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In the service of a friend

Lifelong buddies make it their mission to prevent soldier suicides

By Rachel Foor 3 min read

HOLLIDAYSBURG -- Suicide is the second leading cause of death among veterans since 9/11 and is the leading cause of death among the West Point Class of 1993 -- something the organizers of the first Pete Dannenberg Day are trying to change.

A member of the Hollidaysburg Class of 1989 and West Point Class of 1993, Dannenberg was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant infantry officer and assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division, according to his biography on the 4Pete.org website. From there, he served in a number of leadership roles, including as rifle platoon leader, heavy weapons/anti-tank platoon leader, support platoon leader and company executive officer.

Once he completed the rigorous special forces qualification course, Dannenberg earned a Green Beret. He went on to have a prolific career as a special forces officer, working with special operations command in Europe and being deployed on tours in the Balkans, Afghanistan and Iraq.

Following that, Dannenberg took a position on the joint staff, special operations and counterterrorism directorate in the Pentagon before his final culminating assignment to the CIA as the special operations command liaison for the U.S. European Command, his biography read.

After 27 years of service, Dannenberg retired from the Army in August of 2020 and accepted a position in the Office of the Secretary of Defense Strategic Capabilities as the EUCOM special activities coordinator.

Dannenberg had what many special forces officers described as a dream uniform for anyone looking for a career in the special forces, said Jim Rokosky, a Hollidaysburg native and lifelong friend of Dannenberg. Among his awards and decorations were a Bronze Star, Defense 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 Combat Infantryman's Badge, Master Parachutist wings and Ranger and Special Forces tabs.

But, less than a year later on June 6, 2021, Dannenberg took his own life in his home in McLean, Virginia, leaving behind his wife, Christa Haegele, formerly of Stuttgart, Germany, a son, Lukas, and a daughter, Sophia.

"Pete's wife had said, when we had gone down after he passed away, she had said, 'I don't want this to happen to anyone else -- I don't want this to happen to another family,'" said Jim Woomer, another lifelong friend of Dannenberg. "So we took that as our mission, that we had to do something."

It didn't take long for the group to start thinking about what they could do and when, Rokosky said, eventually deciding that holding an event on the first anniversary felt right.

On Saturday, the first Pete Dannenberg Day will be held at the Legion Memorial Park, with gates opening at 4 p.m. The Blair County Veterans Honor Guard will post the colors for the opening ceremony, American Legion liaison Terry Pennington said.

During the event, there will be small games of chance such as basket bingo and 50/50 raffles. Food, beer and other beverages will also be available to purchase.

If you go

What: Pete Dannenberg Day

Where: Legion Memorial Park, Hollidaysburg

When: 4 to 9 p.m. Saturday, June 11; activities begin at 5 p.m.

Admission: Free; $10 donation suggested to raise funds for Soldier Suicide

Activities: Small games of chance including basket bingo and 50/50 drawings, speakers, entertainment by Felix and the Hurricanes, food and beverages available for purchase

Catholic Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. at St. Michael the Archangel church in Hollidaysburg.

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