Dan Crowley Named Veteran of the Month by Sen. Witkos

Submitted release 

State Sen. Kevin Witkos (R-Canton) has honored Dan Crowley as December’s “Veteran of the Month.” Crowley, a Simsbury resident, served in World War II in both the Battle of Bataan and Battle of Corregidor and was held as a Prisoner of War (POW) for nearly four years.

“Dan Crowley has an incredible story to share,” said Senator Witkos. “He endured the horrors of war and fought bravely for our country. He survived many atrocities, and today he has an inspiring motivation to serve our community” he said.

Senator Witkos’ “Veteran of the Month” program features the stories of local veterans each month on his website senatorwitkos.com through text and video. Each story highlights the veterans’ unique experiences and acts of service.

Dan Crowley was raised in Greenwich and enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps in Hartford in October 1940. Crowley was sent to Manila, Philippines in 1941, where he was stationed when Japan struck Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.

Crowley fought on the peninsula of Bataan and on the island of Corregidor until May 6, 1942 when he was surrendered and became a POW. Crowley was first sent to Camp O’Donnell, where over 22,000 American and Filipino POWs died from disease and starvation. He was transferred to various slave camps until he was liberated on September 4, 1945.

After discharge from military service in 1946, Crowley became an insurance agent, married, and raised a son and daughter with his wife Marie in Simsbury. 

Today, Crowley is dedicated to honoring the memories of his fellow soldiers. Most recently, he advocated for the state legislature to dedicate the bridge on Route 185 in Simsbury the “Bataan Corregidor Memorial Bridge” in memory of those who fought alongside him and who lost their lives at the Battle of Bataan and the Battle of Corregidor in 1942. The bridge naming will take place at 2 p.m. on Dec. 7, 2013.

Crowley’s full story and a video interview can be found on senatorwitkos.com.

To nominate a local veteran to be a “Veteran of the Month” contact Katie Kenneally at Katie.Kenneally@cga.ct.govor (860)240-8862.