Sadly for me, 5 years ago today , I lost someone very close to me and a very big influence on me. SPC John Kulick was killed in a complex attack outside FOB Summerall in Bayji, Iraq. His Bradley fighting vehicle struck an IED and then received multiple RPG's. He died of his wounds. John was a career fire-fighter back in Pennsylvania. He was also the deputy chief in the volunteer fire department I ran with. He was my mentor there. After 9-11, John joined the PA National Guard and deployed with HHC 1/111th Inf in 2005. John was an awesome guy, he had a big heart and an overwhelming desire to help people. He left behind, a wife and daughter and alot of people who cared for him and those he saved as a fire-fighter/paramedic. He may be gone but he is not forgotten.
