FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Contact:  John Ebling, Lee County Veterans Services

               (239) 938-1100

                       

LEE COUNTY TO ADD NAME TO VETERANS MEMORIAL MONUMENT

 

FORT MYERS, Fla. (November 5, 2003) - Lee County will honor a recently fallen soldier with local ties at a Friday (Nov. 7) ceremony in front of the Old County Courthouse, 2120 Main Street in downtown Fort Myers.

 

The 10 a.m. ceremony will pay homage to Sergeant Thomas F. Broomhead, U.S. Army, who died in combat in Iraq on May 27, 2003.  Commissioner Andy Coy will serve as master of ceremonies.

 

The ceremony, where Broomhead's name will be added to the Veterans Memorial Monument in front of the courthouse, is being presented by the Board of Lee County Commissioners, Lee County School District, Lee County Sheriff's Office, Lee Memorial Health System and local veterans community.  It will include patriotic songs, remarks from local leaders and presentation of the colors and a resolution to the Broomhead family.

 

Below is a biography of Thomas Broomhead and information about the Veterans Memorial Monument:

 

Sergeant Thomas F. Broomhead, US Army

March 23, 1969 - May 27, 2003

 

Thomas is the son of Rosemary Klima.  Rosemary is a 21-year employee with Lee Memorial Health System.  Tom has two brothers, Mike, an electrical contractor in Phoenix, Arizona, and Bryan, a detective with the Lee County Sheriff's Office.  All four family members remained very close.

 

Tom was very athletic and had a passion for football.  He loved the Miami Hurricanes and the Denver Broncos.  Tom loved to compete but will be remembered by the people that knew him for his easy going personality and his sense of humor.

 

Tom attended Cypress Lake High School in Lee County.  He was the quarterback of the football team and graduated in 1987.  After high school, Tom worked for the Sanibel Tree Service and coached the Cypress Lake Hornets Pop Warner football team.  Beginning in 1990, Tom served 4 years in the U.S. Marine Corps.  He was with the 3rd Landing Support Battalion and served in the First Gulf War.  After his honorable discharge, Tom moved to Arizona where he met and married his wife, Kelli, while working together as corrections officers at the Arizona State Prison at Florence.  They have three sons, Jacob, Zachary and Jasn.  In 1999, Tom enlisted in the US Army.  He was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment.  He became a Bradley commander in Eagle troop.  He was part of a mobile force that conducts reconnaissance, security, offensive and defensive operations.

 

Thomas Broomhead died in combat in Iraq on May 27 fighting against terrorism while providing freedom to the Iraqi people.  Tom was buried with full military honors in Colorado where he was stationed at Fort Carson.  In addition to other commendations, he was awarded the George S. Patton award and posthumously received the Army Commendation, the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star Medals. 

 

Tom was a devoted husband, father, son, brother and soldier.  He loved his family and his country and dedicated his life to serving them.  

 

Veterans Memorial Monument

Rededicated June 29, 2001

 

Lee County rededicated its Veterans Memorial (Plaque) Monument June 29, 2001 with a ceremony that commemorated the addition of 33 names to the monument and the placement of a viewing bench in front of the memorial.

 

There were 152 names on the plaque at that time.  Two more - Army Ranger SPC Marc Anderson and Marine Lance Cpl. David Fribley - were added since 9-11 and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and Army Sergeant Thomas F. Broomhead will be added Nov. 7.

 

Before the rededication, the existing plaque - on a stone in front of the Old Courthouse - was updated to add those county residents who died since 1967 fighting in U.S. wars.  The original plaque was erected in November 1967.

 

Alice Peters, general manager of Springwood Court by Marriott Assisted Living Community, spearheaded the effort along with the Lee County Veterans Services Office and County Commissioner Andy Coy, who is the Commission's liaison for Veterans Affairs.  Mary Charles Chernin, a long time resident of Lee County, came up with the idea of updating the plaque several years ago.

 

Peters got involved in the project after one of her residents, Gordon Colcord, 84, asked to display a 1965 Memorial Day News-Press article that listed those Lee County residents who had died in battle since World War I.  The article, titled "Lest We Forget," included many of Colcord's friends who died in World War II.  Peters wanted to complete the list but couldn't find anyone who had kept it updated.

 

The county's Veterans Services Office worked to update the list, asking for help from the community to make sure names were correct and the list was as complete as possible.

 

In November 1967, the original Veterans Memorial Plaque was placed on a large stone in the northwest corner of the grounds of the Old Lee County Courthouse.  The stone that supports the plaque was found during the early development stages of Cape Coral.  The Parks & Recreation director at the time, Park T. Piggott, Sr., saw the stone and thought that the shape resembled a cross.  He thought this would be the perfect support for the memorial plaque.  Over the years, however, it fell into disrepair and was never updated to include those who died serving their country after 1967.

 

Facts & Figures...

155 names from 7 U.S. wars are listed on the plaque   

One Medal of Honor recipient

            Nicholas J. Cutinha (Vietnam)

 

Monument dimensions             Bronze plaque dimensions

            Height   8 feet                           Height   3 ½  feet
            Width    7 feet                           Width    4  feet