Recently and by that I mean Thursday... The Navy lost a valued member of our family. We found out through an email maybe if you were gracious enough to know him better you found out through better means. However the case someone close to all of us here at NNMC Bethesda was taken by this war that many are protesting. Although you may be protesting remember just a couple of things. You can protest because people like the one I lost close stood up and answered the call of duty. The protesters have not. We have not once complained about going to war or fighting for our families, our hopes, our dreams, however some people feel that what we do on a daily basis is wrong and in some way disrepectful to those who have gone before us to defend freedom and democracy around the world. For those that dont know that is what we say every time we announce, say, or even think about being a sailor. HN Retmier is one person that many of you are going to get this are not going to know however he was a friend of mine. He whole heartedly went to war, answered the call, and served his duty to the utmost respect with everything he had to offer. Wether he affected you positively or negatively he was one to make some kind of impact. although Retmier was only 19 and this cruel war and world that all of my brothers and sisters in arms are a part of was taken it does not discredit that fact that he was the one my first night away from boot camp was the one to reach out to me and offer me a helping hand. He was the one no matter what happened would be willing to help out a friend and make sure that they were able to complete everything that was needed to complete the task. He was the first one to volunteer to go to afghanistan to defend and protect what I hold so deer to me every day. Since He was gone no one has dared to attack or even threaten my family, friends, or even my country. Because of him I can feel safe in saying that the rangers he was looking after were in good hands. Some of you might think that I am crazy, others that you just dont care.... however, all that know me this is a big deal. I have talked to just two people since I have found out and this i huge. Someone that I have found to be a friend of mine is never coming home and he is sadly remembered and gloriously celebrated by myself and many others that have known him through out our short lives. He has never gotten the ability to attend college which was one of his goals after getting out of the military when he was 23. He never got to play another game of football which he was so adamant about exploring. He will never see USC play for another title which I will forever root for in his honor. He had only yet begin his life when tragically and maliciously he was taken from us in a very vindicitve and cruel way. I know many of you reading this do not attend church, or any other type of religious service however I do ask one favor. Not on behalf of me but on behalf of the brothers and sisters that have stood and fought for your freedoms that most take for granted. I ask that when you do pray or ask for forgiveness from whoever it is that you ask that HN Retmier is at peace and he is one that is accepted into all afterlives. I hope that he is one to break down barriers and progress through what most feel as an impossibilty as with the enemy he was trying to help.




I do not blame the military as it has given us many useful and practical thing that are needed everyday. I do not blame his fire team leader in leading him into a hostile area with out knowing the dangers because he probably did know the dangers and as Retmier would do would go in anyways because it was the right thing to do. I do not blame the enemy for killing someone so young because if it was my home I would have done the same. I blame all of those that take for granted what HN Retmier stood for. He not only stood for love, friendship, family, and the core values but so much more. He stood for hope that one day our military can stand for something other than what it had since Vietnam. He stood for love and the power it had to move us all into action.



I will never forget that first day at NNMC when he was the first person that I had met outside of bootcamp. I was getting on the payphone done in the barracks lobby when he asked " dude, do yiou want to borrow my cell phone?" I know that too many that sounds dumb and stupid however that is the first person to great me and offer me something that the Navy could not. A sense of family. He was looking out for me.



So all I ask is that the next time you pray or even think about the stuff going on in the world you think about our shipmate HN Retmier. Please pray for his family, friends, and shipmates that are still serving in this war to protect freedoms that many are trying to take. Although many have no idea who I am talking about please be sure that it does not matter, what if it was your brother that I am talking about today. It should never matter. In any way shape or form. That is why if he affected youin a positive or negative my any way please never forget what he stood for. I am proud to call HN Retmier a college, a "doc", a shipmate, but most importantly I am proud to call HN Retmier a friend that can never be replaced. I hope that I have made you think about what you think this war means and what it means to all of us.



Thank You for all of your support and please never forget what we all stand and believe in on a daily basis.