CW2 Daniel G. Prial

26 Apr 1990 – 20 Jan 2021

C Co, 1-171 NY Dustoff

Rochester, New York

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Daniel “Danny” G. Prial lost his life on Wednesday, January 20, 2021, when his UH-60 Black Hawk crashed while on a New York National Guard routine training mission.

Danny was born on April 26th, 1990 on Long Island at South Nassau Communities Hospital to Anne and Gregory Prial. He attended St. Stephen’s School and Warwick Valley High School. Upon graduating high school, Danny attended the United States Military Academy at West Point from 2008 to 2012.

He joined the 82nd Airborne Division as a helicopter pilot and was deployed to Afghanistan during 2014 and 2015. In 2020, he joined the New York National Guard.

Danny is survived by his beloved dog, Shea; his parents, his siblings: Becky Fullam (Joe), Terence Prial (Abbie), Brigid Prial, and Jennie Prial; as well as his nephew and niece, Sam and Ada Fullam; also survived by his maternal grandparents, Thomas and Florence Leavy and paternal grandparents, Philip and Helen Prial.

Danny loved being raised in Warwick and this town was incredibly special to him. He was excited to move to Rochester because it was “only” a few hours’ drive from Warwick, rather than a day of travel. Being a part of the Warwick cross-country and track team in high school was a formative experience, and he often wore his purple Warwick singlet from high school underneath his Army uniform. He preferred the cross-country season to track because it was more team-oriented, a value that he brought with him to the Army.

Danny was a passionate fan of New York sports, and he rode the (few) highs and (more frequent) lows of being a Mets and Jets fan. The Army-Navy game was always the sports highlight of Dan’s year and he was overjoyed by Army’s four wins against Navy in the past few years. Sports was one of the ways he formed so many friendships. He likely had more friendships than we will ever know, because of his outgoing personality and desire to connect with people: neighbors in his apartment building, strangers at the airport, and anyone on the golf course.

The genuine joy Dan felt from making friendships and spending time with his close friends fed his commitment as a soldier. Dan cherished fellowship, in the form of sports, sharing beers, or enduring challenges with his fellow soldiers. He connected with others so easily because he found value in the commonality of being American, and his time off and civilian experiences reminded him of why he sacrificed so much to serve in the Army.