NORTH WEBSTER — A retired gentleman from North Webster, Danny Lewis Warrick, was honored Dec. 12 at an awards ceremony in Berlin, Germany.

The award certificate reads, “The jury hereby confers the International Dr. Rainer Hildebrandt Medal of Human Rights in recognition of his work in support of human rights to Danny Lewis Warrick, United States of America, member of the U.S. Army Berlin Brigade honored as ‘Guardian of Berlin’s Freedom.’”

The award is given annually to those of extraordinary, non-violent commitment to human rights. Also honored was 35-year-old Olga Benda, Ukraine, a fighter for freedom in the East Ukraine.

They join a distinguished list of such luminaries as Yitzhak Rabin, Yoko Ono and General Luciius D. Clay as recipients. The jury includes such notables as Henry Kissinger.

After graduating from Rushville High School, Warrick joined the U.S. Army and was trained as military police. He was in the second group assigned to the Berlin Wall. He served at Checkpoint Charlie from May 1962 to May 1964. He always was on duty with a British, a French and a West German soldier.

On the other side were the soldiers of the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics or the Soviet Union and East Germany. He also served along with the Secret Service as a Berlin military escort for President John F. Kennedy.

Warrick started talking with the USSR and East German soldiers on duty and those East Germans who crossed at the checkpoint about defecting to the western side of the wall to enjoy the freedom not available under communist rule. He was successful seven times in helping individuals to defect. Two of these people were soldiers. One gave Warrick his belt buckle and uniform insignia.

After his service, he returned to Rushville and went to work at Perfect Circle, which became Dana Incorporated. He joined the Indiana National Guard in 1982. He and his family moved to this area from Rushville in July 1983 to continue employment at Dana, from which he retired.

He and his late wife, Maria, have two children, Dennis, Milford, and Brandi, Fort Wayne. He is a member of North Webster American Legion Post 253, Country Bible Church and served as a Red Cross volunteer for 10 years.

The award came about because he was in Germany for a visit and wanted to go to the Checkpoint Charlie Museum. In May 2019, Warrick learned he had a German daughter. She contacted his family in the states, DNA tests were done and his family expanded to not only include daughter Carmen but three granddaughters and six great-grandchildren. A visit ensued and thus the request to visit the museum.

While there, he met the museum curator and told her his story, about his many photographs and memorabilia from that time. “The curator wondered if I was willing to donate my collection to the museum. I said yes, if it would stay there,” he shared. So he came home, made copies of everything he could, took photos of the rest and shipped the originals to Berlin.

Warrick was amazed to learn he had been selected to receive the medal. He and his two American children traveled for the ceremony and to visit again with their newly found family. All of this has been beyond overwhelming for Warrick but he seems to be taking it in good humor and with equilibrium.