A Fortunate Meeting By Erin Larney

It was in the Fall of 1997 at Norwich University that I became good friends with a few guys who, in their freshman year as rooks, were in Alpha company in Norwich's Corps of Cadets. After getting to know them (Johnny, Jay, Paul, Marc, Chris, Ben, and Trey), I frequently heard about one of their best buddies 'Trav'. They all shared stories, pictures, memories, and even a video with me - quickly, I felt like I knew him! Over that year, I was close with John; when I would hang out in his room, often Johnny and Travis would be on the phone together - it always struck me how I could feel the friendship and closeness emitting from the conversation. One weekend in the Fall of '98, I finally had the chance to meet this guy! We spent the evening hanging out as a group & I got to know Travis for myself. By the end of the weekend, I knew that had he still been a student at Norwich, he would have been a friend of mine - just like the rest of the guys. I also looked forward to seeing him again and having the chance to develop that friendship that we missed. Seeing the strong bond and friendship between John and Travis made me realize what a positive and important impact one person can have on another's life. In the short time that I knew Travis, he touched my life and I feel very fortunate to have met him. - Erin Larney, Norwich University, Class 2000