Aviation Machinist's Mate First Class Danens was a crew member of a PB4Y-1P Consolidated Liberator surveillance aircraft with the U.S. Navy. On 8 April 1950, while patrolling the airspace near Korea, his aircraft was shot down. His remains have not been recovered.

Danens was awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat Action Ribbon, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.