Navy Gold Star Coordinator Support

SPC Geoffrey A. Whitsitt 118th MP 503rd Battalion

Geoff was my first best friend. He was born when I was six years old and I'll never forget the first time holding my baby brother. As we grew up, we obviously had the sibling fights, but we always had each others backs. Geoff was a vivacious singer with a beautiful voice. He was selected to be a part of a children's choir in our home state of South Carolina, which was a huge accomplishment because the children's choir was almost impossible to get into!Our life paths went separate directions. I joined the Navy in 2005 and Geoff joined the Army, shortly after he graduated high school. He went to boot camp in Fort Leonard Wood and then MP school, followed by Airborne school in Fort Benning. I deployed for the fifth time to Bahrain and he went on his first deployment to Afghanistan.On January 13, 2010, I called home to talk with my wife. She was pregnant at the time with our first daughter. I immediately knew something was wrong when she answered. "Geoff is dead," is all she could say. "I am so sorry."At his funeral, it was not just a funeral with military honors and the pomp and circumstance. So many people shared their own stories about how Geoff had changed their lives. How he would tell jokes that would make your sides hurt from laughing. How he would break out into song while on the hikes through the Afghan mountains. How he'd take care of his fellow soldiers by sharing candy or his water. My three children will never know their Uncle Geoff this side of heaven, but my wife and I make sure that they know the kind of man he was. He was a man of honor and courage and integrity; compassion and grit and toughness. He loved God first, then family and finally country. And it was with that love he paid the ultimate sacrifice with his life.Geoff will always be my first best friend. And he will forever be my hero.-MN1(SW) Steven Whitsitt, USN Gold Star Brother

Cameron came into this world in what we learned was "Cam fashion", grand entrance! Cameron rode in Aeromed within hours of making his entrance into this world, he was strong-willed from his first breath.  Cam grew up in a rural Michigan town & loved a challenge.  Throughout his school years he played the traditional sports of baseball, football and some basketball.  He enjoyed riding anything that had a motor from the age of four when he had his first go-kart.  Cam faced challenges in his life with the attitude that he could and would do or be the best at whatever he was doing.  He from such a young age had a mischievous smile that throughout his life he used to charm those around him, he was determined to live life to its fullest and have fun while doing it.  Being a part of the Navy Cameron was able to go to Washington D.C., Pensacola and landed in Lemoore, he found adventure and friends in each place.  Beyond that mischievous smile, he had a heart full of love for his family; especially his younger brother Kevin and his daughter, Grace.  When Cameron was diagnosed with cancer, he would not let that define him, he was full of grit and determination to beat it and throughout the progression of the disease he had that smile on his face while battling the disease in his body.  Cameron left a void that will forever be a part of us but he also left a lifetime of memories that will carry us through until we meet again.

We honor our son, Dr. John Zenzius Thomas, LT USN, by remembering not only what he accomplished, but how he made us feel—loved, supported, and inspired. John was a gifted Navy physician, yet his greatest gift was the joy and encouragement he gave to everyone around him. We treasure the memories of him golfing with his grandparents, and the way his eyes lit up when climbing rock walls—always reaching higher, always striving. He showed us that life was an adventure to be embraced, never feared. John’s laughter, his compassion, and his courage continue to guide us. Though our hearts ache, we carry his spirit forward, honoring the remarkable man he was and the love he left behind.