Posted by Richard H (Rich) Naigle on January 18, 2012:

Larry was a gift from God, very talented yet humble and unassuming. You could not ask for a better friend. He was rock solid - a man of integrity who was also very personable and generous. He was a delight to have around. Little things define us and demonstrate our character. How we interact with others on a day-to-day basis speaks volumes about how we'll respond under duress. My first and most lasting memory of Larry is how he handled the stresses of Reorganization Week at West Point. Reorgy Week, as it is fondly known, occurs at the end of summer training (also known as Beast Barracks). "New Cadets" report to their assigned cadet companies to be assimilated into the Corps of Cadets, and drop the "New" from their title. For us this occurred in late August of 1973. It was a hot summer - physically and mentally challenging. West Point has a 4th Class System. Plebes (freshmen) perform cadet duties for the Corps of Cadets. Some are important. Others are menial. All provide opportunities to mess something up. When something went wrong the unfortunate plebe incurred the wrath of the upperclassmen. During Beast, the ratio of cadets was about 4 Plebes per 1 Firstie (senior). If you messed up, the error might not get noticed. When we were assimilated into our cadet companies, the ratio flipped to about 3 upperclassman per plebe. It was almost impossible to not draw attention if an error was made. The physical "heat" of the summer was replaced by mental "heat" as we plebes faced the full scrutiny of the upperclassmen. Reorgy Week is a "trial by fire" period for the incoming class of cadets. Upperclassmen levied sometimes crazy requirements on the plebes in an effort to divide and conquer, and to identify cadets who do not perform well under pressure. Duty rosters are used to assign work equally over time. They are organized alphabetically. Given that Larry's last name started with A, Larry was assigned the most challenging 4th Class System assignment during Reorgy Week. Larry created a lasting impression for me that week. He established his reputation. He not only proved up to the task which was made more challenging than normal due to being in a new location, with a completely different set of classmates, and having to meet the requirements of far more upperclassmen who did everything they could to mess us up. Larry made everything work flawlessly, did so with boundless energy, and maintained a sense of humor to boot. It seems small on the surface, but that's the way Larry was. Nothing seemed to faze him. He lived each day to the fullest, made lemonade out of lemons, and brought out the best in others. He made West Point fun, even during the most difficult times. Larry, WELL DONE! Thank you for having been you, and for sharing your work ethic, spirit, enthusiasm, and humor with others. You were an inspiration to those who knew you. We had great times together. Be thou at peace. Humbly - one of your Company G1 classmates, hopefully speaking for us all.

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