10 years ago

10 years ago my brother Gary Fullerton died while doing the one thing he has wanted to do since he was a teen. Flying F-18s was something he had dreamed about doing and was determined to be a fighter pilot. He knew going in to the Marines he wasn't guaranteed a spot flying F-18s, but that didn't bother him. He knew that was what he was going to do with the Marines.
Gary was an inspiration to everyone who knew him. He was always telling me that I needed to join or start a rock band. Others told me how hard it is to be in a band and make no money. I finally joined a band, and we're making almost no money but it's building and we're having too much fun. He would never say to give up. Never listening to the no's in life was the biggest thing I learned from Gary.
Around midnight tonight will be 10 years to the minute when I got a call from my mom telling me that Gary had died. I didn't believe. Gary was too good at everything he did. He was able to stay up first time water skiing. He would snow ski down triple black diamonds. He ran triathlons. If we played racquetball I would get really excited to score one or two points. There was no way he could have had an accident in his plane.
If there is one way to go, wouldn't it be to be doing something you love? I know that Gary isn't sad that he's gone. He did more in life by 36 than most of us do in 100.
I miss my brother every day and wish he were still here to show us what he would have done by 46, but then I realize that he's still doing great things. I look at my family and his friends and see what they do in honor of Gary. Because of Gary, potential Marines get the chance (thought a scholarship in Gary's name) to go to college to be a Marine pilot and officer. Because of Gary, his family and friends don't give up on things just because of difficulties.
We all miss you and you will never be forgotten.
Until we meet again.