Posted by Rich Bradford on November 11, 2014:

Over the years, we've lost quite a few classmates from '86. The loss of John Todd will always be the toughest because he passed away while we were still cadets. It was hardest on my circle of friends because we were all part of Company G-1 together. The other difficult part is we were so young. I was 19 when John passed away, and I think John was 19 or 20. We first met each other the previous year as yearlings at Camp Buckner. People claimed I am a happy guy that smiles a lot. That was how I viewed John. One evening while at Camp Buckner, I was heading to our 2nd Co. barracks, at the top of the hill from Barth Hall. Barth Hall was where we had beer on the weekends and I know I had more than one that evening. While heading up the hill I ran into John and said, "Hey good buddy." Afterwards, that became our joke whether in the halls or the area, we would greet each other with that phrase, "Hey good buddy." I am sure that after all these years the guys and gals of G-1, 1986 still miss John Todd. And my message to Him remains, "Be thou at peace, Good Buddy!"

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