James Matthew Gurbisz

West Point, 2002

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by Simon Kim on January 6, 2006:

When I came to WP, Jim was the type of person I expected to meet. He was truly a selfless individual that always cared about the 'team.' He was my ranger buddy throughout Buckner and I cherish the fact that I got to know him so well. I remember when SofS Colin Powell came for his Thayer award and was introduced as the one who would volunteer to carry the M60 during ranger school, the first person I thought of was Jim. When everyone was complaining about the training, Jim would literally embrace 'the suck' and make it fun. Although I hate to throw out cliches, he literally embodies the warrior spirit. I'll never forget the cold and rainy night when we were dug in during the defense portion of Infantry week (Buckner). Although everyone else was miserable and falling asleep, Jim stayed up to maintain his 'defensive posture'. He was relentless with his motivation and it was sickly contagious. The Army truly lost one of their great officers. His most memorable characteristics were his loyalty and unique sense of humor. Although many people knew him through Rugby, I don't think they got to see his military side. I saw both and they were equally impressive. My heart goes out to Jim, his wife, and his family. He'll be forever missed. Thanks Brother.

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