Local vet remembers serving with seven brothers

South Point veteran Cecil Daniels’ story is unique, and almost one of a kind, as he and his seven brothers all served in the United States military, with more than 100 years of service among them.

“All eight of us were raised in South Point with the same mother and father,” Cecil, 89, said. “And we all came back alive.”

Cecil was the fifth oldest of the siblings, and served as a medic in the dental field in the U.S. Army while the Korean War was going on, although he was not in Korea at the time.

The other Daniels brothers, from oldest to youngest, included Henry, who was an Army private and the only one drafted during World War II; Arvis, who was a chief in the Navy and served as an electrician during World War II; Ervin, who was mechanical first class in the Navy during World War II; Earl, who was a mechanical chief in the Navy during World War II; Howard and Jarvis, who were both staff sergeants in the Air Force; and Dave, who was an Army private.

Henry served for two years, Arvis served for 24 years, Ervin served for 30 years, Earl served for 20 years, Cecil served for three years, Howard served for 20 years, Jarvis served for five and a half years, and Dave served for three years, totaling 107 and a half years of service among the brothers.

“My oldest brother Henry was the only one who was drafted, but we all enlisted after that and were raised to honor your country,” Cecil said. “My parents were very proud of all of their children. With my brothers, sometimes we had our differences, but we were all family and we loved each other no matter what.”

Cecil said that only he and Howard are still alive, but that the military tradition was still carried on, as Howard’s son, Earl Daniels, retired as a lieutenant colonel in the Marines.

“Earl was nicknamed ‘The Duke,’ and was the one who flew around President George H.W. Bush’s helicopter,” Karen Daniels, Cecil’s daughter, said. “He did that for five years.”
Karen added that she is very proud of her father, and the family’s military tradition.

“I’m so proud of him and everything that he’s done,” she said. “It’s just amazing that all of his brothers served this country and were able to make it back.”

Besides serving in the military, Cecil was on the South Point Village Council for 29 years, and has been a Mason for 70 years.