Words fail me.
March 7, 2012
I received some sad news earlier today that retired TOPGUN pilot US Navy Capt. Carroll LeFon, better known as Lex of the military blog Neptunus Lex, was killed Tuesday when a jet he was flying crashed at Naval Air Station Fallon in Nevada.
I didn’t have the privilege of knowing Carroll in person like many other bloggers have, but I did chat with him on occasion over e-mail throughout the years and as recently as last year when he won Best U.S. Military Veteran Blog.My prayers and condolences go out to Lex's family. The milblogging community has lost its best and brightest, the nation has lost a great patriot, and I've lost my blog-father.
He was also one of the first bloggers to appear here on Milblogging.com when and I did a short feature on him back in 2006.
When I asked him why he started blogging he told me, “I guess you could say I started blogging as a way of sharpening my writing skills. Anyone who`s been to see, or flown fighter aircraft has stories to tell, and I was interested in getting some of mine out there as well, and seeing what interest there might be. It`s also a sort of on-line diary of thoughts, and reactions to the days events - some of those, looking back, get pretty stale in time - but in doing so you form a kind of community of interest. A fun hobby that lets you interact with other people.”
You can learn more about Carroll on his About page.
His facebook page is here http://www.facebook.com/nep.lex
My prayers go out to the family and friends he left behind.
Here are posts online by other bloggers.
USNI Blog
Susan Katz Keating
Argghhh!!!
I will update this post later in the day with online tributes.
RIP, Captain. Thank you for all you did, for everyone.
Buck,
ReplyDeleteLex’s place was a daily stop because you brought him to my attention a few years ago. Never commented, just lurked there. Gonn’a miss it.
RIP , Sir.
There's some words of his own at the bottom of a post from yesterday:
ReplyDelete"It’s funny how quickly you can go from “comfort zone” to “wrestling snakes” in this business.
But even snake wrestling beats life in the cube, for me at least. In measured doses."
I'm gonna miss him, too
My sincerest condolences, Buck. God bless him, and his family.
ReplyDeleteOh no, My heart aches to hear this. Why do we lose our best and brightest too soon?
ReplyDeleteHugs to you Buck, and my heartfelt sympathy and blessings to Lex's family.
I am heartbroken; truly it feels like a member of my family is gone. I can't comprehend a world without Lex. He was one of the finest people I have ever known. Like Buck, he was my blog-father as well. I wonder how many people in Lex's community have their own blogs - because of him.
ReplyDeleteI know he died doing something he had loved since he was a child. I find that to be cold comfort right now.
Whoa, that was like a sock in the stomach. My prayers and thoughts will be with his family and friends and blogger buddies.
ReplyDeleteI was so sorry to hear about this! Thank you for introducing so many of us to him over the years, Buck. Prayers and heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. What a wonderful gentleman he was.
ReplyDeleteBec
Devastating. That is all I can say.
ReplyDeleteOn rare occasions he would respond to this old air framer.
The Best.
My prayers and condolences to his family.
RIP Lex...
ReplyDeleteWhat a horrible week it's been.
Thank you all for weighing in.
ReplyDeletePart of the profound sense of loss we feel is the knowledge that we have lost a community, as well as a gentleman of the highest order. Lex created something larger than himself, speaking specifically about his blog. Hanging out there was about as close as it gets to bein' at the bar with your comrades-in-arms (and their ladies)... whether that bar was "O," NCO, or Petty Officers Club. Trust me on that.
A small note, as of this morning at his place, 794 comments. Not sure I've ever seen that, speaks volumes about the man.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinkin' we may see over a thousand comments before this is over. And the tributes are so MOVING, as well.
DeleteOh no. Our sincerest condolences. And respect.
ReplyDelete