Happy Friday, folks.
It’s a somber Friday for me and a lot of my friends. We lost a classmate this week, apparently from complications arising from the flu, and that is not an easy thing. I didn’t know Jimmy particularly well, and it feels like a real shame because he was obviously a great guy. Many, many of the memorials from those close to him have mentioned his ready sense of humor and easy smile. Those things can be rare commodities in the daily grind at West Point, and sometimes, they are the only things that help you stay sane. Guys like that are often the most important people in your class. The guys who can make you laugh amidst all that stress, those are the guys that you never forget.
Jimmy was a former Army Football defensive back, a doting father, and a successful grad in everyday life. He was clearly in excellent physical condition as well, so his passing will have hit his family completely out of nowhere. I hate that. I feel it like a physical blow. His family noted in their announcement that he had chosen to be an organ donor, so someone else will live because of Jimmy. That is cold comfort, but it speaks to the man’s character.
Well done, Jimmy. Be thou at peace.
