A few years back I had the absolute pleasure of meeting a guy named Garland English.
Garland is one of those people who, when you’re around him, you can’t help but feel happy and inspired. He just had a really great attitude about everything, and he was thoughtful and he was caring. And so smart. And he used to love swimming across Burden Lake, back and forth, early in the morning.
My friend Tom called me this morning to tell me that Garland had died over the weekend while hiking in Hawaii.
That makes me so sad. I am really gonna miss him.
Garland had sent out an email not too long ago which I’d like to share. No email could possibly do Garland justice in terms of how truly great he was, but it will give you a little insight into his life. Here is a video of him, also. (it’s of him eating a raw fish, so it’s a little gross :)
As a side note, Garland had enlisted into the Army a few years back (a decision that surprised everyone). He recently was deployed and moved to Hawaii, where he had been living.
Anyway, I’m really going to miss you, Garland. Rest in peace. Thank you for making my life better.
Love all ways, (that’s how he used to sign off on emails :)
Matt
Here is Garland’s email…. (click on More Photos to see it)
i’m a little self-conscious about sending these mass emails, so please, if you have better things to do then definitely skip this. however, a lot of you have asked about what’s happening in my life, so if you’re interested in some random thoughts then continue.
1. thank you
2. apology
3. anecdotes and bloviations
4. address nullification
1. thank you to all who wrote my soldiers. It really was an uplift for them. I know that only a couple took the time to actually write back and say thank you….i’m sorry about that, but, i’m sending my gratitude to you on their behalf. really. thank you all. (i started writing this email a few months ago, and i was going to try to collect all your postal addresses and mail you ‘certificates of appreciation’ with my company commander’s, first sergeant’s, and my signatures…a very army thing to do…i thought it would be a little cheesy, but also that you might dig the novelty. however, i was overtaken by a mission in mosul and so that plan gave way to more exigent military matters.)
2. in the same vein of thought, i, personally, am very very sorry that i have neglected replying to the emails/letters/packages that many of you have sent me…very ungracious of me. but, life is busy when deployed. that’s about all i can say. i am mentally occupied by platoon business and just can’t find the time to adequately correspond with you all. receiving missions…planning all the logistics involved…and finally executing takes a lot of time and attention…and often the missions change in their scope of work…and so the process often has to start all over….so, please don’t take it personally. i’ve been equally delinquent to you all. and don’t think that those emails/letters/packages that you sent didn’t raise spirits. they were wonderful and i am truly grateful for them all. thank you so much.
3. various brief tales:
a. back in december, there was a period of about 10 days that i was by far the sickest that i’ve ever been. previously, i had never been sick for more than a day straight in my life, but i had a sweaty fever and couldn’t stop coughing and couldn’t sleep for more than 20 minutes at a time for a good week and a half….totally sucked.
b. walking on cob speicher at night can hurt my eyes because the generator light sets are so fucking bright…the level of dependency on generators astonishes me at times.
c. south africa. for R and R, i went to south africa. a lot to tell….first of all, i actually ended up going to s.a. twice. the first time they wouldn’t let me through immigration because i didn’t have enough room in my passport for their stamp. when the guards started to escort me onto the plane back to kuwait (the hub for R and R travelers) i tried to get myself arrested to buy time until the next day when the u.s. consulate would open and simply bring me more pages for my passport, but i was told that i wasn’t even ‘eligible’ to be arrested. i would have had to assault somebody or escape from my escorts and rob some cash register to really ensure my continued presence….i thought about it, but then decided the better of it. so, i flew all the way back to kuwait…dejected…made an appointment with the enormous u.s. embassy…four days later, finally went….got my extra pages in about 20 minutes…..then flew back to s.a. while there, i ate an ostrich burger, which was fucking awesome…..really really good. i enthusiastically recommend it…..i went shark cage diving…..jumped the highest bungee jump in the world……i swam from the indian ocean to the atlantic ocean….went mountain climbing…..went to a pretty kick-ass game reserve..saw a father lion roar at one of his cubs, which was funny as hell….played black jack and won a little…..played poker and lost a lot….went to robbin island (where mandela was imprisoned). i very much suggest south africa for my traveling friends out there; it reminds me of an eclectic mix of bolivia, italy, and california. the mountainous landscape is stark and amazing. the food and wine are outstanding if you know where to go. and there is this quasi beach bum culture to it all.
d. i had a total of three platoon sergeants this deployment. usually, it’s the other way around for a platoon–it keeps the same platoon sergeant and goes through a number of different platoon leaders. indeed, usually it’s the pl that is being led through the ropes by the psg, but this year i had to bring a psg up to speed. all were very capable….it’s just that one initially didn’t know the soldiers or the equipment that we had, and so i was walking him through everything.
e. there are obviously a shitload of daily sacrifices that soldiers make while deployed. for me though, perhaps the single most important thing that i miss is cooking. i can’t wait to invest in some kitchen infrastructure and good quality food. in all fairness, the food could have been much much worse here. we were quite fortunate to have a pretty big dining facility where we could eat when we weren’t out on mission (where we were often limited to MREs). but still, even that food grew old after the first month. i have listed down about 30 things that i want to prepare for myself when i get back…..it’s my goal to make cooking a central part of my life back in hawaii…..now you know.
f. the military involves a multitude of different things. i would say, though, that the two biggest areas of focus are 1. maintenance of vehicles and equipment in the motorpool, and 2. inventorying various tool kits….we’re talking laying out a 1000 piece tool kit and annotating every single piece in it……down to the different size drill bits. we have to keep track of all this.
g. heat. the heat was fucking oppressive. i’m not sure what the highest temperature we reached this summer was, but i know that it was projected to reach 130 F…..and i’m pretty sure it did…..i know that it regularly got to 125. in my own quirky way of thinking i viewed the heat with the following mental narrative: let’s start at 30 F….it’s rather cold, right?….water is in its solid state. now add 50 degrees to that. we’re at 80….that’s a day at the beach…..it’s a pretty hot day….and certainly a major change from 30.
NOW, ADD ANOTHER 50 DEGREES….and we arrive at 130……..the same change in temp. from ice to day at beach applied again equals ridiculousness. my soldiers couldn’t hold hand tools b/c they were too hot. so, in any case, we changed to ‘reverse ops’ which simply means that we worked at night most of the time.
h. dust. dust gets everywhere. it’s pretty much a part of the air, and it settles everywhere….on your floor, your food, computer, bed…you name it, the dust will make its way there. there were a few pretty bad dust storms…..one, in particular seemed like it was sent by God….i couldn’t see three inches in front of my face.
i. exercise. i’m in the worst shape of the last two years of my life. i have totally let exercise slide this deployment….and at times it made me feel real shitty, but now that we don’t have to leave the wire anymore, i’ve been marginally getting it back, and plan to fully when i get to hawaii.
j. i discovered that being a platoon leader, along with being responsible for tactical movements and logistics, also meant being a marriage counselor, financial advisor, standardized test tutor, and, in one case, a paternal caretaker at the base hospital….visiting a soldier after an emergency appendectomy….bringing him a care package of comic books, apricots, and some chocolate bars…..and having to order him to call his wife to tell her that he was ok.
k. wasting money. everybody has heard of gross examples of military waste. well, the most salient example that i encountered was the following: in order to get 1/2″ copper tubing for an air conditioner, the army had to buy a whole other air conditioner unit just for the tubing. this was about $2,000 spent for a commodity that was worth about $30. on a smaller scale, but equally frustrating, i went to the d.fac with a food memo to get drinks for my guys who were on guard duty. however, KBR (who runs the d.fac) told me that i couldn’t get the drinks unless i got to-go plates also. i said that i didn’t need the food, only the drinks. they said it was policy that food had to go with the drinks. i told them that i would just throw the food away if they gave it to me. they responded with an indifferent shrug of their shoulders. i didn’t end up getting the drinks.
l. executing missions is very fulfilling. finishing up missions felt great. it also was very cool to see my soldiers learn and grow as the deployment carried on. by the end, i honestly believe that my lower enlisted soldiers could construct a SWAHUT (a basic wooden building, that was often our mission) entirely on their own, without help from me or the NCOs.
m. coming back inside the wire from our last convoy felt fantastic. the morale level of all my soldiers was through the roof. it still makes me smile thinking back on it.
n. enemy engagement. i didn’t kill anybody, nor did any of my soldiers. thankfully, none of us ever even discharged our weapons, although there were a few occasions where a warning shot was warranted. the closest we came to contact was some sporadic small-arms fire that might or might not have been aimed at my platoon, and what i believe was a 120mm mortar round that landed about 3/4 mile away while we were in our motorpool.
o. optempo. although there were a few lulls in the year, we were kept rather busy for the whole deployment. optempo was at its highest at the very beginning of the year doing numerous missions and convoying 4-6 times/week….and–ironically–at the end of the year when we were finished with missions outside the wire, but also were preparing to redeploy (a term that does not mean to deploy again, but means to go back to one’s home station)……redeployment meant that we had to have all of our equipment completely dust free for the customs inspection and transfer the remaining equipment to other units…..all extremely time consuming.
4. address. i no longer have an address. please don’t send any more letters or packages. we are going to be flying to kuwait any day and then soon back to the states.
thank you all again.
best…….garland
“Lillian sat at the flat plane of ebony, the night-shaded planar surface, the non-white spatial expanse on which one can put things, such as ashtrays, if one smokes.” ……badassness from George Saunders (complements of crowley)
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Godspeed, Garland… So sorry for his loss in your life, Matt. This is totally not about me, but I feel the need to say that I feel that I have been cheated out of something great in life by not knowing Garland. May he rest in peace.
I’m sorry Matt. He certainly seemed like a very special person. Hugs for you.
he sounded like a truly wonderful person, i’m so sorry for your loss
He puts anything that we’ve got going on to shame…God Bless Garland, and Bless you Matt for sharing with us.
Sorry for your loss Matt. Garland sounds like a great person to have known- for that you are richer.
What a kind sole. Sorry for your friendship and inspiration loss Matt. He was obviously very intuned to his feelings and relationships and such and I’m sure he will be truly and sorely missed, I’m sorry for your loss.
This man who was so kind,this soldier who was so strong,this friend who was so eloquent…I salute you and I thank you,as an American citizen.God rest your soul and give peace to all your friends,family and fellow soldiers.
The world is a much lonelier place without Garland. Sorry for your personal loss, Matt. What an inspiring individual.
I’m sorry for your loss. It sounds like he was one-of-a-kind, and will be greatly missed by those who loved him.
Very sorry for your loss.
Bert
Sorry for your loss Matt. May Garland rest in peace.
Sorry you lost your friend Matt. 1LT English (he never wanted to be called Garland in the Army) was one of my platoon leaders for a year in Iraq and I am very thankful that he was attached to our company. His hard work, his poignant questions and just common sense made everyone in the company that much better. I know my company (especially his platoon) was very taken aback when we heard of his passing. It isn’t fair. Godspeed 1LT English.
sounds like he lived the hell out of his life! we should all hope to have our own adventures with the little time we have on this earth. sorry for your loss.
What a great email..im sure hes in a happy place with awesome cooking accomadations :)
Matt, Sorry for your loss, We all learn from the people we encounter along our life’s journey, always remember your friend Garland for his contribution to the lives of evryone he knew. Garland go in peace.
Sorry for your loss…sounded like one of the good guys. Hope he’s cookin’ now!
Thanks for sharing this with us, Matt.
Matt,
Garland sat behind me in a high school math class. He was very interesting, unique and smart.
Thanks so much for sharing that! I am so sorry for your loss. I hope his family knows how much we appreciate his service to our country!
Matt-
Thank you for sharing this email- it was heartwarming, and I hope Garland is looking down on you now.
Sorry for you loss Matt! Garland seemed like a truly amazing individual!
I’m in shock. I met Garland very briefly this December. I was volunteering at the Troy Farmers Market with another woman from the co-op, when all of a sudden she had rushed around our table and was hugging this young, tall, well dressed, handsome gentleman. It ended up being her nephew, Garland. She knew he was back in town for just a few days, but wasn’t expecting to see him there, nor did he know she would be there. It was truly a touching experience from me. There were definitely tears involved. I did no more than shake his hand, but I could see the kindness in his eyes, and hoped I would have an oppurtunity to get to know him better once he returned.
How ironic that I’m learning about his untimely death through you blog, Matt. I would have never known otherwise, unless I asked the woman about her nephew the next time I saw her (this helps me avoid that catastophe). I feel lucky just to have that brief interaction with him, and you sure were lucky to know him at all.
Garland, RIP. It was really nice meeting you.
You can really get a feel for your friend from this email, may you find him again someday in the distant future. I’m sure he’s got things he wants you to experience for him first.
Thank you for sharing Matt. Garland was a true American hero!!
One email that emotes enough feeling that a stranger gets a real sense of how special he was. Publishing that was a real tribute to him and to the people that raised him.
I’m very sorry for all that lost him.
Well, I am Garland’s uncle, and being 56 I am not one who frequents social networking sites, but this blog was forwarded to me by one of Garland’s cousins. I am also the husband of the woman Jessica R spoke of; that was really touching to see your comments here, Jessica. As I write this, Garland’s father is on his way to Hawaii to attend the Army memorial service, which will be held Thursday. I can only say thank you to Matt and to to all who have responded here for expressing your appreciation for some one who we loved dearly and upon whom we projected our hopes.
Sorry for your loss Matt.
Matt – my thoughts are with you, and i’m sorry for your loss. Thanks for sharing Gartland’s beautiful email with all of us.
My heart aches for a truely AMAZING Man!! I met Garland while travelling Europe from 2000-2001 with friends – there are too many stories to share!! Garland came and stayed with us in Ireland and then stopped into my parents house in Canada at the last leg of his bike tour across USA in 2001!! We stayed up for hours and got caught up but unfortunately I had to go to work in the morning. Garland slept at my parents house, my Mom cooked him breakfast (which was at 2pm..LOL), he showered, gave my Mom a hug, thanked her and went about his travels!! I heart him and he will FOREVER be in my thoughts…xoxo
Sounds like an amazing guy. My condolences to his family and friends.
Matt, thank you for sharing this…quite an eye-opener. I’m so sorry for your loss.
Story link from the TU this a.m.
http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=888239
He sounds like a wonderful man who lived life the fullest. God bless.
I just read a story about Mr. English on Tu.com, Mr. English was an awesome person and an true American. I feel so bad that he cant finish all of his dreams. He did so much in his adulthood and was still so young.
that was a very touching post! I am sorry for your loss Matt.
Sorry for your loss Matt and thank you for sharing with us the story of such an amazing person.
Wow, very touching post!!! So very sorry for the loss of your friend!!!
get out, wtf, much love my friend
I never got to meet him but I know his younger brothers and his mother and father. They are all amazing people and a very loving family. It is a very sad time and my heart goes out to everyone who has experianced this loss.
I am so, so saddened by our loss, not only for our family, but the entire world. Garland was a wonderful person to meet and to know. I truly and whole heartedly believed that he would be President some day! and would have done anything (?) to help him achieve his goal. Thank you, Matt, for sharing this insight into his life.
I love you, Garland, and will miss you. Mrs. S
Matt,
I was friends with Garland as teenagers. Even at the age of 15 everything he did had profound influences. He would often talk about his plans of doing great things and hold powerful positions but the legacy that he will leave behind is inherently a great thing. I have learned many things from my reflections of Garland and I hope that you do too.
liquid drops
deep hurt
light so bright
he lives on
I met Garland on the streets of New York toward the end of 2008 and we ended up playing frisbee in the park. He came and stayed with me in South Africa in May 2009. He was an absolute force of nature and every minute was an adventure with him. Upon his arrival at Cape Town International Airport, he was promptly told that he would not be allowed to enter the country because he did not have one clear page in his passport. He decided that he was going to get arrested in order to be allowed to stay. Unfortunately, this was not a possibility and they began to escort him to departures in order to put him on the next plane out. He had a security guard on either side holding an arm each. The next thing I knew, he broke away and came running toward me. He swooped me up and kissed me… before the guards came running and took him again. I laughingly referred to it as “my movie kiss”.
Even though I only knew him for little more than a year, he had a big impact on my life.
He will be dearly missed.
This post is so touching. I grew up on oberlook, new Garland. I never realized what he did with his life outside of Snyders Lake. When I was told of his accident I googled for the obituary. I am truly sorry that he wil no longer be here to make a greater impact on all and everything he was involved with. I am also greatful for your post it has created deep emotion. He was right there my whole life on a small street in the middle of nowhere and I never even knew the best of him. Thank you for sharing. Rip Garland we need more people like you.
I am an old friend of Gar’s family, knew him as a kid and again when he stopped in at my place in Albuquerque on his inter-cosmic cross-country motorcycle trip in 2000. He limped in hot and tired from Amarillo going 35 mph on the shoulder of I-40 and wanted to try Mexican. We had a great time, fixed his bike, and he was off on the wind to California.
He was full on, a very likable guy, and obviously, a wonderful person.
I’m sorry for his friends and family.
Peter Neils, Albuquerque, NM