This is the first one that hits real close home for me personally.
Our family friend, SGT Tristan Wade was killed in Afghanistan. He was a Combat Engineer and was with the 573rd Clearance Company.
Tristan played football with my oldest son Shane at Southport. He was Shane's football mentor as he didn't really get into football until 8th grade. In 2008, they won Southport's only Conference Championship in many with years with talented players Nick Turner (IU) and Joe Gilliam (Purdue).
They hung out all the time, playing Madden hours and hours on end. I was one of the former soldiers he talked to when he was thinking of enlisting after he graduated, even though he already knew it was something he wanted to do.
Over the next couple of years, he and Shane would hook up when Tristan came home on leave. He would always bring his little girl over for us to love on and spoil.
This hits my son, who is now a young Private First Class combat medic preparing for his first deployment to Afghanistan, very hard as Tristan's deployment was just two weeks from being over. Shane had just read on Tristan's Facebook page that he was looking forward to seeing his daughter and bragging to his mom they he's been sharing her care packages with his squad.
My family, including Shane, will be in Indy when this young man is laid to rest this upcoming week.
I encourage all of my fellow veterans, service members and fellow patriots to salute this young man's funeral procession if you are available.
Hoosier soldier killed in Afghanistan | Fox 59 News – fox59.com
Our family friend, SGT Tristan Wade was killed in Afghanistan. He was a Combat Engineer and was with the 573rd Clearance Company.
Tristan played football with my oldest son Shane at Southport. He was Shane's football mentor as he didn't really get into football until 8th grade. In 2008, they won Southport's only Conference Championship in many with years with talented players Nick Turner (IU) and Joe Gilliam (Purdue).
They hung out all the time, playing Madden hours and hours on end. I was one of the former soldiers he talked to when he was thinking of enlisting after he graduated, even though he already knew it was something he wanted to do.
Over the next couple of years, he and Shane would hook up when Tristan came home on leave. He would always bring his little girl over for us to love on and spoil.
This hits my son, who is now a young Private First Class combat medic preparing for his first deployment to Afghanistan, very hard as Tristan's deployment was just two weeks from being over. Shane had just read on Tristan's Facebook page that he was looking forward to seeing his daughter and bragging to his mom they he's been sharing her care packages with his squad.
My family, including Shane, will be in Indy when this young man is laid to rest this upcoming week.
I encourage all of my fellow veterans, service members and fellow patriots to salute this young man's funeral procession if you are available.
Hoosier soldier killed in Afghanistan | Fox 59 News – fox59.com
