Another loss to our SOCNET family.

Rest In Peace Warrior.

Maas

Update from Brendan O'Brien, at Weaponsman.com
 

Update on Kevin’s Celebration, future of the blog, and more
23 Replies
Hi all friends of Kevin, I have some updated information you will want to read.

First, I’m gratified by the number of people who have written some variation of “Don’t take down the blog!” It’s great that you believe his work should be preserved online. So we will find a way. Rest assured that absolutely nothing will happen to the current blog for at least a month. It seems to me the obvious choices are a) keeping it alive at weaponsman.com and b) handing the content over to one of the many tech-savvy folks who have commented.

I’m doing this because it’s the right thing to do, not because I’ve been intimidated by hundreds of people with military training and serious firepower. Heh.

Second, we have specifics on Kevin’s celebration of life. It will be on Sunday, June 11, at the Abenaqui Country Club in Rye, NH, from 10:30 am to 2 pm. All are invited. I hope you will come. I’d especially love to see a heavy turnout from Kevin’s SF teammates, 122, USAFSA, Afghanistan, other Army buddies and fellow members of SOA. I have already heard from a number of those guys.

We will need a firm headcount to provide Abenaqui. So when you know you can make it, please email hognosecommunity@comcast.net with “RSVP” in the subject line. Let us know how many people will be in your party.

This is also a great opportunity to meet new friends with shared interests or reunite with old friends. My wife and I will be hosting an informal get-together at our house the day before and you are all invited to that.

I would not be at all surprised to see some of you guys plan other informal meets. Will you let me know about them (where and when)? I’ll try to stop by.

The New Hampshire seacoast is absolutely beautiful and is a popular tourist destination in the summer. This is my way of telling you to book your hotel early. We may also be able to provide “sleeping bag” accommodations at Kevin’s house. We can provide advice about things to do, where to eat, etc., for anyone who asks.

Now, about the official celebration. We want it to be a positive affair. Please feel free to speak. It’s okay to make jokes at Kevin’s expense. He would have done it to you.

I am hoping to have a blessing and some military recognition at the celebration. One friend of Kevin is a retired three-star general (nice work, bro!) who might be able to help with the latter.

People have asked about contributing to a cause in Kevin’s memory. I’m inclined to direct such contributions to the Green Beret Foundation, unless someone has an objection. FYI Kevin was not a fan of the Wounded Warrior Project.

Finally, I missed some opportunities to thank people. Obviously I’m grateful to all of you for your support and love of Kevin. The doctors and medical staff at Portsmouth Regional Hospital did their very best to stabilize Kevin when he was first brought in last Friday afternoon. The doctors and medical staff at the Shapiro Cardiovascular Center at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston did their very best to save Kevin’s life, and when we all realized that would not be possible, they were supportive and kind with us until the end.

Weaponsman commenter Mike_C is actually “Dr” Mike_C, a trained cardiologist and internist who does medical research in Boston. He gave up his Easter Sunday to join my dad and me at the Shapiro Center and explained everything.

That’s all for now. Hope you can join us for June 11!

RIP Hognose. Thank you for your service. Condolences on the loss of your brother. Prayers for your family and friends.

Sunset and evening star,
And one clear call for me!
And may there be no moaning of the bar,
When I put out to sea,

But such a tide as moving seems asleep,
Too full for sound and foam,
When that which drew from out the boundless deep
Turns again home.

Twilight and evening bell,
And after that the dark!
And may there be no sadness of farewell,
When I embark;

For tho' from out our bourne of Time and Place
The flood may bear me far,
I hope to see my Pilot face to face
When I have crost the bar.

Tennyson

Rest in Peace. S/F....Ken M

This rocked me back on my heels for several days.

Hognose was one of our smartest and brightest, and talking with him and collaborating with him was always a highlight of my day.

His loss is felt keenly. He died young. He was my age.

Such a loss. Sleep well, Green Beret.

RIP Warrior.

RIP Warrior.

Condolences to Family, Brothers in Arms, and Friends.

Hoepoe

Godspeed Kevin and to you and yours MacDuff.

RIP

RIP

RIP

RIP

Spoke to Kevin's brother this morning and he asked that if anyone is planning to attend the celebration on June 11 to please RSVP at the hognosecommunity email so he can get an accurate headcount. Also, an email and update on the blog is coming.

Rest in peace.

RIP so sorry to hear this.

RIP Sir. Gone too soon.

Update from Brendan O'Brien, at Weaponsman.com, #2
 

Latest Update: Please RSVP if attending Kevin’s celebration
17 Replies
Hi all. Sorry for the delay in updating. We have been moving forward on a bunch of things.

First of all, if you are planning to attend Kevin’s celebration of life on Sunday, June 11, in Rye, NH, and you haven’t RSVPed, please do so by sending an email (subject line: RSVP) to hognosecommunity@comcast.net. I have a feeling there are many people who are planning to attend but haven’t RSVPed. (And just a reminder, everyone in the Weaponsman community is invited.)

Second, if you know somebody (maybe another teammate) who has mentioned that he is coming, but is not a Weaponsman reader, tell that person to RSVP.

Why do I care so much about RSVPing? Because we are only going to have food and seating for the people who have RSVPed. You don’t want to be the hungry standing guy who didn’t RSVP.

I don’t think Kevin mentioned it much in the blog, but in the last few years, he had become interested in cooking. This is the guy who thought “oven” was always preceded by “microwave” up until about 2012. He really liked cooking for other people and did some interesting experiments. They didn’t all work, but he made up for the occasional error by always making a lot of food. Sunday dinner at our house might be burgers and tater tots. Dinner at his house was a seven-course extravaganza.

My point is that he would really feel bad if people came to his party and there was nothing to eat. So RSVP!

Now for some bullet points.

We got to visit Zac (Small Dog) yesterday at his new home. He’s doing great! My sister-in-law and her husband, who are wonderful people, have a lot of experience with dogs and they’ve made him very comfortable and happy. How much does he remember about his life with Kevin? Hard to say. But I hope he’ll always remember, at least a little.
We really need to get in touch with a friend of Kevin’s named Joseph Cunningham. If any of you folks know Joseph, would you please ask him to reach out to me through the hognosecommunity@comcast.net email address?
We won’t need any help paying for the celebration or blog upkeep, such as it is, but thanks so much to all those who have offered.
Does anybody have a simple way of getting a copy of a DD-214? We can’t find Kevin’s.
It may take a while, but we expect Kevin’s final resting place to be at the New Hampshire State Veterans Cemetery, which is in Boscawen, NH.
I’m now updating the blog with my own account, which is awesome.
Keep the pictures and stories coming, and if you’re coming June 11, don’t forget to RSVP!

Fair winds and following seas... Rest In Peace!

RIP. Thanks for your service.

This sucks to hear, I really enjoyed reading his blog. His words will be missed.

R.I.P.

Many of you may have received Brendan's email update, but for those who haven't, there's a new post at WM about Hognose's final resting place in NH.

http://weaponsman.com/?p=40532

DaveP

Rest in Peace hero!

RIP

Couldn't make it work last month when I was down in Boston, but this past Sunday was free so I got a dawn-patrol start and took the bike on a long ride to visit HN's resting place. The NHSVC in Boscawen was beautiful, busting into spring bloom; it's easy to picture the men and women who rest there stretching out the kinks from a long, tight winter.

His plaque on the columbarium is easy to find, and the whole setup invites wandering visitation.
Whether you knew him as Weaponsman, or HN, or teammate, it's been a year without his distinctive voice.
RIP.

DaveP

I still can't believe it's been six years since Kevin passed. Miss you, big guy.

Browsing, and just learned of Hognose's passing. Many of us have a newly created canyon in our hearts. You will be sorely missed. RIP, Sir.