A Personal Memorial Day
Every May, the nation pauses to honor the men and women who never came home, and for me that pause is inseparable from the memory of James Patrick Hunter, a soldier whose laughter echoed through our barracks in Kandahar and who was killed in action on June 18, 2010.
I first met him in 2003 when we were both assigned to the Defense Information School for Journalism at Fort Meade, Maryland; his Ohio roots and my own Midwestern upbringing made us unlikely bunkmates, yet we quickly discovered a shared drive to improve.
Our friendship grew on the simple premise of mutual support: I helped him sharpen his writing, he pushed me to be more precise with my reporting, and together we navigated the pressures of a career that demanded both accuracy and speed.
When Hunter’s unit was deployed to Afghanistan, the news of his death hit my family and me with a grief that still resurfaces each Memorial Day.
This weekend, the holiday takes on a double meaning as I line up a slate of baseball games that have taken on a personal significance.
I’ll be watching Dylan Crews, who began the season demoted but has been grinding to rediscover the swing that made him a top prospect.
Shota Imanaga opened the year with a sparkling start, though his most recent outing was a reminder that even the brightest arms can falter.
Zebby Matthews has shown flashes of brilliance, but his velocity and command have been inconsistent, making each appearance a suspenseful wait.
The possible return of Bryce Miller to the Mariners rotation could reshape the role of Luis Castillo, while young aces Nolan McLean and Chase Burns continue to generate buzz with their electric repertoires.
As the games unfold, each pitch and each run becomes a small tribute, a way to keep the spirit of those we have lost alive in the cheers of the crowd.