Family of CWO 3 Daniel Wadham remembers fallen guardsman

HARVEST, Ala. (WAFF) - Chief Warrant Officer 3 Daniel Wadham’s ex-wife Rose Henige and his daughter Lilly Wadham share their grief after he died in a helicopter crash on Wednesday.

“One of the hardest days in my life,” Henige said. “The hardest thing I’ll have to do.”

CWO 3 served 15 years in the armed services, his last being with Tennessee National Guard. His daughter said he was the perfect role model for a father.

“He made a lot of self-sacrifices for a lot of people,” Wadham said. “If he saw something happening to somebody, he would automatically get up and go help them. No question about it. He was a great pilot, but an even better father.”

Henige agreed with her daughter. She said her ex-husband showed excellent character.

“He knows right from wrong and he will not tolerate corruption or people doing the right thing,” she said. “He will stand up.”

While it is unclear what caused the crash, Henige believes he made the ultimate sacrifice during his final flight.

“Whatever control he may have had in a short time, he was the kind of person who would have been level-headed and mission-focused until the very end. That mission being, get this thing down and harm as little life as possible. I absolutely believe that he did that,” she said.

Friends of the family raised over twice their goal for the family’s funeral costs and travel expenses for Wadham’s children.

CWO 3 Danny Randolph also tragically passed in the crash, click here to see how one of his family members is remembering him.

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