4AHERO: Honoring a Fort Hood Soldier’s Sacrifice

Family pays tribute to loved one through restoration project, to be featured at Rockwall Rib Rub Car Show

(ROCKWALL, TX – September 27, 2015) For Jeff Ferguson, brother of Sergeant First Class Daniel Ferguson who was killed in the shooting at Fort Hood on April 2, 2014, there couldn’t be a more fitting way to honor his late brother’s sacrifice than to restore the BMW Daniel had cherished so dearly.

The 11-year-old car – referred to as Daniel’s “baby” because he would take care of it every chance he got while not on deployment – had definitely seen better days since Daniel’s death. Most of its paint had peeled off from sitting in the sun, and it suffered a few dents from hail damage. Not wanting his brother’s beloved BMW to waste away, Jeff decided to repaint it himself in Daniel’s honor…with the help of their father, of course.

While Jeff had done some painting on heavy equipment in college, he hadn’t picked up a paint gun in at least 10 years. His father David, a retired Air Force veteran with a history of back surgeries, flew in fromFloridafor the project. Needless to say, the pair had quite the task ahead of them, as neither had done any paint jobs of this magnitude in quite some time. To make matters worse, the father and son got to work during one of the hottest days of the year, with a gusty wind blowing dirt around Jeff’s garage and onto the vehicle during the process.

“It took a lot out of me but I kept telling myself that Danny’s not here to do this…he can’t do it but I can do it for him, and I can put up with the uncomfortable conditions to get it done,” Jeff said.

t-t color supply (5)-crop-u11354 — Photo: TandTColorSupply.com

As for where to get painting supplies, Jeff decided on T&T Color Supply in downtown Rockwall. Run by Tim and Tammy Sharp, T&T Color Supply houses a wide range of automotive products and services including auto paint, custom matches, candies and pearls, car care products, primers and fillers, bedliner paint, custom aerosols and more.

“I looked at their website, saw that they were local and close and had good hours,” Jeff said. “That’s initially why I chose to go with them, and I’m so glad I did. Tim made us feel right at home. He was very helpful and walked me through the whole process.”

As Jeff loaded up the paint, his wife Brooke finished up the transaction and told Tim about Daniel. After hearing Daniel’s story, Tim hooked the couple up with a discount. Tammy even invited Jeff and David to showcase their handiwork in the car show at Rockwall’s Rib Rub Run & Roll on Oct. 3.

“We were very honored that she would do that, and Danny would be thrilled because that car was his baby,” Jeff said.

Daniel committed a very heroic act that fateful day in April, holding the door to a conference room closed with his body – ultimately sacrificing his own life for the 13 soldiers inside, as the gunman shot through the door and struck him twice. He posthumously received the Soldier’s Medal – the highest honor a soldier can receive for an act of heroism not involving direct contact with an enemy.

The actual medal that was awarded to Daniel is in safe-keeping by his parents, so Jeff bought a replica online to hang over the rearview mirror of the newly repainted BMW. “I thought a lot about him when I was painting it,” Jeff said. “I’m so proud of him, and I hope that he would be proud of me for what I did for him. He was truly one of the most amazing people I have ever known, and proved that in his last acts.”

The Rib Rub Run & Roll will be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3 in the parking lot of The Center, one block south of theDowntown Square. Attendees will enjoy an IBCA sanctioned BBQ competition, car and motorcycle show, food vendors, kid zone, live music and 5K/10K run. To register for the run, visit playtri.com/ribrun or go to rockwall.com/parks for more info.