Emily Jazmin Tatum Perez

West Point, 2005

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by 1LT McFerrin McDonald on September 22, 2006:

My name is 1LT McFerrin McDonald and I have served with Emily as a Platoon Leader, battle buddy, and friend. I remember when I first met Em on the soccerfield during Officer PT. She was very quiet and my immediate opinion of her was that she was a very quiet and shy person. After 10 minutes of soccer, I realized that she was a very agressive and competitive person. We raced after PT and she's the first and only female that has ever beat me in a sprint. We immediately connected and I started referring to her as my little sister. She was very optimistic about coming to Iraq to serve her country and take care of her platoon. We talked almost daily about small things that worked with each of our platoons. I remember how excited she was to go on her first convoy. We went up to Liberty and she bugged me like a little sister the entire way. Since I was in a distribution company and she was medical, she was envious of my opportunities to go on the road. I would show her everything that I had learned about the road and she was like a sponge. She would soak in knowledge, but she was so brilliant when it came to changing things around to work for her. I will always remember her as a strong-willed and very outspoken leader that demanded the best from everyone. She loved to be out on the road with her Soldiers. In closing, I would like to express my deepest regrets to her family, especially her brother whom she talked about all the time. She was very proud of West Point and her accomplishments in the Army. I will always remember her lovely gospel voice and her smile that lit up the night. Little sister, sorry I never let you take those pictures of the Palace at Camp Victory. Arch Angel 26, I will remember you always. Outlaw 26 out!

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