Yesterday was an anniversary . . . not a great one. the 22nd of October is a day I always remember, unlike the 12th, which I'm still trying to figure out (see HERE). My old friend Josh Wheeler died on October 22nd 2015 (see HERE and HERE). He was a great guy, and the way he was wounded and died is exactly appropriate for the type of personality Wheeler was.
I posted some pics I recently found of Wheeler (see below). I think what's sad is that well before he was killed, I wrote him into my novel, Toe the Line (see HERE).
I made the Wheeler character a bit of an anti-hero. He wasn't the most honest or trustworthy friend. This is really a disservice to Wheeler. He was impeccably honest and upfront. I also had him die before the story even started. Knowing he would die in 2015 I wouldn't have done that.
I talked to Wheeler when he was mountain training back in 2013. He wrote me to tell me he was on top of a mountain. He couldn't tell me where. I suspected Montana or Wyoming. I told him about his being in my novel. He said he would try and read it. I don't know if he ever did.
What I find funny is that Wheeler took the route in his career I had been planning. We were team leaders together in the Rangers. In that final pic, below, he is way off in the back ground squaring some private away I'm sure. We were rigging for a jump out of a helicopter. I'm in the mid ground looking pissed about something next to Hickerson. Our privates are in front acting like idiots. I was a squad leader in this pic, the pinnacle of my military career.
Hick went on to SF and I believe he's still in. Wheeler spent about 10 more years in the Regiment after I left, making it all the way to Weapons Platoon Sgt. Something like a dozen deployments. Then he went off to Delta Force. My plan had been to go to Delta a bit earlier than that, but I came to my senses before applying for selection.
Miss that man!
No comments:
Post a Comment