Never Forget

[Jerry R]

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i106/pdogkilr/Scenic%20Pictures/IMG_0346BnWConversion.jpg~original

[JHoward]

I'm going to piggy-back onto your thread if you don't mind.

Just wanted to share the pictures of two friends of mine.

https://scontent-dfw1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/10984077_10204028733174991_6541001457461609831_n.j pg?oh=96de871e6bbcb753f756ed753ed9ba0b&oe=55FB95E1

Sgt. Ozbey was a really cool guy, but we weren't close like Shane and I.

Shane was sleeping in "my" rack when we got home from NTC before we got deployed. You see, we trained for 6 months before we were deployed. We were stationed at Camp Shelby, MS. For four months I slept on the top bunk while some little shit that ended up going AWOL slept on the bottom. I knew he was getting kicked out, so I knew when I got back from NTC, my rack would be empty.

Well, it wasn't.

I asked "Who is "Pooh"? When I first saw the nametag on his DCU top. It was the buttcrack of dawn, and we had just gotten in from a long flight, so I jumped on the top rack and went to sleep.

I woke up to the new guy digging through his locker, and I introduced myself. Shane was from somewhere aroung Meridian Mississippi, and he was transferred to us to take the shitbag's place.

Over the next few months, Shane and I were inseparable. And when my truck broke down a few weeks before we were to leave, he asked his wife drive down and bring me a spare car they had. This guy barely knew me, but yet he just gave me a car to use. There is a bond that we who serve together only understand. He was an instant brother. And I was glad to have him.

I'll never forget, driving to the coast in that car, and Shane had a few CD's in the overhead holder. I grabbed one and popped it in, and there he was, singing "I'm Carrying Your Love With Me", I guess he recorded it for his wife and I wasn't supposed to hear it, but I did. And I laughed, hard. George Strait he was not.

Well, the days went by, and somehow Shane and I ended up in the same group flying over. I'll never forget the night we left. I got my stuff out of Shane's car, but didn't see him much, since we were both visiting with our families before being shipped off. I remember seeing him and introducing myself and my family to his family. Before we got on the bus, his wife was crying and said to me, "You look out for him." Yep, that's something that you never forget.

We got split up on the way into Iraq, and we both ended up going to our respective companies, since we were both slated to be attached to infantry companies, we lived with them in their barracks instead of at the BAS (Base Aid Station). I only saw Shane once while we were on the FOB. The first few months were so hectic and nerve-racking, I didn't see much of anyone outside of my platoon. But one day I saw him at the BAS when we were resupplying our aid supplies.
He didn't have much to say, just the regular stuff about war being hell and us being ran ragged.

Then one day I was going on patrol, I'll never forget, we left the DFAC and were about to roll out when Sgt. Allen flagged me down, and told me. I can't even type the words. I don't really want to, but Shane was gone. I didn't know what to do with myself, so I went on patrol. I can remember thinking, hoping, believing it was a mistake, and eventually finding out it was real, and going through it all again.

I lost a brother that day, and I'll never recover that. But as long as I can remind people that he lived, then I can at least have that small part of him to go on. We lost lots of great people that year, and I hope there is someone to tell each and every one of their stories. I wish I knew more of Shane's actual story, but I don't. I just know who he is to me, and that is a brother.

[GOST]

https://fbcdn-photos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/v/t1.0-0/10984101_998643956826743_1657273940026997959_n.jpg ?efg=eyJpIjoidCJ9&oh=26d8719786f2719c583e204dcfb07086&oe=55C4C929&__gda__=1443512131_23eae4415654aeb879a64f389bb0529 a

[Jerry R]

I'm going to piggy-back onto your thread if you don't mind.

Thank you for sharing. The friends I lost were in the 1960's - still not forgotten.

[Uffdaphil]

Kenny Measell KIA 1/17/1969. Died before I could connect with him in-country. Thirty years later a team mate posted the story of how he was hit pulling wounded out of a clearing. RIP friend.

[Soisauss]

As a naturalized U.S. citizen.

http://www.dis-corp.com/content/files/9313/3821/9989/Memorial-day-Day-3.jpg

[Dstrbdmedic167]

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/05/25/956a58001bf6ebddf4a72448f7718ca2.jpg

[GOST]

This is from Haley Strategic:

https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xat1/t31.0-8/11337012_917574298309321_5845096705222563150_o.jpg ?efg=eyJpIjoidCJ9

[Ordnance]

https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtf1/t31.0-8/11334105_966372003397160_451057323554531049_o.jpg