In World War II, Haney fought in the battles of Guadalcanal, Cape Gloucester and Peleliu with Company K, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, where he was one of the oldest to fight in the regiment. At the Battle of Cape Gloucester, Haney received a Silver Star for heroic actions against the enemy, carrying ammunition to the front lines during the thickest of the fighting for "Walt's Ridge." At Battle of Peleliu, he rallied the Marines as they got bogged down, and kept them moving forward during the fighting.