May 18, 2005
(Note: see attached photos of Captain Daniel Eggers, Private First Class Brandon Wadman, and Corporal Manual Lopez III)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Booch DeMarchi, Lee County Public Resources
(239) 335-2481 (for media inquiries only)
LEE'S FALLEN SOLDIERS REMEMBERED
FORT MYERS, Fla. (May 18, 2005) - Lee County will honor three recently fallen soldiers with local ties at a Friday, May 27 ceremony in the Lee County Commission Chambers, Old County Courthouse in downtown Fort Myers (2120 Main Street).
The 10 a.m. ceremony will pay homage to Captain Daniel Eggers and Private First Class Brandon Wadman, both killed in Afghanistan, and Corporal Manual Lopez III, killed in Iraq. County Commission Chairman Doug St. Cerny will serve as master of ceremonies.
The ceremony, where their names will be added to the Veterans Memorial Plaque in front of the courthouse, is being presented by the Board of Lee County Commissioners, Lee County School District, City of Cape Coral, and Florida National Guard.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION (VETERANS MEMORIAL PLAQUE)
Up to the late 1960s, there was no memorial plaque honoring Lee County veterans on the grounds of the county courthouse in downtown Fort Myers. Park Pigott, Sr., the Lee County Parks and Recreation Director, had always wanted to change that. In 1967, he was driving through Cape Coral when he spotted a large stone that he thought looked like a cross. Pigott, very active in the American Legion, saw an opportunity. He had his staff transport this stone onto the courthouse grounds. Today, that stone serves as the base for a large bronze plaque that is now known as the Lee County Courthouse Veterans Memorial Plaque. The monument was dedicated on Veterans Day, November 11, 1967.
Over the years, it had fallen into disrepair. Additionally, the United States had fought in several wars since then and consequently, names of the honored dead were now missing from the plaque. Mary Charles Chernin, a long time resident of Lee County, came up with the idea of updating the plaque several years ago. She began by contacting local officials to promote her idea. Progress proved slow. In March of 2001, Alice Peters, General Manager of Springwood Court by Marriott Assisted Living Community approached the Lee County Board of County Commissioners to see if these problems could be rectified. Andrew W. Coy, the Board's liaison to Veterans Affairs, formed a committee of county government staff and citizens. The committee agreed that something could and should be done. It was at that point that Mrs. Peters and John Ebling, the Director of the Lee County Veterans Service Office, spearheaded the effort to update the memorial by including all Lee County residents who died in US wars during the 20th century. Marriott Calusa Harbour and Springwood Court by Marriott shared in the enthusiasm and support for the effort to update and rededicate this memorial. Lee County Division of Facilities Management assisted with the plaque refurbishing and financed the renovation costs. The re-dedication of the monument occurred on June 29, 2001.
Mrs. 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. It was then that she contacted the Lee County Board of County Commissioners seeking assistance with this project.
BIOGRAPHIES
Captain Daniel William Eggers
United States Army
July 15, 1975 - May 29, 2004
Daniel was born in Pueblo, Colorado and spent his early years in Hollis, New Hampshire. In 1987 he and his family moved to Cape Coral, Florida. He was a devout Catholic and an altar boy during middle school and high school. He attended Gulf Middle School and graduated from Cape Coral High School. While at Cape High, Dan was enrolled in the Jr. ROTC program and was the Battalion Commander in his senior year. He also ran on the cross-country team and was a member of the National Honor Society. He graduated from The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina with a degree in history in 1997. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Infantry in May 1997. In July 2001 he began training for Special Forces and earned his Green Beret two years later. He went through the Army Arabic Language School and was fluent in Arabic. Capt. Eggers was deployed to Afghanistan in April 2003. While in Afghanistan as a Green Beret team leader in the 1st Battalion, 3rd Forces Group (Airborne), he carried out secret missions.
Capt. Eggers came from a large family with a tradition of military servicehis great grandfather was a member of Theodore Roosevelt's Rough Riders, his great uncle was a guard for General Dwight Eisenhower, his father served in Vietnam, and his younger brother served two tours in Iraq.
On May 29, 2004, Capt. Eggers was killed in action in the Zabul Province in southeastern Afghanistan when his Humvee struck a land mine. It was his second tour of duty there and he was serving as Detachment Commander in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. He was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. Capt. Eggers is survived by his wife, Rebecca, an Army Captain stationed at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, two sons John and William, his parents William and Margaret, two brothers and four sisters.
In March 2005, the U. S. Army renamed the Combined Forces Compound in Kabul, Afghanistan - "Camp Eggers," after Captain Daniel William Eggers. During the dedication ceremony, a plaque was unveiled honoring this American hero. Capt. Rebecca Eggers, Danny's wife, said her husband had a unique gift when it came to relating to people and that he could make anyone feel at ease. She said he was extremely good at adapting to other people's environments, which made him "a great Special Forces officer." The senior military commander in Afghanistan, Lt. General David Barno said, "Capt. Eggers is remembered as a dedicated Special Forces soldier and a consummate professional." "The sacrifice of these brave men is a tribute to all of our coalition forces who risk their lives daily. Their missions - carried on by their teams and thousands of other troops here - turned the tide in Afghanistan last year, made clear by the huge success of the Afghan election, which set the course of this country's future. Capt. Eggers' legacy is that freedom, that success in this rugged land so far from his home."
Captain Eggers was awarded the Bronze Star Medal during his first tour in Afghanistan. During his second tour, he was awarded a second Bronze Star Medal, a Bronze Star Medal with a 'V' device (valor) and the Purple Heart.
Family, friends and peers used these words to describe Danny - "He treated everyone equally, both in his personal life and his professional life," - " he was humbled by the handicapped, he was an extremely spiritual person that let his faith guide him," " he reached out to those less fortunate without making them feel embarrassed by their situation," - "I was proud to see him in his Green Beret, it was him," "dedicated, intelligent, born leader, motivated and possessing a great sense of humor." Brian Ouellette of Uxbridge, Mass., a brother of Michael Ouellette who was also killed that day with Eggers, wrote in an e-mail of Danny, "My brother was surrounded by the best of the best."
Private First Class Brandon James Wadman
Florida Army National Guard
May 25, 1984 - May 5, 2004
Brandon was born in Oxford, Ohio but spent most of his life living Cape Coral, Florida. He was a fun loving kid. He would catch armadillos and baby alligators and bring them home. A creative child, Brandon would painstakingly copy his favorite music album covers and tape them to his bedroom wall. He enjoyed Nintendo video games. He attended Cape Coral High School and was studying Patient Care Technician and Phlebotomy at High Tech Center North High School in Lee County when he made his decision to join the National Guard.
In 2003, at age 19, Brandon joined the National Guard, following in the footsteps of his mother who also served in the military. He, at that point, was seeking some direction in his life. After a weekend of National Guard training in Sarasota Florida, Brandon signed up for a tour of duty in Afghanistan. He eventually went to the 2nd Battalion of the 265th Air Defense Artillery in West Palm Beach, Florida. Brandon had his basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia and his advanced individual training (AIT) at Fort Stewart, Georgia. The AIT was that of a single channel radio operator. When he volunteered to go to Afghanistan he trained at Fort Dix, New Jersey for the military police. It was after that training that he went to Afghanistan.
On May 5, PFC Wadman died when the military vehicle he was on flipped during a training exercise. His unit was preparing for military police security duty. He had been in Afghanistan for only 5 days and in the Florida Army National Guard for 8 months. He was buried at Coral Ridge Cemetery in Cape Coral. He is survived by his parents Martin and Deborah Scheid and stepsister Kristen Scheid.
Family, friends and peers used these words to describe Brandonenergetic, inspirational, positive force, good soldier and good friend.
Corporal Manuel Lopez III
United States Army
September 26, 1984 - April 12, 2005
Manny was born in Nyack, New York. He graduated from North Rockland High School in Thiells, New York. Manny loved to play baseball. He started playing in Little League and eventually played on his high school team. In December of 2002, he moved to Cape Coral and attended Edison College where he studied Hotel & Resort Management. Upon graduation he planned on being a hotel manager some day.
Manny joined the Army after his dad, Manuel II, died in 2003. He received his military basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia and then received his advance individual training at Fort Gordon, Georgia. His last stateside base was at Fort Stewart Georgia before going to Iraq in January 2005. In Iraq he was assigned to the 3rd Battalion 7th Infantry Unit Delta Company where he was a signal support system specialist in communications. While on duty, he spent much of his time repairing and maintaining communications systems.
On April 12, Specialist Lopez was killed by a rocket-propelled grenade in Baghdad, Iraq. He was in a Humvee and on street patrol at the time of his death. He was put to rest in his childhood home of Haverstraw, New York.
He is survived by his wife Kira, his 4-month-old daughter Isabella, mother Yolanda and sister Kathy. Manny and Kira met at age 3 in pre-school in New York. They drifted apart in middle school but rekindled their friendship in high school and soon romance developed and the child sweethearts married in 2003 in New York. They had a fairy tale romance that inspired others. Manny was a devoted husband and father. At such a young age, he was a strong and determined man.
Family, friends and peers used these words to describe Manny....well mannered, happy, loving and giving.