Posted by John Lynch on November 14, 2000:

Its been a dozen years since my friend Wayne passed away following his trajic accident along with our other classmates Charlie and Kurt. I recently learned of these boards and was excited to have the opportunity to express my feelings of loss regarding Wayne. Wayne was the first cadet I met at the academy. On R day, following our brief meeting in Michie stadium with our parents, we were separated and sent to buses to bring us to the academic area for the first time. As the large number of new cadets funneled toward the buses, I found myself walking side by side with Wayne. We both seemed to feel the same anxiousness regarding the immediate future but we managed to greet each other and shake hands. That handshake helped me that day in knowing that I could endure just as the others next to me would endure. I didnt get to know Wayne well while at the academy. Our paths crossed infrequently during our time there. I am glad that, after graduation, I had the pleasure to get to know both Wayne and his good friend Charlie Moses. We attended classes together at OBC and trained towards Ranger slots we both sought. Our class was a very tight group, of which I remain proud to be a part to this day. Wayne was an integral part of our group. His keen sense of humor was always present to help get us through a boring class. His encouragement was certain as we both struggled to keep up on the blistering paced runs. Its been over 12 years since we lost Wayne. I am so glad to count him as a friend and fortunate to have known him. It saddens me to consider all that he would have achieved and it makes me proud when I consider all that he was. Goodbye my Brother Your Friend John Lynch

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