‘A LIGHT FOR US ALL:' Hundreds mourn loss, honor life of Maj. Gen. Espaillat

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class John Carkeet IV | A memorial dedicated to Maj. Gen. Francisco A. Espaillat is displayed upon the altar at First United Methodist Church in Oviedo, Fla., April 14, 2017. Espaillat, who was promoted to major general March 27 and selected to serve as the chief of staff for U.S. Army Reserve Command, collapsed April 7 while conducting personal physical training at Ft. Bragg, N.C. He was rushed to Womack Army Medical Center where he was pronounced dead by the center’s physicians later that morning. Espaillat’s 35-year military career began in 1982 when he earned his commission as a second lieutenant through Georgia Military College’s early commissioning program. His assignments planted him as a platoon leader for the 988th Repair Parts Company, molded him into the chief of the Combined Functional Area Management Division for Army Reserve Personnel Command, and groomed him to lead more than 10,000 Soldiers as the commanding general of the 143d ESC. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. John L. Carkeet IV, 143d ESC)  

OVIEDO, FL, UNITED STATES

04.14.2017

Story by Sgt. John Carkeet IV 

143d Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)

Courageous citizen. Inspirational leader. Loyal husband. Loving father.

These were just a few words shared by hundreds of Soldiers, friends and loved ones who gathered at First United Methodist Church in Oviedo, Fla., April 14, 2017, to mourn the loss and honor the life of Army Maj. Gen. Francisco A. Espaillat.

“I feel personally and professionally blessed to have known him,” said Army Lt. Gen. Charles D. Luckey, chief and commanding general of the U.S. Army Reserve. “His energy, enthusiasm and selfless service is an inspiration for all of us … He will never be forgotten by the Army Reserve.”

Espaillat, who was promoted to major general March 27 and personally selected by Luckey to serve as the chief of staff for U.S. Army Reserve Command, collapsed April 7 while conducting personal physical training at Ft. Bragg, N.C. He was rushed to Womack Army Medical Center where he was pronounced dead by the center’s physicians later that morning.

When the command team from the 143d Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) in Orlando, Fla., received news of Espaillat’s sudden passing, it immediately initiated plans to host a memorial service to honor its former commanding general. The 143d ESC’s careful coordination of the event coupled with its caring collaboration with the Espaillat family culminated in a 90-minute ceremony that inspired hundreds of people to share fond memories and shed sorrowful tears for a man they loved, followed and respected.

“When [then Brig.] Gen. Espaillat assumed command of the 143d [in 2014], they were deployed, they were in war, and it’s fair to say that they were in a state of disruption,” recalled Brig. Gen. Deborah L. Kotulich, commanding general, 143d ESC. “He brought them order, he brought them leadership, and he brought them home.”

Espaillat’s 35-year military career began in 1982 when he earned his commission as a second lieutenant through Georgia Military College’s early commissioning program. His assignments planted him as a platoon leader for the 988th Repair Parts Company, molded him into the chief of the Combined Functional Area Management Division for Army Reserve Personnel Command, and groomed him to lead more than 10,000 Soldiers as the commanding general of the 143d ESC.

Those who served with Espaillat attribute his rapid rise up the ranks to his boundless energy, selfless service and unwavering commitment to lead and inspire his fellow Soldiers.

“He cared about the mission. He cared about the people. He made every day matter,” said Army Col. Mark Towne, a long friend and colleague of Espaillat who first met the towering, 6’7” man in 1991 while the two were junior Army officers stationed in Germany. “He was a friend, coach, mentor and leader who loved what he did and those he led.”

Although the vast majority in attendance knew Espaillat as an officer, those closest to him warmly recalled his remarkable journey to manhood.
When Espaillat’s foster father, Dr. Homer Ooten, stepped onto the pulpit, he opened his eulogy with a story about his first excursion to the Dominican Republic in 1976. Accompanied by the players, coaches and athletic director of the Florida State University Basketball Team, Ooten recalled how a teen’s love for basketball created a pivot that would define his life as a Soldier, husband and father.

“Our friendly games between the FSU Seminoles and the local Dominican teams drew thousands of spectators,” said Ooten. “One of these spectators drew the attention of the athletic director and me due to his immense height, unbridled enthusiasm and native fluency in English and Spanish. We hired him as our unofficial interpreter, and soon this professional relationship blossomed into a close friendship.”

After the tour, Ooten worked with the FSU Athletic Association to help Espaillat’s mother send her son, a U.S. citizen, back to America so he could take advantage of native land’s abundant academic and career opportunities.

“She saved enough money for her son to embark on a one way trip to Tallahassee (Florida),” Ooten recounted to hundreds of pairs of misty eyes and tear stricken cheeks. “If you can think about how much guts that took, you don’t have to wonder about his goal-oriented attitude and his accomplishments in the U.S. Army.”

Ooten also recounted his firsthand account of Espaillat’s competitive spirit that would prepare him to serve his country.

“Francisco was a Boy Scout and proud of it,” said Ooten. “He competed with my biological son, who was also a Boy Scout, as to who could earn the most merit badges made up of many specialties from photography and archery to dairy farming and gun safety. By the time they became Eagle Scouts, Francisco had earned 54 merit badges.”

As a fitting tribute to his foster son’s bright outlook on life, Ooten closed with scripture.

“'You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden … In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven,’” Ooten read from his personal, worn Bible. “That’s the kind of life that Francisco lived. He let his light shine so that others could see that light.”

In the memorial’s opening minutes, Luckey placed the Distinguished Service Medal around the neck of Espaillat’s wife, Margaret. After watching her mother weep while holding the last medal his father would ever earn, Army Capt. Richard Espaillat, one of three sons of Francisco Espaillat, slowly made his way to the pulpit.

“He was our own personal superhero,” said the younger Espaillat, currently a student at the Logistics Captains Career Course in Ft. Lee, Va. “Not everyone has the perfect father and the perfect husband. The man who gave his family every single opportunity that he never had. What more can you ask for?”

• Date Taken: 04.14.2017
• Date Posted: 08.02.2017 17:13
• Story ID: 230509
• Location: OVIEDO, FL, US