R.I.P Capt. Rhett Schiller

Captain Rhett W. Schiller, 26, died Thursday, November 16th, 2006, in Balad Ruz, Iraq, of injuries received from small-arms fire during combat operations

I suppose it was only a matter of time before some I knew died in the war.
Rhett was a year older than me in high school. We both went to Shanghai American School. My graduating class had less than a hundred people, and his was the year before and even smaller than mine, so everyone sort of knew everyone. Still, sad to say, I didn't know Rhett as well as I might have wished to. I remember two things about him. One, is not so much a memory as a general sense that Rhett was a good guy. You just got a good feeling talking to him. I don't think he really rubbed anyone the wrong way. My second, and only specific memory of him was that he had this sorta lavender or powder blue tuxedo which he wore to prom one year. (In Shanghai everyone, regardless of class went to prom every year, because otherwise we couldn't afford to rent the ballroom) He wore that tux, and a set of real dark sunglasses which in shanghai we associated with taxi drivers, damn near the whole night. No one else could have pulled it off, but Rhett did.

I remember he was dead set on going to West Point, which is not an easy place to get into, and even harder when you are way overseas.

The article says Rhett was "hard-charging" and a "lead from the front" sorta guy. The articles always say that. But I'm sure its true. I remember in gym glass, we had this insane teacher, and he would send us running around the streets of Shanghai, dodging bicycles laden with ducks, or small tractors or pig trucks or who knows what. Everyone just sort of phoned it in, because besides being potentially lethal everyone thought it was just kind of stupid. Rhett of course set a good pace, and sprinted in to boot. Only other person I know who did that was my brother, and he went to the Naval Academy. So I guess that says something there.

I signed a guest book i found online for Rhett, just to say I thought he was a good guy. I wish I had spent more time getting to know him while our paths crossed in ol' Shanghai.

Rest in Peace Rhett, god bless you.