Farewell, Sir...

I'm taking a brief break from telling of our annual Ouray trip to give homage to someone I liked. No, I didn't have a crush on him, though I did think he was cute. But I liked him very much. He was a kind person, a fun person, and a bit of a comic. He was also very driven and touched a lot of people.

Jeremy Clawson was 3 years ahead of me in high school. I never actually realized he enlisted in the army the year before he graduated, but he did. He served tours of duty in Bosnia, Iraq, Afghanistan, and I'm sure in countless other and smaller campaigns that the general person wouldn't have a clue about. He also achieved commissioning in 2006, promoting from butter bar (2nd Lieutenant) to 1st Lieutenant within the last year. I have also learned he was one of the few who have been awarded the Bronze Star for his meritorious service in Iraq. For those who aren't military related, or just aren't sure what this means, this is huge. I mean HUGE. Jeremy undoubtedly put his life on the line to save someone else and was rewarded for it.

There is a lot of information regarding Jeremy's non-traditional college career that is equally impressive. He apparently uncovered a huge scandal involving the financial aid and athletics department at his school. This resulted in the athletic director being fired. I think that's a pretty darned big deal!

The things I, personally, remember most of Jeremy were the smile that could light up any room and cheer up any person. No matter what, he would greet you with a smile. He cheered for the underdog, and he never made you feel left out. Along with that, he was a goofball. He enjoyed life and just let it be known with goofy actions. In that manner, he always reminded me of my big brother. It left a mark.

Jeremy left us last week. Something happened that caused his death while on post in Oklahoma. Someone found his body on one of the firing ranges at Ft. Sill. It's been quite a shock to the Jordan High School Alumni, those who knew him in college, the soldiers he served with, and, of course, his dear, close-knit family. He leaves behind a wife and a daughter.

The military memorial service is set to begin in about 5-minutes, the burial in Kansas (where he lived) will be later in the week, and another memorial service for his Sandy, Utah connections will be sometime after next weekend.

I have placed Jeremy's blog from his time in Afghanistan at the top right of my own blog. Please visit and let the family know what a phenomenal man Jeremy A. Clawson was.