Martin Amasisa Briggs-Hall

West Point, 1975

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by Sylvester Alexander Briggs-Hall on November 14, 2014:

A number of events brought me to this website today. I honestly didn't know if I'd ever visit again. Even as I sit here reminiscing on our brief time together I can barely hold back my tears. I was born the year you graduated, 1975. I sit here at 39, a spitting image of you. I owe my looks, my humor, my wits and my smarts to you. You taught me how to be a man, a brother and a father. But most of all, you taught me how to be a good, caring, respectful person. I recall you took my brothers and I to the pool back when we were little. It was the first time I had ever seen a 10 meter diving board and an indoor pool that had a depth of 12 feet. There were a group of kids playing alone and you invited them to play along with us. While resting, I sat and watched you interact with them and I remember I couldn't help but feel a small amount of jealousy. I'm not sure why. Maybe because you were "my dad" and I didn't want to share you with anyone else? As a grown man and a father, I realize how impactful that moment was on my upbringing. While we cannot spend every moment with our loved ones, we must take the time to make the ones around us, strangers or not, feel as if they are loved as well. I can tell from the eulogies posted, you've been doing that way before I was ever thought of. We have much to talk about, Dad. Tell Martin Jr. I love and miss him too.

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