Posted by James Creighton on April 25, 2023:

In Memoriam Gus Ho is a remarkable character. If you know Gus, you know his is the quintessentially All-American story: real and at the same time too-good-to-be-true. But Gus was not simply the sum of a series of facts: yes, he was born Augustus Kwang Ho on the 22nd of July, 1960; he grew up in suburban New Jersey; he graduated from West Point in 1982; and he served as an officer in the US Army. No, Gus was so much more: a complex mix of pride and humility, camaraderie and competition, calm and adventure, humor and compassion. It's what made Gus who he was. Gus was flat out brilliant: so smart, he once taped his West Point textbooks shut and still got an A+ in the course. Gus studied hard, but he never bragged about his grades, and he readily helped those who struggled academically. Gus was gifted but understood that others might not be so. He was confident in his abilities, but still quite shy. Gus was not a natural born leader, but West Point refined and enhanced the gentle leadership qualities he always possessed. If you needed a wing man for a road trip, a friend to confide in, or just someone for a game of backgammon, Gus was your man. He was as comfortable carousing with the Brew Dogs at the Firstie club as he was staying up late, talking with a roommate and pondering about the meaning of life. Gus must have learned how to form deep friendships from his strong family life. His mom and dad, sister and brother adopted all of his E-2 friends, and we took to them, too. Many E-2 BrewDogs survived plebe year on care packages from Mr. and Mrs. Ho that Gus shared. Lurking behind Gus' friendly smile was a fierce competitor who emerged on the handball court or 'gammon board. He hated to lose, and if he came up short, you knew you faced another match to even the score. Gus enjoyed quiet time, if by quiet time you mean reading a book while having Bruce Springsteen's JungleLand blaring in your headset. Despite his Jersey-born fanatical support for "The Boss", Gus really did pursue'and excel at' more sedate hobbies like learning foreign languages, DJ'ing at WKDT, and photography. He chose to be a Military Intelligence officer, sometimes considered a more cerebral Army branch. But he also took up sport parachuting, learned to fly helicopters, and was more likely to instigate a road trip (say, to Aunt Sal's in Waltham, or to a nearby Army base to visit friends) than pass one up. Perhaps because Gus was an introvert, he had a soft spot for, and could almost sense when, his friends needed support. Whether he was inviting others to share Thanksgiving dinner at his parent's home in Jersey, listening to a gripe over a beer at Ike hall, or riding shotgun cross country, Gus was there for his friends. Once the E-2 Dogs intramural football team ran short of players before a game, and there Gus was, suiting up, even if he really didn't fill out the pads. He had a dry sense of humor, and he was great at pointing out how ridiculous a situation could be. He could give you a look which shouted, "Did you hear what you just said?" and it would make you both break out laughing. Gus' military career was as steady and positive as his personality. His mom tried to dissuade him from going to West Point, as her family had promising connections in banking, which teamed with Gus's acceptance at several Ivy League schools could have led him just as successfully down a different path. But Gus had an honored military tradition on his father's side, and could not refuse the challenge of the long gray line. He excelled at the basic course, qualified as a helicopter pilot, and had a great first tour in Hawaii. Gus returned to Fort Huachuca for the advanced course, and then completed his fixed wing transition in Alabama. Five years in, Gus was flying, leading soldiers, and thinking about going to Stanford for a Master's degree before perhaps returning to West Point to teach. Now some will say that all the potential and complexity that was Gus Ho died on December 12th, 1987, the victim of a drunk driver in Dothan, Alabama. This is true to the extent that a young, promising Army officer and West Point grad, brother and son and best friend, no longer walks among us. It is attested to by a headstone in the West Point cemetery, and an empty space when the E-2 Brew Dogs gather. But we began this story'Gus' story'by saying "Gus Ho is a remarkable character." The greater truth is that Gus lives on in the hearts and minds of his parents and siblings, his E-2 Dog family, and in the countless others he touched during his all-too-short life. We miss you, brother. We love you. Always have, always will.

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