eight6seven

Spohn's Eulogy

2007-04-16T10:11:03Z

I met Spohn my first day in Baker Company. My new team leader took me to his room and there was Spohn, sitting on his bed, half naked, in the middle of the day, playing video games. That was Spohn. I never would have guessed I was meeting the guy I would end up working with, living with, and spending most of my off time with almost every day for over a year.

If you met Spohn you might have thought he was a little mischievous or a little obnoxious or maybe a little cocky, and you’d be right, but that was just how he was. Spohn was my best friend, and of course, like all best friends he could drive me absolutely crazy sometimes, but I knew that five minutes after we were done fighting about something it’d be like nothing had ever happened. He was that friend they joke about who couldn’t bail you out of jail because he’d be sitting right there with you, and probably the main reason you were there in the first place.

I could tell you all sorts of stories about Spohn, stories about finding ways to get out of work, stories about hanging out after work causing trouble. I could tell you all sorts of embarrassing stories, some about work, some about friends, most about women. I could tell you a little about his wedding, cowboy hats, cake fights and all. Or I could tell you about him being the best man at my wedding. I could tell you stories about poker games, lots and lots and lots of poker games. I could tell you stories about how much he loved his family, his wife and his little girl. Those are just a few of my memories, I’ve got hundreds more. Most of you have your own memories of Spohn. He was that friend I knew would be there if I really needed him, no matter what else he had going on.

Spohn loved his job, he loved being an Infantryman, and he loved being on the line, no matter how hard it was, how ridiculous what they were doing seemed or how much he complained about it. When they took him off the line and put him in head quarters he fought to get back with his platoon. That’s just where he wanted to be, on the line, with his guys, in the fight.

When they told me what happened I thought they work joking. Even now it’s hard to believe he isn’t here. How do you say goodbye to someone you lived with, someone you laughed with, someone you fought with, someone you worked with, some you loved like a brother. It just didn’t seem real. But it is real. So real that a man, a friend, a husband, a father, a soldier, is gone. Spohn, you will be missed, but I promise, you won’t be forgotten.

what do you say when you lose your best friend ...

2007-04-12T03:01:32Z

Support those who risk their life
Even if you don't agree with why they're here

Clifford A Spohn
16 Dec 85 - 9 Apr 07

eight6seven @ 2006-08-31T15:52:00

2006-09-01T00:00:21Z

Sorry it's been so long since my last update, a lot has been going on. Just got back from almost four weeks in Louisiana.

For those of you who don't know I am getting married on September 8, 2006. I know that almost none of my friends from highschool will be able to attend, but know that I do wish you could be there. I will post some engagement pictures later, and wedding pictures afterwards.

Things have been pretty hectic around here, with Luisiana, Wedding, and Deployment stuff all going on, but hopefully these next couple weeks will be pretty calm.

eight6seven @ 2006-06-25T11:06:00

2006-06-25T19:13:25Z

So ... at 7:15pm, 24 June 2006, I asked Sarah to marry me, and yeah, she said yes, because if she had said no, I would be so happy about telling the entire world how lucky I am.

We will be in Michigan July 6 - July 11, hopefully we'll get to see as many people as possible.

(I don't know if the pictures will work, so if not, check them out on my MySpace

eight6seven @ 2006-06-06T07:24:00

2006-06-06T15:31:16Z

Well ... It's been a while so I thought I'd give a quick update and post some information I just found about:

Life up here in Alaska has been good, Army life is ... well Army life, and that's really all I can say, I'm involved with a wonderful girl (Sarah) and the two of us will be down in Michigan July 6 - July 11, I'm looking forward to seeing anyone who happens to be in town.

I'm getting all four wisdom teeth pulled today, which I've gotta admit, I'm not looking forward to - but oh well, hopefully they'll give me some good drugs and I'll get to lay in bed for a few days.

Now, some if not all of you may already know, but I just found out so I thought I'd share ... but the Clerks 2 movie is coming out in August, and there is an internet exclusive trailer available at www.Clerks2.com.

Anyway, that's about it for now, hope everyone is doing well.

The average infantryman ...

2006-03-29T17:04:44Z

The average age of the military man is 19-22 years. He is a short haired, tight-muscled kid who, under normal circumstances is considered by society as half man, half boy. Not yet dry behind the ears, not old enough to buy a beer, but old enough to die for his country. He never really cared much for work and he would rather wax his own car than wash his father’s; but he has never collected unemployment either.
He’s a recent High School graduate; he was probably an average student, pursued some form of sport activities, drives a ten year old jalopy, and has a steady girlfriend that either broke up with him when he left, or swears to be waiting for when he returns from half a world away. He listens to rock and roll or hip-hop or rap or jazz or swing and 150mm howizitor. He is 10 or 15 pounds lighter now than when he was at home because he is working or fighting from before dawn to well after dusk. He has trouble spelling, thus letter writing is a pain for him, but he can field strip a rifle in 30 seconds and reassemble it in less time in the dark. He can recite to you the nomenclature of a machine gun or a grenade launcher and use either one effectively if he must. He digs foxholes and latrines and can apply first aid like a professional. He can march until he is told to stop or stop until he is told to march.

He obeys orders instantly and without hesitation, but he is not without spirit or individual dignity. He is self-sufficient. He has two sets of fatigues: he washes one and wears the other. He keeps his canteens full and his feet dry. He sometimes forgets to brush his teeth, but never to clean his rifle. He can cook his own meals, mend his own cloths, and fix his own hurts. If you’re thirsty, he’ll share his water; if you are hungry, his food. He’ll even split his ammunition with you in the midst of battle when you run low. He has learned to use his hands like weapons and his weapons like they were his hands. He can save your life – or take it, because that is his job. He will often do twice the work of a civilian, draw half the pay and still find the ironic humor in it all. He has seen more suffering and death than he should have in his short lifetime.

He has stood atop mountains of dead bodies, and helped to create them. He has wept in public and in private, for friends who have fallen in combat and is not ashamed. He feels every note of the National Anthem vibrate through his body while at rigid attention, while tempering the burning desire to “square-away” those around him who haven’t bothered to stand, remove their hat, or even stop talking. In an odd twist, day in and day out, far from home, he defends their right to be disrespectful. Just as did his Father, Grandfather, and Great-grandfather, he is paying the price for our freedom. Beardless or not, he is not a boy. He is the American Fighting Man that has kept this country free for over 200 years.
He has asked nothing in return, except our friendship and understanding. Remember him, always, for he has earned our respect and admiration with his blood. And now we even have women over there in danger, doing their part in this tradition of going to War when our nation calls us to do so. As you go to bed tonight, remember this shot … a short lull, a little shade and a picture of loved ones in their helmets.

If you know, or have even known a Soldier, Marine, Airman, or Sailor forward this letter. Let them see that you love and support them for what they do for our country.

eight6seven @ 2005-11-28T19:20:00

2005-11-29T04:21:26Z

i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae.

The rset can be a taotl mses and yhou can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuuhot slpeling was ipmorantt! if you can raed tihs rpsoet it.

update on Pug's life

2005-11-06T10:52:02Z

I miss my baby(Amber) - yes I know we're not actually dating yet, and she did just move across the country - but damn it she's my baby, she'd tell you the same thing, I love her, and I miss her a lot. I can't wait until Christmas when she's susposed to come back for a couple weeks and I can have her in my arms again. And this being the first weekend she's gone, it's also the first weekend I've spent in the barracks in a while, and I realize why I don't like being here on the weekends, granted a large part of it is because I just want to be with her.

Other than that, life up here in Alaska is .... COLD .... and dark .... I remember when I got here and there were only like 3 or 4 hours of the day when it wasn't daylight, and now we are losing about 10 minutes of it everyday. Right now, the sun comes up around 8:30 and sets around 4:30 .... it's just plain wierd. Plus it's cold, and getting colder, we went for an hour long run the other day in sub-zero temperatures, it really was not fun.

My life up here has mostly been filled with Army schools - Team Leader Course, Combatives, FBCB2-BFT DMTC, and next week an RTO class. So when most of the company is freezing their buts off in the field and shooting lots of stuff, I'm sitting in a warm building learning stuff, and all because I've been put in the position of Company RTO ... it's got it's advantages and disadvantages, but I really can't complain.

I also bought a car, I think her name is Tasha, she hasn't complained about it yet. She's a '95 Dodge Intreped, and she's a tempermental bitch just like her mom(that would be Amber). She has transmition issues, being that sometimes she slips going into second gear, and she absolutly will not go into fifth, but she really doesn't go very far or very fast(because post speed limits are max 40mph) so those problems are really no big deal. She came with a second set of tires and a "new" (susposedly working) transmition. Only problem is Amber was susposed to do the work on her because she knows more about cars than any guy I've met. But she runs pretty good, you just have to know how to treat her (just like any women) and she was only $500 which included the second set of tires and transmition - so I can't complain at all.

That's about it for now, hope things are going well for everyone, hope I get to talk to you all soon.

eight6seven @ 2005-10-03T20:32:00

2005-10-04T04:42:06Z

Read this book

Lamb : The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
by Christopher Moore

It is the funniest book I have EVER read. I laughed out loud at least once at almost every page ... granted I got some pretty funny looks from anyone who happened to be in the room at the time, but I didn't care.

The birth of Jesus has been well chronicled, as have his glorious teachings, acts, and divine sacrifice after his thirtieth birthday. But no one knows about the early life of the Son of God, the missing years -- except Biff, the Messiahs best bud, who has been resurrected to tell the story in the divinely hilarious yet heartfelt work "reminiscent of Vonnegut and Douglas Adams" (Philadelphia Inquirer).

Verily, the story Biff has to tell is a miraculous one, filled with remarkable journeys, magic, healings, kung fu, corpse reanimations, demons, and hot babes. Even the considerable wiles and devotion of the Saviors pal may not be enough to divert Joshua from his tragic destiny. But theres no one who loves Josh more -- except maybe "Maggie," Mary of Magdala -- and Biff isnt about to let his extraordinary pal suffer and ascend without a fight.

eight6seven @ 2005-10-01T09:43:00

2005-10-01T17:43:55Z

Nobody's perfect ... Well, there was this one guy, but we killed him.
-Anonymous

eight6seven @ 2005-09-28T11:51:00

2005-09-28T19:54:34Z

A college professor, an avowed atheist and active in the ACLU, was teaching his class. He shocked several of his students when he flatly stated that once and for all he was going to prove there was no God. Addressing the ceiling he shouted: "GOD, if you are real, then I want you to knock me off this platform. I'll give you exactly 15 minutes!!!!!"

The lecture room fell silent. You could hear a pin drop.
Ten minutes went by. "I'm waiting God, if you're real, knock me off this platform!!!!"

Again after 4 minutes, the professor taunted God saying, "Here I am, God!!! I'm still waiting!!!"

His count down got down to the last couple of minutes when a Infantryman, just released from the Army after serving in Afghanistan and Iraq and newly registered in the class, walked up to the Professor.

The Infantryman hit him full force in the face, and sent the Professor tumbling from his lofty platform. The Professor was out cold!!

The students were stunned and shocked. They began to babble in confusion.

The Infantryman nonchalantly took his seat in the front row and sat silent. The class looked at him and fell silent.....waiting.

Eventually, the professor came to and was noticeably shaken.

He looked at the Infantryman in the front row. When the professor regained his senses and could speak he asked: "What the hell is the matter with you? Why did you do that?"

"God was really busy, protecting America's soldiers, who are protecting your right to say stupid shit and act like an asshole!!! So he sent me!!"

eight6seven @ 2005-09-25T12:44:00

2005-09-25T20:45:39Z

Looking back on the memory of
The dance we shared 'neath the stars alone
For a moment all the world was right
How could I have known that you'd ever say goodbye

And now I'm glad I didn't know
The way it all would end the way it all would go
Our lives are better left to chance I could have missed the pain
But I'd of had to miss the dance

Holding you I held everything
For a moment wasn't I a king
But if I'd only known how the king would fall
Hey who's to say you know I might have chanced it all

And now I'm glad I didn't know
The way it all would end the way it all would go
Our lives are better left to chance I could have missed the pain
But I'd of had to miss the dance

Yes my life is better left to chance
I could have missed the pain but I'd of had to miss the dance
-Garth Brooks The Dance

eight6seven @ 2005-09-21T05:51:00

2005-09-21T13:51:59Z

i can't remember the last time i had a full night's sleep, without waking up perodically throughout the night

eight6seven @ 2005-09-18T18:17:00

2005-09-19T02:18:07Z

Sephiroth: Tell me what is most important to you so I can take it away!
Cloud Strife: I pity you who does not understand. Everything is important.
-Final Fantasy VII : Advent Childrean

eight6seven @ 2005-09-17T02:57:00

2005-09-17T10:58:36Z

life is odd

Think of Me (Phantom of the Opera)

2005-09-09T20:47:09Z

Think of me
think of me fondly,
when we've said goodbye.
Remember me
once in a while -
please promise me
you'll try.
When you find
that, once
again, you long
to take your heart back
and be free -
if you
ever find
a moment,
spare a thought
for me
We never said
our love
was evergreen,
or as unchanging
as the sea -
but if
you can still
remember
stop and think
of me . . .
Think of all the things
we've shared and seen -
don't think about the things
which might have been . . .
Think of me,
think of me waking,
silent and
resigned.
Imagine me,
trying too hard
to put you
from my mind.
Recall those days
look back
on all those times,
think of the things
we'll never do -
there will
never be
a day, when
I won't think
of you . .
We never said
our love
was evergreen,
or as unchanging
as the sea -
but please
promise me,
that sometimes
you will think
of me

eight6seven @ 2005-09-04T23:11:00

2005-09-05T07:16:51Z

I do not love you as if you were salt-rose or topaz,
or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off.
I love you as certain things are to be loved,
in secret, between the shadow and the soul.

I love you as the plant that never blooms,
but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers.
Thanks to your love a certain fragrance,
risen darkly from the earth, lives darkly in my body.

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where,
I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride,
so I love you because I know no other way than this:
where "I" does not exist, nor "you,"
So close that your hand on my chest is my hand,
So close that your eyes close and I fall asleep.

-Pablo Neruda

So, life has had it's ups and downs recently, and I'm really not sure what dirrection it's headed in.

Had a short relationship with an amazing girl, and even though it was sad it was so short, it reminded me of a few things.

Even though I've been going out a lot more than normal I've missed my friends more than ever.

Anyway, I don't feel like typing all the things that have been going on lately, but I just wanted to say that I miss you all and hopefully things are going well for all of you.

eight6seven @ 2005-08-15T20:37:00

2005-08-16T04:37:47Z

Ok, so things have been going well lately ...

I promise I've not been trying to avoid any, it's just been a busy week/weekend -- yes most of my free time is spent with Jess -- but it really has been busy.

Last week was mostly boring, just EIB training, but the weekend was a blast.

We are moving into our new ( and susposedly final rooms ) this weekend - and the rumor going around Joe Network is that we will be moving ALL WEEKEND - and that will be bad - because I want to see Jess dang it.

I've been having so much fun with my blender!! AND MY MOVIES ARE HERE!!!

Anyway, hope everyone is doing well, hopefully I'll talk to you soon.

eight6seven @ 2005-08-04T19:32:00

2005-08-05T03:54:02Z

Well, I ment to update earlier, but everytime I sat down to type I just didn't feel like it.

Let's see, what's been happening ...

Last week we spent 6 GROULING days in the field, and by grouling I mean we came back to our own beds every night, and we hopped on the HUMVEEs and got transed back for most meals. Hehe.

For my birthday my platoon ambushed me, 100mph-taped(duck-taped for you civilians out there) my ankles and wrists, carried me into a POW cage at the MOUT site, yanked my shirt over my head, and painted my chest with kiwi. Include the fact that I got the Major let me throw the smoke grenade AND more importantly that I got to ride on a blackhawk for the first time, and you would have the most exciting birthday I've had in a long time. I do have pictures and videos of it all too if anyone's interested.

I was also recently informed of the fact that Alaska has no gambeling laws, which means that all sorts of places hold free tournaments with cash prizes almost everyday of the week. And since a buddy of mine has a car and is a big poker fan too, I get to go .... which has introduced me to a beautiful section of the Anchorage population that I am thus far very happy to have met, and didn't realize how much I missed.

*Sigh*, anyway, what was I talking about ... oh yeah, so that brings us to today, well tomorrow actually .... the rumor is that General Freakley is coming and we're going to have an inspection, that is probably going to suck.

And that's about it for now, life is going good, and getting better everyday, and I must remember to than God everyday for that.

eight6seven @ 2005-07-29T07:28:00

2005-07-29T15:32:04Z

So a couple of days ago, my platoon decided to celebrate someone's birthday by us all going upstairs and bum rushing him as he came out of his room. While a few people held him down, someone duct taped his ankles and hands and then painted a smiley face on his butt with kiwi while the rest of us laughed our asses off and took pictures.

This was all great fun until they found out that today is my birthday, and that we're going to be in the field today. They've been planning ... and I've already been informed that I'm skrewed, multiple times my Platoon Sergeant came up to me yesterday and grabbed my shoulder and said "Don't worry, you're safe ... today."

eight6seven @ 2005-07-24T03:03:00

2005-07-24T11:18:09Z

Well, it's been a pretty good week.

Monday we went on a nice 6 mile run in the morning, and spent the rest of they day doing nothing or moving furnature.

Tuesday was susposed to be a jump, but it was raining in the morning so they decided only 30 people would jump so I sat around waiting for them reading Harry Potter.

Wednesday I went to the range to sit in a shack on ammo detail for the guys trying to qualify expert for their EIB (which only like 4 out of 130 did). It was actually pretty fun cuz me and my buddy just sat there and joked around with the sergeant who was there too. I missed out on all the EIB stuff by two weeks, which is ok, it'll come around again.

Thursday we went on a nice 6 mile ruck-run which was actually not that bad, don't get me wrong, it wasn't good by any stretch of the imagination, but it wasn't bad. Then we sat around while our wall lockers were put together ... but now we have new beds and new wall lockers.

Friday we went on short run and after PT we had a short brief where our new Battalion Commander told us, like always, not to drink and drive, not to end up in jail, not to have sex with anyone under 18, to make sure we're in MOPP level 5 if we do have sex, and basically not to do anything stupid. He also told us that if we brought back anyone who has gone AWOL we'd get $100, which made me kinda happy cuz I felt like I'd been promoted to bounty-hunter. After that we cleaned up our rooms and the common areas for an inspection that never happened.

Somewhere in there I read Darkly Dreaming Dexter which was a very interesting/odd book and Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince which was a very dissapiointing book.

And that was my week. Rumor has it that we will be in the field for my birthday next week.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

2005-07-21T16:53:14Z

We accept the love we think we deserve.

It was the kind of kiss that made me know that I was never so happy in my whole life.

Once on a yellow piece of paper with green lines
he wrote a poem
And he called if "Chops"
because that was the name of his dog
And that's what it was all about
And his teacher gave him an A
and a gold star
And his mother hung it on the kitchen door
and read it to his aunts
That was the year Father Tracy
took all the kids to the zoo
And he let them sing on the bus
And his little sister was born
with tiny toenails and no hair
And his mother and father kissed a lot
And the girl around the corner sent him a
Valentine signed with a row of X's
and he had to ask his father what the X's meant
And his father always tucked him in bed at night
And was always there to do it

Once on a piece of white paper with blue lines
he wrote a poem
And he called it "Autumn"
because that was the name of the season
And that's what it was all about
And his teacher gave him an A
and asked him to write more clearly
And his mother never hung it on the kitchen door
because of its new paint
And the kids told him Father Tracy smoked cigars
And left butts on the pews
And sometimes they would burn holes
That was the year his sister got glasses
with thick lenses and black frames
And the girl around the corner laughed
when he asked her to go see Santa Claus
And the kids told him why
his mother and father kissed a lot
And his father never tucked him in bed at night
And his father got mad
when he cried for him to do it

Once on a paper torn from his notebook
he wrote a poem
And he called it "Innocence: A Question"
because that was the question about his girl
And that's what it was all about
And his professor gave him an A
and a strange steady look
And his mother never hung it on the kitchen door
because he never showed her
That was the year Father Tracy died
And he forgot how the end
of the Apostle's Creed went
And he caught his sister
making out on the back porch
And his mother and father never kissed
or even talked
And the girl around the corner
wore too much makeup
That made him cough when he kissed her
but he kissed her anyway
because that was the thing to do
And at three A.M. he tucked himself into bed
his father snoring soundly

That's why on the back of a brown paper bag
he tried another poem
And he called it "Absolutely Nothing"
Because that's what it was really all about
And he gave himself an A
and a slash on each damned wrist
And he hung it on the bathroom door
because this time he didn't think
he could reach the kitchen

eight6seven @ 2005-07-19T06:08:00

2005-07-19T14:16:56Z

So lately all we've been doing is moving furnature and going to briefings or ceremonies.

Last week the Sergeant Major of the Army was here to speak with us, that was kinda cool. He knew what it was like to own a 'hooptie' he had one in Germany once, it was a BMW :-?

And we had the Brigade Activation which was short thankfully.

This week we found out the Battalion Commander's intent to kill us with PT and that our Command Sergeant Major is funny as hell.

I'm about 2/3 done with Harry Potter and am hopeing to finish today, all I've been doing lately is reading books.

A group of us did go out this weekend and see three movies Saturday night - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Wedding Crashers, and Fantastic Four. At one of them there was a preview for The March of the Penguins!! Looks cool.

Also, in case anyone was interested I recently found out that Neil Gaimen's book Neverwhere is being turned into a comic and #1 of 8 was recently released, personally I think it looks pretty good, but check it out for yourself.

That's it for now, time to get to work.

Darkly Dreaming Dexter

2005-07-19T02:31:29Z

There is something strange and disarming about looking at a homicide scene in the bright daylight of the Miami sun. It makes the most grotesque killings look antiseptic, staged. Like you're in a new and daring section of Disney World. Dahmer Land. Come ride the refrigerator. Please hural your lunch in the designated containers only.

Please, you two are going to sprain a frontal lobe. It's too early to be this cleaver.

I have tried to involve myself in other people, in relationships, and even -- in my sillier moments -- in love. But it doesn't work. Something in me is broken or missing, and sooner or later the other person catches me Acting, or one of Those Nights comes along.

Nothing else loves me, or ever will. Not even -- especially -- me. I know what I am and that is not a thing to love.

I enjoyed watching good-looking idiots looking at each other. A great spectator sport.

It's like, everything really is two wayes, the way we all pretend it is and the way it really is. And you already know that and it's like a game for you.

Wow. You just blew away all the competition in the Subject Changing Tournament

Had every woman in Miami suddenly realized how hopeless real men are, and I had become attractive by default? What, in all very seriousness, the hell was going on?

He looked the sort of dull-witted brute who might shoot an innocent person -- or even me.

I was not seriously crazy yet. Seriously antisocial, of course, and somewhat sporadically homicidal, nothing wrong with that. But not crazy.

... a VERY interesting book, I recomend it.

eight6seven @ 2005-07-17T20:09:00

2005-07-18T04:11:02Z

Yahoo!

I just got a laptop and internet in my room today!

NO STOP, don't run and hide.

Time to get back to Harry Potter, updates on my life to come.