Posted by Gerald C. Werner on February 22, 2011:

Gary was on the other end of the 2d regiment from me, so I didn't know him very closely. But from various encounters in class, PE, Buckner etc., I have a strong impression of Gary as a serious, warm, thoughtful guy. As it happened, after graduation in 1966 I had a chance to meet up with Gary in Laurel, MD. My memory fades, but Tony Janairo and I were at Fort Meade getting ready to deploy with the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. As I recall, Tony and I met up with Gary at his apartment in Laurel and we had lunch with him and reminisced over our days at West Point and shared our experiences since graduation. I believe also that Gary joined Tony and myself for a dinner with Tony's family members, including Tony's uncle, Mr Romueldez (the spelling is undoubtedly wrong), who was the Philippine ambassador to the US. It was a most elegant affair. The Ambassador was quite generous. In the course of our get together, Gary drove us somewhere... possibly to lunch... and was unfortunate enough to get a traffic ticket for a running a light or something. I was in the car and it was one of those lights that stayed green for about a second and then almost immediately went to red. Like a trap. This was a serious matter to Gary and he asked me to help fight the ticket. So at some later date we went to court and I testified... in uniform of course... of what I had observed and how I thought the ticket and fine were unfair. Well, the judge threw the ticket out and Gary was quite grateful. I think it marked the seriousness of his character and he wanted no blight on it.... not even a traffic ticket. I hadn't seen Gary since that brief period in Laurel, MD and then heard of his sudden and tragic death in 1982. It remains a sad lesson on how some of us are called so unexpectedly. God Bless you Gary! That time in Laurel stayed with me. It was not a huge deal, just a meeting of classmates bonded by a great experience. Until we meet again... we love you and cherish your memory.

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