Posted by Pete Hidalgo on June 2, 2006:

My memories of Jim go all the way back to our four years together in Co k-1 USCC. He was happy-go-lucky but underneath that smiling, joking exterior, he was also serious about West Point, about being a cadet, and about becoming an Army officer. He had a unique ability to be fun-loving while still being dedicated to success at the Academy. One of his most endearing qualities was that he didn't take himself too seriously. Even when he was down (which wasn't very often), he could come see the humor in a situation. I spent the entire 2nd semester of our First Class year in the West Point Army hospital with a severe case of hepatitis. I was not allowed out of bed for two months and not out of the hospital at all until May 28th. I will always remember how Jim came to visit me almost every day. He usually had a new joke or something funny that happened in the classroom ("fun" in the classroom was a relative term for us since we endured the ignominy of being the goat sections in most subjects). I really looked foward to his visits because they were the highlights of those days. Although we were not always in close touch after graduation, I have always considered Jim one of my very closest friends. He was a joy to be around--one of those rare individuals who lights up a room. It was a privilege and an honor to have shared good times and tough times with this wonderful man.

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