Daren M Hidalgo

West Point, 2009

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by Patrick Lieto on March 1, 2011:

My deepest sympathies to the Hidalgo family in your time of great loss. Daren was a personal friend. I knew him to be a great man, a great leader, and a great Soldier. His personality and positive outlook on life is one that I'll never forget. I had known Daren from a few classes we shared together at West Point and when we both went to Korea for our CTLTs. I would also see him at Ft. Benning where we both went through IBOLC and Ranger School. I saw Daren a few times in Afghanistan where we were operating in the same area of operations. I remember the first time I ran into him at the FOB Ramrod PX. He came up behind me and I could barely recognize him, because he had just arrived on a ground convoy and was absolutely covered in dust, but he had the biggest smile on his face. We would see each other over the next few weeks a few more times, even having one last get together in the chow hall at Ramrod with another West Point classmate before my unit moved to a new area of operations to the north. I remember I ran into some of Daren's Soldiers in the barbershop at FOB Ramrod. They asked if I knew Daren and spoke so highly of him and how they were making sure to utilize every opportunity to play new LT pranks on him. They told me he was a great Platoon Leader to have, and in our line of work that is the greatest compliment Daren could have received from anybody. I will miss you buddy, and I will never forget. Until we meet again on the high ground, 1LT Patrick Lieto

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