... is conspicuous by its absence. There was no Happy Hour today, only a dark and dreary silence punctuated by much sadness. That doesn't mean that we didn't hoist our glass in tribute or remembrance... far from it. I'm pretty sure the Good Captain would have wanted it to be so.
I'm at a loss to describe or even explain how the death of a man whom I'd never met and with whom I only rarely communicated is just so PROFOUND. I've spent the better part of my day reading the tributes posted by other milbloggers, his friends, shipmates, and those folks who "knew him when." It says something that there are... at last count... 542 comments on the "Farewell" post at his blog. But the best of all those comments? A link to this:
Update: Memeorandum entry:
UltimaRatioReg / USNI Blog:
A Remarkable Man Has Stepped Into the Clearing; Captain Carroll LeFon USN (Ret.) 1960-2012 — As the sun's rays broke over the top of the eastern hills this morning, the military blogging community was coming to grips with the loss of a truly remarkable man.
Discussion: Outside the Beltway, Questions and Observations, The PJ Tatler and RedState
Comments are now over 600. Each one yet more testimony to the profound reach of this amazing man. I too am quite stunned and the violence of my grief. Then I realized that I thought of Lex as more than a friend, more like an older brother. We have lost a family member. Even those of us who never met him in person ... feel that way. Truly a remarkable man.
ReplyDelete699 comments as of midnight, Kris. I hear ya, loud and clear.
Delete708 & counting - a damn shame
ReplyDelete"Damn shame" is only the tip of it, Anon.
Delete