Anthony Miller

West Point, 2004

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by Rob Lodewick on February 3, 2002:

Anthony was in my company, and though I wasn't on the football team, or in his platoon or anything, we grew pretty close over the months and came to be pretty good friends. We had math together last semester and the three of us from G1 sat back in the corner, trying to make sense of the confusing lines, symbols, and numbers that showed up on the board day in and day out. Everyday we'd clown around, trying to make sense of the material, joking with other classmates, complaining about our grades on Projects and WPRs, and talking (especially once the semester was winding down) about how worried we were about our grades. It was about this time that Anthony changed. The last two months of the semester Anthony stopped joking as much, stopped complaining with me, and started paying more attention to those lines, symbols, and numbers up on the board. He moved to the front of the class, and just seemed to give off a different vibe. A lot of us continued to joke about how bad we were going to fail, how lost we were with the material, and about how we'd see each other in STAP. Yet, Anthony was no longer part of that little group. The time had come for him to get serious, it was fourth and 10, and Anthony knew what that meant. Me on the other hand, I didn't, I kept goofing off in class, telling myself that I'd deal with my grade situation later, that I'd get a good grade on the TEE and everything would work out. Every day, I kept trying to start up a conversation with Anthony. I'd crack a joke or start complaining about something, only to be met with "Hold up man, I got to get this." From that point on he'd talk about nothing about how hard he was working to bring his grade up, and trying to encourage us to do the same. Anthony knew how to have fun, how to be funny, how to joke around, and people loved him for that... but he also knew how to be serious when the time called for it. He knew when he had a mission at hand, a mission he had to get done. Everyone saw that in him, on the football field, in the classroom, in company meetings, and in the way he carried himself. Because of this trait, Anthony got through MA205 with no sweat. He knuckled down and did his job, accomplished his mission. Me on the other hand, I'm re-taking it, and will spend a lovely four weeks of June here at West Point attending MA206.I didn't have what Anthony had down inside, the inner will to take hold of your situation and your shortcomings and do absolutley everything you can to fix them. You won't find too many people with the kind of inner strength and desire that Anthony had, and seemed to project to others. It was amazing seeing him work, whether up at Michie making tackles or in the classroom making the grade. I will never forget Anthony and that semester in math, seeing him take charge of the situation, fight the hard fight, and come out on top. He was truly an inspiration. I don't know why God took him away from us so soon but I will miss him. Anthony, and all that he posessed and embodied, did, and would have continued to do, wonders for his fellow Cadets, teammates, and soldiers. I still can't believe he's gone. I would give anything for the chance to say not only 'goodbye' but also 'Thank You.' Anthony showed me a lot about what it means to be strong, both physically, and mentally, and I will always remember him when I find myself facing one of life's struggles. Rest In Peace brother, I'll never forget you.

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