On Friday, U.S. Army Capt. Danny Eggers will be honored at his alma mater.
The Army JROTC program at Cape Coral High school will unveil its project, a restoration of the 30-year old flagpole area in front of the school, dedicated to the honor of former Seahawk Eggers, who was killed while serving his country in Afghanistan.
ROTC teacher retired Lt. Col. Erich Boerner said his students put over 800 hours of labor into the restoration project, in part to “spruce up” a neglected section of the school, but also to tie together the lessons of Eggers’ life to the “core values” Boerner tries to teach.
He said that by following Eggers’ example, his students have been able to see, first hand, how to use that example and apply it to their own lives.
“He was one of us, he was here with us,” Boerner said of Eggers. “He wasn’t some far away concept, he was one of us … it has really resonated with the community.”
Raised in Cape Coral, Eggers graduated from Cape Coral High School in 1993, and attended the Citadel on a full military scholarship. After graduating from the Citadel in 1997, Eggers continued his military career as a second lieutenant, then on to special forces training in 2001. He achieved the status of green beret in 2003.
It was during his second tour in Afghanistan, May 29, 2004, that he was killed in the line of duty.
Boerner said he expects several hundred people to attend the ceremony on Friday.
Eggers’ family and friends are also expected to attend.
A memorial stone that Boerner said left him “breathless” will also be dedicated in honor of Eggers.
Boerner’s seven core values, which include loyalty, duty, respect, service, honor, integrity and personal courage, are summed up in a line written by Gen. George Patton, “You are always on parade.”
“It means everything you do matters, even when no one is looking,” Boerner said.
Connecting those values to a real world example in Eggers has been invaluable to Boerner.
He said his students have completely embraced the project, and he expects the ceremony will be an emotional experience for many.
“This ceremony will be a special time in a lot of people’s lives,” Boerner said.
The ceremony begins at 11 a.m., and is expected to run roughly 45 minutes.
For more information, contact Cape Coral High School at 574-6766.