanchez’s relationship as it is recalled by SSG Tremper’s family member, Dave Tremper in Nanuet, NY. (Read more here.)
Platoon Sgt Daniel H. Tremper was a family member, a cousin of my father’s father – I’m 40. He died in combat next to PFC Ysidor M. Sanchez (picture below). It’s a long story but I had the honor of meeting Mr. Sanchez in San Jose, CA two years ago at a WWII function for the San Jose area Mexican Americans who so proudly and bravely served their country. Ysidor was F Company’s sharpshooter. The M1 Garand was his rifle. He’s now an Honor Guardsman doing burial ceremonies (gun salutes) every week for WWII vets that are dying at an alarming rate.
S Sgt Daniel H. Tremper was killed in hedgerow fighting, shot through the neck by a German soldier as he was looking left behind a hedgerow and Ysidor was to Daniel’s right looking right. They both heard two shots from the left and when Ysdor looked that way, the second shot found Daniel (through the neck) and Ysidor returned fire toward the flash. Ysidor killed the German soldier by firing low through the hedgerow – a tactic he learned in combat. He later found the soldier shot through the helmet, above and between the eyes. He didn’t know the markings on the German’s uniform…
Ysidor has been trying to locate any family members – particularly sons or daughters or any immediate family members so he could tell them what a profound impact Daniel had on him both as a soldier and as a person. It took Ysidor (quite the decorated soldier) three trips back to Normandy to finally locate Sgt. Tremper’s resting place at Cemetery Normandy but he found it.
The first Tremper family member Ysidor was able to contact was my father, Howard, and I had the wonderful opportunity to meet Mr. Sanchez and his wife thanks to a business trip in San Jose. I’ll never forget it and have some great photos for the memory.
So now, anywhere I post messages related to WWII, I leave Daniel’s grave information in the hopes that someone may recognize or know of his immediate family members. That way Ysidor can have that long sought after meeting with them to tell them the impact his sergeant made upon him.
This past June, Ysidor was one of the 100 soldiers that received the Medal Of Freedom in France during the 60th Anniversary ceremonies. I’m proud of him. He accepted on behalf of his Platoon Sergeant, Daniel H. Tremper.
In 2006, the Tremper family gave Mr. Sanchez the Purple Heart earned by Daniel H. Tremper, knowing that he was the best person to honor the medal. The medal provided a sense of closure for PFC Sanchez and meant a great deal to him. Unfortunately, in January 2015, Mr. Sanchez’s home in San Jose, CA was broken into, and thieves stole invaluable items from him. (See more in this NBC news story.)
Mr. Warren Hegg, National Supervisor of the Spirit of 45, reached out to Purple Hearts Reunited for help and to secure Mr. Sanchez a replacement. We were honored to be able to help return valor to the memory of SSG Daniel H. Tremper and provide PFC Ysidor M. Sanchez with comfort and connection to his Sergeant. On 14 February 2015, a special ceremony was held in San Diego, CA at a Spirit of ’45 honoring our Greatest Generation. PFC Ysidor Sanchez was presented with an engraved replica of SSG Tremper’s Purple Heart, to replace the one that was stolen from his home.
