Monrovia – It was a period of weeping at the Trinity Cathedral Episcopal Church in Monrovia on Friday when officers of the Military, cabinet Ministers, family and friends gathered to pay their last respect to Col. Eric Wamu Dennis, fallen Deputy Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Liberia.
Report by Mae Azango [email protected]
Preaching the funeral discourse, Bishop Jonathan B.B. Hart of the Episcopal Church of Liberia said the deceased had run the race and the time has come for him to leave.
“This was a man who served our nation with humanity. He came to the military at a very early age until the army was dissolved and reformed. Upon which he enrolled in the new Army and rose through the ranks and files until he became the Deputy Chief of Staff. Eric was a very humble man that touched the lives of everybody around him,” said Rev. Hart, Bishop of the Episcopal Church of Liberia.
“Well done, Eric thy good and faithful servant. Many of the time, many come to the positions to bring glory to themselves and forgot about the people they came to serve, but Eric was the man who served the army diligently. I pray that we do the same for the people of God and not yourselves. May the soul of Eric rest in peace and May the Good Lord console the bereave family.”
Singing to God be thy Glory while paying tribute to her fallen husband, Mrs. Leona Dennis, wife of the deceased said she was loved by her husband. Her tribute was cut short as she began wailing over the casket of the deceased.
Frederick Dennis, son of the deceased, read the life sketch of his father and gave a tribute on behalf of the family.
“Daddy, this is not fair, why did you have to leave us so soon? Our mother won’t stop crying your name. She gave me this message for me to read to you. My beloved husband, my friend, and everything, even in death I will always love you from the depth of my heart. Sleep on my love and remember that the children and I missed you very much,” said Master Dennis.
Col. Prince C. Johnson, Brigade Commander of the AFL, gave a tribute to his fallen comrade and said the passing of the deceased is a great loss to the army as Eric was imbued with humility and was always willing to serve for the betterment of the army.
“When you got sick and we called to take you out of the country, you fooled us and always said it was no need, because you would bounce back in no time, until that faithful day of August 2nd when you were rushed to the Du Side Hospital, just to hear that you passed on August 8th 2016. We will all miss you dearly and the entire men and women in Army and the nation will miss you more. Rest on Brother and may light perpetual shine upon you”, said Col. Johnson.
The Good Shepard Episcopal Church, where the deceased served as Junior Warden, organist and choir director, had a night of wake keeping for him and every department in the church paid their tributes.
He was interred in Bensonville with a full military honor, including thirteen rounds of military gun salute. As bullets were fired, fear griped the mourners who gathered at the gravesite to say farewell.
The late col. Eric Wamu Dennis commenced his public service in 1986, at which time he was enlisted into the Armed Forces of Liberia and received Basic combat training (BCT) at the Tubman Military Academy in Todee, Lower Montserrado County. Upon completion of his basic compact training, the deceased served as instructor from 18989 to 1998 while at the same time serving as training consultant at the RESSGA security Agency in Monrovia. The deceased later rose to the rank of chairman of the Reserved Officer Training Corps (ROTC) department at the University of Liberia, a position he served from 2000 to 2003.
He also served faithfully in the following capacities with distinction, Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff (by ACOS J5), 1st Battalion commander, 23rd Infantry Brigade; Brigade Adjutant (S-1), 23rd Infantry Brigade, Public Affairs Officer, (POA) 23rd Inf. Bde, and Company commander, Bravo Company, 1st Battalion , 23rd Inf. Bde, Armed Forces of Liberia.
The deceased was credited for the following Military achievements spanning 1989-2001: Military Intelligence, Method of instruction, International Law, Child Right and child protection.
On February 11, 2014, the late Col. Dennis was commissioned deputy Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Liberia by her Excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of the Republic and Commander- in- Chief of the Armed Forces of Liberia.
The late Col. Dennis was joined in in holy matrimony with Ms. Leona Leha Goodridge at the Tubman United Methodist Church in Paynesville, Montserrado County, on March 25, 2007, which union was blessed with six children.