HOLLIDAYSBURG — Suicide is the second main explanation for loss of life amongst veterans since 9/11 and is the main explanation for loss of life among the many West Level Class of 1993 — one thing the organizers of the primary Pete Dannenberg Day try to alter.
A member of the Hollidaysburg Class of 1989 and West Level Class of 1993, Dannenberg was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant infantry officer and assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division, in keeping with his biography on the 4Pete.org web site. From there, he served in quite a lot of management roles, together with as rifle platoon chief, heavy weapons/anti-tank platoon chief, help platoon chief and firm government officer.
As soon as he accomplished the rigorous particular forces qualification course, Dannenberg earned a Inexperienced Beret. He went on to have a prolific profession as a particular forces officer, working with particular operations command in Europe and being deployed on excursions within the Balkans, Afghanistan and Iraq.
Following that, Dannenberg took a place on the joint workers, particular operations and counterterrorism directorate within the Pentagon earlier than his ultimate culminating project to the CIA because the particular operations command liaison for the U.S. European Command, his biography learn.
After 27 years of service, Dannenberg retired from the Army in August of 2020 and accepted a place within the Workplace of the Secretary of Protection Strategic Capabilities because the EUCOM particular actions coordinator.
From left: Paul Good, Terry Pennington, Jim Rokosky and Jim Woomer arrange a tent at Legion Park in Hollidaysburg Wednesday in preparation for the soldier suicide consciousness occasion, Pete Dannenberg Day, which shall be held Saturday in honor of the Hollidaysburg graduate and retired Inexperienced Beret who took his life final yr.
Mirror picture by Rachel Foor
Dannenberg had what many particular forces officers described as a dream uniform for anybody in search of a profession within the particular forces, stated Jim Rokosky, a Hollidaysburg native and lifelong buddy of Dannenberg. Amongst his awards and decorations have been a Bronze Star, Protection Meritorious Service Medal with an Oak Leaf Cluster, Meritorious Service Medal, the Joint and Army Achievement and Commendation Medals, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the NATO Medal, the Fight Infantryman’s Badge, Grasp Parachutist wings and Ranger and Special Forces tabs.
However, lower than a yr in a while June 6, 2021, Dannenberg took his personal life in his dwelling in McLean, Virginia, forsaking his spouse, Christa Haegele, previously of Stuttgart, Germany, a son, Lukas, and a daughter, Sophia.
“Pete’s spouse had stated, once we had gone down after he handed away, she had stated, ‘I don’t need this to occur to anybody else — I don’t need this to occur to a different household,’” stated Jim Woomer, one other lifelong buddy of Dannenberg. “So we took that as our mission, that we needed to do one thing.”
It didn’t take lengthy for the group to begin eager about what they might do and when, Rokosky stated, ultimately deciding that holding an occasion on the primary anniversary felt proper.
On Saturday, the primary Pete Dannenberg Day shall be held on the Legion Memorial Park, with gates opening at 4 p.m. The Blair County Veterans Honor Guard will submit the colours for the opening ceremony, American Legion liaison Terry Pennington stated.
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Hollidaysburg graduate Pete Dannenberg was laid to relaxation at Arlington Nationwide Cemetery on Sept. 30, 2021.
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In the course of the occasion, there shall be small video games of probability akin to basket bingo and 50/50 raffles. Meals, beer and different drinks can even be obtainable to buy.
Should you go
What: Pete Dannenberg Day
The place: Legion Memorial Park, Hollidaysburg
When: 4 to 9 p.m. Saturday, June 11; actions start at 5 p.m.
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Admission: Free; $10 donation urged to boost funds for Soldier Suicide
Actions: Small video games of probability together with basket bingo and 50/50 drawings, audio system, leisure by Felix and the Hurricanes, meals and drinks obtainable for buy
Catholic Mass shall be celebrated at 10 a.m. at St. Michael the Archangel church in Hollidaysburg.
