Robin, Courtney, Cody, It was my privilege to have worked with Dave during the spring, summer and fall of 2006. He was an extraordinarily brave man, and a good friend. I only saw him once since then (around December of that year) as we crossed paths at a hotel in Virginia. However, my fondest memories of Dave involve “Cigar Operations” that we would hold each night on the roof of our place in the “sand box”. In the late afternoon we would make a big deal out of which cigars we would smoke, and the merits of Connecticut tobacco v. Cuban v. Dominican and other Caribbean tobaccos. Once we figured out the “Op Order”, we’d proceed to the roof, and the “retired” SEAL and the “retired” Marine would blow smoke at each other for at least an hour or two. Of course, there is really no such thing as a “retired” SEAL or Marine. One night in the spring of ’06, we were enjoying some Connecticut Valley “Maduros” on the roof on a reasonably cool and pleasant evening when a pair of rockets impacted the roof of the building next to us. Shrapnel flew all over the place. I ducked behind some sand bags, but Dave went over the edge jumping about 20 feet to the next deck. When the dust settled, I called out to him to see if he was OK. He shouted back “I lost the damn cigar!” I am deeply saddened at your loss – our loss. There could be no finer friend, no fiercer warrior, and no greater patriot. “Fair Winds and Following Seas” Semper Fidelis, Jim “Moose” Sauer SgtMaj, USMC (Ret) Réquiem ætérnam dona ei Dómine; et lux perpétua lúceat ei. Requiéscat in pace. Amen. (Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord; and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen.)