As America marches into its next 250 years, street signs throughout Apopka remind residents to remember those who have sacrificed their lives for their country and once called Apopka home. Below are profiles of Apopka soldiers from select wars in America’s history, with all information attributed to WikiTree.com. 

Third Seminole and Civil Wars: Philemon Bryan Stewart 
Philemon Bryan Stewart was born to John Stewart and Leonora Bryan on Aug. 26, 1833, in Hamilton, Georgia. He married Amelia Sellers on Aug.13, 1854, and raised five children with her near where Orange Lodge No. 36 currently stands. Stewart was mustered in as a private in the Third Seminole War on March 10, 1856, and then served two stints in the Civil War. Stewart died at Howard’s Grove Hospital on Aug.19, 1864, after falling ill while serving. His memorial sign is located on the corner of South McGee Avenue and East Main Street.
 
World War II: Harold Caldwell 
PFC Harold Caldwell was born on Aug. 12, 1924, in Nettleton, Mississippi. By 1940, Caldwell’s family was living in Apopka, where he enlisted on June 26, 1943. Caldwell died in France on February 2, 1945, and is buried in Edgewood-Greenwood Cemetery. His memorial sign is posted at the intersection of South Park Avenue and East 1st  Street, and Caldwell Street is named in his honor. 

Korean War: Theon “Joe” Oliff Eason 
Apopka native 2nd LT. Theon “Joe” Oliff Eason earned the Purple Heart for his service in the Korean War. Eason died at age 24 when his Lockheed F-80C Shooting Star received a direct hit and crashed 15 miles north of Pyongyang, North Korea. The Apopka Historical Society erected a sign commemorating his sacrifice at the intersection of S. Lake Avenue and West Main Street in 2020.  

Vietnam War: George William Carter 
Maj. George William Carter was born on December 4, 1933, in Apopka. He was at Tanh Canh Base Camp on April 24, 1972, when the Viet Cong overran the camp. The helicopter that extracted him was later shot down and burned. His body was never recovered, though Carter received the Purple Heart for his service, and his name appears on the Honolulu Memorial’s Courts of the Missing. His memorial sign is located on the intersection of 3rd Street and North Park Avenue 

Operation Iraqi Freedom: Randell Tony Marshall 
Although Randell Tony Marshall was born in Winter Garden in 1984, he attended Apopka schools and was a Pop Warner football player. Marshall enlisted in February 2005 and served as a sergeant and fire support specialist before dying in As Sadah, Iraq, on April 23, 2007, when suicide bombers attacked an outpost. He received the Purple Heart for his service, and his memorial sign sits at the intersection of North Park Avenue and Lake McCoy Drive.  

Military uniforms and memorabilia from Apopka veterans are on display at the Apopka/Altamonte Springs VFW Military Museum, located inside the Apopka Community Center. Appointment visits may be arranged by calling 407-889-8266.