ACTIVE-DUTY SEAL, FRIEND
If you knew Chris well, you knew he was no “Legend.” He was a son, a brother, a SEAL, a husband, and a father. Most of all, he was a friend.
In the Teams, we use the term brotherhood when referring to the bond all frogmen have with one another. It is a bond of blood and sweat. It starts in BUD/S and stays with you until you are carried to your final resting place; then it is passed to your family. Chris was a friend and “brotha” to me, and even though we did not talk every day, our bond allowed us to pick up where we left off with just a hug and a few words about how life was treating us. It was easy to love this Texas cowboy. He was the best the SEALs had to offer. He took care of the boys, loved the Teams, and loved his family.
Chris and I met after we assumed the position of leading petty officers (LPOs) for our platoons in Task Unit Bruiser. He was the Delta Platoon LPO and I was the Charlie Platoon LPO. We were the backbone of the Task Unit. At that time Bruiser’s SEALs had a reputation as the toughest SOBs at SEAL Team Three and we both strived to continue that tradition.
During the first part of our training cycle, Chris and I spent considerable time at work together. We spent even more after hours, fixing the world’s problems over many beers and whiskies. I don’t think I’ve ever gained so much admiration for another man. So much so that without discussing it with my wife, I made up my mind that Chris would become the godfather of our firstborn.
My wife was taken aback that I would give such a large task to a man she knew little about and I had only known for a short time. I have a few lifelong friends from home as well as supportive older brothers and brothers-in-law who would also have been fine choices. But for me, the decision came down to picking a man I wanted my son to remember and who could tell him best about the man I was: a father, a husband, and a warrior.
I was no longer the boy from Indy that my friends and relatives knew. I was a SEAL. Chris knew that part of me best. I knew that he would love my son as I did, with a strong hand and an open heart.
When I told Chris my wishes, he was just as surprised as my wife. Still, he took on the responsibility without hesitation or question. He did it with his whole being and with conviction. Friends became family. Two men from totally different walks of life, a country boy from Texas and a city kid from Indiana, became lifelong friends and brothers, and our families became family.
But God works in mysterious ways, and our plans do not always follow his.
Chris’s untimely death has taught me another valuable lesson about who I am, and who I have to be. When I met my wife I was in BUD/S. She only knows the SEAL, and has yet to truly find the man under all the armor and Kevlar. This is what Chris wanted to give back to Taya and the kids, “the man”; that’s the reason he left the Navy. He gave them more of the man and less of the SEAL. They thrived because of it.
I understand that lesson now. Life is short and you never know when God will call his warriors home. So it’s important to take advantage of what little time you do have.
The Teams and the country have lost a great warrior and a better man. His presence in our lives will be missed. He has fallen, but he is not forgotten.
I miss you, brotha.