4 October 2003, 19:37
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Navy pays tribute
Mitch touched many lives, and even now people are still coming forward to voice such. As a testament to the kind of guy he was (and is his family, as well), please read the following letter sent to Mitch's parents this past week. These types of letters keep rolling in; evidently I wasn't the only one lucky to know him. *smile*
Quote:
A New Friend, and A New Loss
Hello to all of the Lanes' friends and family. Most of you don't know me so I will introduce myself and share with you my story. My name is Ryan and I am currently in the U.S. Navy attached to Strike Fighter Squadron 151 at Naval Air Station Lemoore. After returning home from deployment in late May, some friends and I later made a trip to the Sequoia Forest on Labor day weekend. It was there that we met Dave Lane and his family.
My friends Scott, Dave, and myself were fishing down on the stream just in front of Dave's camp when one of his dogs came down to offer his help in catching fish. Dave walked down and asked us if his dog was bothering us and we informed him that his dog was doing a wonderful job of pointing the fish out to us and sending them our way. If it wasn't for that dog, my life would have never changed in the way that it did that weekend. I believe Dave happened to notice by the clean cut look that we were in the military and began shooting the breeze with us.
To make a long story short Dave had then informed us that less than an hour ago his mother came to the campsite and told the family his brother Mitch had died in Afghanistan due to a helicopter accident. There are very few times in my life that anything has hit home that hard. And even though I knew very little about this man and his family it hit me very hard. I did not know Mitch, or Dave himself but since the second he told us, and to this very day I think about Dave's brother constantly.
I myself am a father of three children. And I cannot imagine the pain of having a wife and children left behind from such a tragedy. What an incredible sacrifice that must be. Yet I felt a connection because no matter what branch of the military we are in, we are ALL comrades and part of a huge, powerful, and amazing team.
So I spent most of the weekend spending time with Dave and his family and listening to them reminisce. I was taken aback by how close his family and friends are, and how dedicated they are to each other. As well as their amazing hospitality in inviting my friends and I to spend time with them and become part of their group.
I am sure that Mitch was a very strong and brave man, and he is like no other. Words cannot express how much my friends, my wife, and I feel for you and your family.
So now I use Dave's brother as a source of motivation, and pride. When I think about a man that I didn't even know, but impacted my life so much, it keeps me going every day and it makes me that much stronger for my country and my family. This man's extreme sacrifice is something all of us should remember and cherish for the rest of our days. We need to know how lucky we are to have had such an amazing, and brave person that kept us safe at all costs.
Even though Dave's brother was in the Army, I am going to give him the Navy version:
" To my fellow comrade Sgt. First Class Mitchell Arthur Lane may you have fair winds and following seas. Rest easy because WE have the watch."
Thank you all for your time in letting me share this with you. To Dave, and the rest of the Lane family, thank you for our meeting, and thank you for sharing this with me. I will forever cherish it. I wish you all the best, and my thoughts and prayers are with you all.
Most Sincerely,
Ryan *
Avionics Technician 3rd class
United States Navy
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*sigh* Thank you, Ryan.
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