A true officer and gentleman has been lost to the world, and it is with heavy heart that I sit here at the keyboard to note his passing.
Page G. Fried III was not a famous man. Most of the people reading this will never have heard of him, and he remains unmourned by the vast majority of people, but not by anyone who had the privilege of meeting him.
A Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army, honorably retired and working in the private sector, Page was one of the best bosses I ever had, and an example of how to be a man, an officer, a friend, and a father. The world does not know what it has lost, and it falls to those few of us in the know to reflect on the gifts he left us – his unique perspective on life and labor, his professionalism, his artful means of employing profanity, his simple faith in the sacred, and his towering sense of honor and personal integrity.
Page had a copy of one of my books in his office, still marked where he had left off reading before he was tragically taken from us by a sudden heart attack. It seems only fitting that “Hostile,” with its military overtones, should be dedicated solely to the Colonel. I will miss you, sir. Enter the gates of heaven, you soldier. You’ve spent your time in Hell.
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4 comments:
I'm sure the Colonel will take great pleasure in making sure Heaven runs on military time. :)
Not to mention sitting in Heaven, making snarky comments about the young women kneeling in front of his casket...
I appreciate your message. I am writing a newsletter for Loyola ROTC Alumni. I will be mentioning him in the article. I am also trying to get my boss-the head of the Military Science Dept. to name an award after LTC Fried. It may be a stretch, but because he did so much for our program-even after he passed on-that I'm going to try to name the Alumni Association after him. I hope I can pull it off.
Please keep me posted on the award, and thanks for dropping me a line!
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