There are times when it's difficult for me to wrap my head around the fact that you've been gone for so long. In hindsight, those days are almost surreal to me. It seems like yesterday that we were 19-year old Marines who had a chance encounter just hours before you were killed. You are eternally 19, and I'm growing old. (I'm not complaining because God has blessed my life beyond belief.) It's ironic that our brief conversation turned into a life changing event for me. Not sure why, but the impact was profound. Our conversation haunted me for years. I could remember the trivial things we talked about on the afternoon of September 15, 1968, but I couldn't (and still can't) remember your face. After meeting with your brother, John, I've come to peace with that. It's important to me that you know you haven't been forgotten. Regardless of how brief our meeting was 54 years ago today, you made a life-long impression on a 19-year old kid from Buffalo Grove, IL. You are remembered . . . I promise. Semper Fi