Daniel was born in Salinas, California to Robert “Bob” and Phyllis Earl. It was in Salinas that his parents raised Daniel and his three younger siblings, a brother and two sisters. After high school Daniel attended Hartnell Junior College where he received his A.A. degree in the Administration of Justice. While attending school he was employed by the County of Monterey, where he worked as a 9-1-1 Public Safety Dispatcher. Once he completed junior college, Daniel matriculated to the California State University at Sacramento where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in constitutional law and communications studies. While attending university in Sacramento, Daniel was employed as a Legislative Clerk for a California Assemblyman at the State Capitol where he worked on various constituent matters. In the meantime, he continued to work for Monterey County on weekends, holidays, and during summer vacations.

Shortly after receiving his degree in Sacramento, Daniel attended graduate school at San Jose State University where he worked on his Master of Arts degree in Political Science. During this time he also left Monterey County 9-1-1 and began work for the San Jose Police Department. During his 28-year tenure with SJPD Communications, Daniel taught new dispatchers, was the principal author of their Policy & Procedure manuals, and served as an executive officer on the Board of Directors of his local labor union, representing several thousand city employees. After 35 years working in the public safety sector, he happily retired in 2018.

Daniel has been a life-long genealogist. His research in family history led him to his Civil War ancestors. Although he qualifies for membership in the SUVCW under several ancestors, he joined the Phil Sheridan Camp No. 4 of San Jose, California, in 1999 under his maternal great-great grandfather Wilson Bonner, who served in Battery L of the 6th Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery, Department of Washington, D.C.

Daniel served as Camp Commander of the Phil Sheridan Camp No. 4 from 2006-2007 (the term for which the Camp received the Abraham Lincoln Commander-in-Chief’s Award for the Most Outstanding Camp in the Nation), and as six years in the office of Secretary-Treasurer prior to that. He currently serves on his Camp Council and as Camp Counselor. Other offices he has held include Department Secretary-Treasurer (2001-2005), Camp and Department Counselor, and Department Newsletter Editor (2001-2009), and as Department Council and Department Counselor (2015-present). At the National level, Daniel served as chair of the National Committee on Legislation from 2001-2016 (until the committee was disbanded), at which time he was appointed the first National Legislation Officer (2016-present). He also services on the National Committee on Constitution and Regulations.

Besides studying the Civil War, other hobbies Daniel enjoys include his passion for family history research and related genealogy subjects, reading, traveling, computers, following politics and issues of the day, and most importantly, spending time with his wife, Debbie.