Fallen Marine's Parents To Open Bar In His Honor
ELMWOOD PARK, Ill. (CBS) -- The parents of a 25-year-old Marine from Elmwood Park who didn't make it back from Afghanistan have honored a request made by their son.
As WBBM Newsradio's Mike Krauser reports, Nickolas Daniels planned to open a bar when he retired from service as a U.S. Marine, and told his parents that if he did not make it back, he wanted them to open the bar.
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So Debi and Greg Daniels purchased Eileen's Bar and Grill, at 2104 N. Harlem Ave. in Elmwood Park. They plan to rename the venue "On the Rocks."
A picture of Nickolas Daniels sits on a shelf behind the bar, along with a rosary, a glass of Jägermeister – Daniels' favorite drink – and a Marlboro Light cigarette – Daniels' favorite smoke.
He worked several jobs in Elmwood Park and coached football at his high school alma mater, but decided to join the Marine Corps because he believed it would help him reach his goal of becoming a police officer.
So Daniels left home Sept. 4 for his first deployment as a combat engineer. He worked in an explosive disposal unit, a member of the 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division.
He was killed in combat on Nov. 5 of last year.
Debi Daniels says she and her husband will keep remembering their son.
They will remember him and other fallen soldiers during a candlelight vigil on Sunday at Elmwood Park High School.
The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.
