Graduated HS and we got an apartment together. Best times.
9/11 happened.
Dec 31st, he said to me "hey lets go watch the ball drop, i bet there will be no one there cause everyone's afraid of terrorists."
We got in my car and I drove us up. We got there around 3pm. Went through the police barricades, and sure enough, we could see the ball. We were 15 blocks from it, but it was in our direct view. We were shoulder to shoulder packed like sardines. Unbelievable amount of people.
On the way home he says he'll join the army and go fight terrorists. I said great idea, lets do it.
We go take the asvab. He scores a 99, I score a 98. Army recruiter says you can have any job you want. He says combat engineer, he already knew. I had no idea.
Chairforce recruiter pokes his head in, calls me and takes me to his office down the hall. Says he needs folks, and some of the afsc's pay joining bonus now if I do EE on f15's. After basic I'll get a 12k bonus. My eyes lit up, where do I sign.
On the way home I asked why he went army, he said he wanted to kick the terrorist's ass personally, he'd be the guy with a clipboard surrounded by burly men with guns.
He shipped out 4 months later, and I followed 6mo after.
2 years later I have a mishap with a plane, medical discharge.
I write a letter telling him what happened. He replies that's ok, he'll be home for thanksgiving. We can catch up then.
A week before, he writes me, he's getting his 3rd deployment, won't be home for thanksgiving. He'll be back by the new year.
The morning of Dec 27th I get a knock on my door. IED blew up his humvee on the 25th, he passed on the 26th.
This was the smartest kid i knew, I looked up to him, he was my best friend. I thought I was immortal, I could figure out a way to dodge death when I was in, he surely could too. But he didn't.
