Dan W Means was born on 18 January 1922 in McLouth, Kansas.  He was the son of Alvin and Nellie May (Woodhead) Means.  He had two brothers, Arthur and Robert.  (Robert also served in the Army during the war.)  The family belonged to the United Brethrc Church.  Dan graduated from the McLouth High School. While in High School, he played baseball and football earning a varsity letter.  He also worked at a gas station.  It also appears that he learned how to fly at the age of 16.  When Dan was 18, he moved to Los Angelas, California to attend the Aviation Training Service. He learned how to construct aircraft while he was there and graduated on 20 October 1940.  He then returned home to Kansas.

On 27 August 1942, Dan entered the Aviation Cadet program of  the US Army Air Forces.  At the time, he was living in Sedgwick County, Kansas.  He must have been an excellent pilot because he was selected to serve on an air acrobatics squad when he was in advanced flight school.  In January 1944, he was commissioned and assigned as the Pilot of a B-24 crew.

On 2 October 1944, Dan was piloting a B-24H with the serial number 42-95104.  Near Hamm Germany, it was attacked by a German fighter setting two engines on fire.  Three members of the crew were able to bail out, but the others, including Dan, perished.  Just before he died, Dan wrote a letter to his family that talked about the danger he faced and said that he knew that he would not come home.  Dan was 22 years old.

Britt Maxwell, the tail gunner, Raymond Rhodes, the flight engineer/top turret gunner, and Lincoln Ricker, who was serving as the bombardier, are also buried at the Ardennes American Cemetery.

Information provided by Dennis and Gerda Hermsen and information in the Lawrence Daily Journals of 13 November 1943, 20 November 1944, and 1 December 1944.