When I was in 7th grade, I had a peer counselor named J.P. Blecksmith (James Paul Blecksmith). Nice, honest, a real man. He had good grades, worked his butt off, and played Varsity Football for 3 years. (He was a Quarterback.) He made All-C.I.F. He ran track, set the school record in the 100m (10.6sec) and the 200m (22.1sec) and the 400m (50.2sec), and he put shot.
But, first and foremost, he was a patriot. Upon graduation from Flintridge Prep (a small, good private high school) he went to the Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD, where he played for them. He graduated with honors in 2003.
After Sept. 11th, he signed up for active duty in Iraq in the US Marine Corp. He was deployed in Fallujah as a 2nd lieutenant several months ago, and I, being only 12 when he graduated, did not follow up on his status.
I learned all about it November 12th, incidentally the day of my last high school Football game.
On Thursday, Nov. 11, he was ambushed and shot in his back in the Al Anbar province of Fallujah. He died in a dusty street, thousands and thousands of miles from home. He was only 24 years old.
I really needed to let everyone know just how close to home this hits, because it had not, before I heard about him. Hopefully this means something to you Pelicans. Take care of each other. Take a moment of silence, for J.P. (and for everyone else).
Look at all the others.