Posted by Fritz Lash, Co E-1 on December 29, 2006:

After all these years, John's memory shines bright. Because I work at West Point, a couple of times a year I visit the West Point cemetery and the line of tombstones marking our fallen classmates. I always stop to pause at John's gravesite, becuase we were in the same cadet battalion for four years, and because John was so special. My reaction is probably similar to that of other classmates who stop to share a few moments with John. What would he have done with his life? What would he have accomplished? Although we don't know the answers, we know John would have left his mark in the military or in business or in some other field. However, on further reflection, it's clear that John already left his mark on his classmates. He set the example for the rest of us in working together as a team, in helping another classmate who was struggling, in following unflinchingly the Honor Code; or in achieving in the classroom, on the high bar, in military training. And doing it all with a sense of humility and with a smile. We have all led our lives with a sense that John and other classmates set an example for us to follow in our daily lives, with our Maker, and with Duty Honor Country. In John's case, the bar was extra high and gave us all a mark to shoot for. Thank you, John, and God Bless You.

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