Help Me Get the Recognition My Son Deserves

By Beth Agami, JWV Gold Star Mother

Social media is a wonderful thing.  It has helped me to connect or reconnect with so many people over the years – including my son’s, SPC Daniel Agami, brothers in arms, the military community, the Gold Star community and so many more.

However, when I recently opened my Facebook, I came across a post from JWV member Dr. Robert Pickard about the new permanent U.S. base being built in Israel.  I had not heard anything about this new base, and when I mentioned it to family and friends, they too were surprised to hear about it.

I then thought about it – there are a number of military bases and Navy ships around the world being renamed after fallen soldiers and sailors.  Just this year, the Coast Guard announced that they would build a new ship after fallen Jewish coast guardsmen, Nathan Bruckenthal.  I thought how awesome it would be to have the honor in having this new U.S. base in Israel so deservingly named after my son, Army SPC Daniel Agami aka the “Hebrew Hammer”.

In fact, Daniel proudly wore his rifle with the Hebrew Hammer written across it.  He was sometimes the only Jew that people would meet, and he would not shy away from telling people about his Jewish and Israeli heritage.  Moreover, everyone knew where Daniel slept too because he would go to sleep with an Israeli flag and American flag over his cot.

Daniel had very strong ties to Israel, where his father and my husband, Itzhak, was born and raised.  Itzhak proudly served in the IDF, and Daniel would say that he was his inspiration for joining the U.S. Army.  Daniel entered the Army, and he served in the 1/26 Infantry C-Company in Iraq during 2005.  He was killed in action on June 21, 2007 by an IED explosion on his convoy in Adhamiyah, Iraq.

Prior to just leaving for the Army, our family took a trip to Israel where Daniel enjoyed himself immensely, and he always took the time to befriend everyone he met.  I remember distinctly there was an afternoon stroll that we were taking as a family down Allenby Street in Tel Aviv, and Daniel stopped to take a moment to sit on a street bench next to an aged homeless man.  He made him laugh while his arm was wrapped around him, and then, he gave him some Tzedakah.

This was the kind of man my son was, and theses common acts of kindness were also exhibited by Daniel on the battlefield.  His unit was in charge of rebuilding schools, and the guys in his unit would tell me how he would be mentoring the young Iraqi children.  They would often describe how they knew the children looked up to him.

Daniel fought bravely and died for our country, and I thought how wonderful would it be if his legacy could be continued and recognized in Israel with the renaming of the new U.S. Military base in Israel.  You never had to question whether or not Daniel had your back, and I think that he represents an analogy of the U.S. and Israel relationship.  In my mind, there is no one more befitting to name the first U.S. base in Israel after.

I contacted Dr. Pickard and asked what I needed to do to make this happen, and his response was that he would begin working on it immediately (which he did).  With the help of Dr. Pickard and JWV, I pray and look forward to this becoming a reality.

Volume 71. Number 4. Winter 2017