TOP CHARACTER STRENGTHS

APPRECIATION OF BEAUTY & EXCELLENCE - BRAVERY - CREATIVITY

Christopher was born while I was serving my first tour of duty in Hanau, Germany. He was a very brilliant boy, calm, but curious. He graduated from high school early because of his aptitude for comprehending concepts quickly. After graduation, he spent two years attending community college, then decided to enlist in the military. He was serving with the 75th Ranger Regiment in Fort Benning, GA, at the time of his passing. May his soul rest in eternal peace.

Character Strength Stories:

Appreciation of Beauty & Excellence - Chris was an animal lover. He cared so much for them. He went to a camp alone while in the Boy Scouts. I needed to write him a letter that he would read while in the camp. I chose to tell a story about a dog, but in the story I made the dog pass to save the life of his owner. When Chris came back, he embraced me so hard, and cried with the letter in his hand. He asked me for a dog that we couldn't have in the house because of his older sister's fear of animals. I promised him one as soon as we could and told him why we couldn't have one, and he understood that time better than I ever before tried to explain to him why we never had animals like cats or dogs in the house.

I wish he was still alive so I could fulfill that promise.

Bravery - I taught him not to be afraid of taking risks, and he expressed it during his first enlistment in the Army, by going further in his basic soldier's training from becoming an Airborne Certified, then volunteering for the Ranger training.

Creativity - Chris always surprised anyone from a young age by doing all the unexpected things that you wouldn't expect him to do. He was already in college when he made the choice to join the military, when he could have done it before or after his college graduation. But Christopher’s creativity set him apart. 

-Submitted by Johny, Surviving Father