https://projects.latimes.com/wardead/name/california-based/jason-hanson/ The latest user comments on Jason Hanson en-us https://projects.latimes.com/wardead/name/christopher-r-webb/#c4 https://projects.latimes.com/wardead/name/christopher-r-webb/#c4 The first memory I have of Chris was way back in the early 1990's. Back then no one outside of Seattle had ever heard of Starbucks, Microsoft or Bill Gates. Hardly anyone had a computer, and no one had a cell phone. TV's still ran in black and white. Dinosaurs walked the earth. We were still in Junior High, at Acacia Middle School and we were all into comic books. Chris, Dan Thomason, Josh Epstein, and my cousin Dan Reyes, who's also in the Army. I was, by far, the biggest nerd there, but he never seemed to hold it against me. In fact, I think that was one of the reasons he liked me. I remember spending the night at his house, talking about G.I. Joes and World War II aircraft. I remember he had these awesome airplane models, hung up in his room with thumbtacks and fishing wire like some great silent dog fight taking place in a wood paneled sky. He used to customize them (giving them 'battle damage'), by melting the wings a little, smashing the propellers, and using a hot needle and silver paint to replicate gunfire damage. I remember this great big B-17 bomber he had up, and I'll never forget it, because once when I was spending the night at his house, the damn thing fell on my head at four o clock in the morning, waking us up with the crash, and everyone else in the house with our laughter. Time passed, and to my regret I didn't keep in contact with him, always thinking I'd see him around. But my boyhood friend grew up into a fine man, one that I'm proud to have such fond memories of. He made an example of himself, and his life was a testament that honor still exists, even in this complicated society. 'You can't force people to have honor,' a great man once said. 'You can't threaten them or legislate them or blackmail them into doing the honorable thing. People either have honor or they don't.' Chris Webb, my friend, had honor, and I'm proud of the example he set for the rest of us. --I read this at his memorial service. I had hoped it would give me some sort of better feeling, something like closure. It didn't. I still think about him every day. Never forget the sacrifices soldiers make for you. Sun, 25 May 2008 03:35:23 -0700