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R.I.P. RPJ

I don't think anyone quite notices that the war is going on and that US Soldiers are being lost on a day to day basis. I know I don't, its all just a blur, people die everywhere around the world and when you can't put a face to the name a US Soldier just sounds like a slightly more tragic death.

Well yesterday I received my first face to the names of the many lost and it sucks. Ryan Patrick Jones, known as RPJ to me and all of my fellow Orientation Leaders, was lost to a road side bomb during his tour in Iraq. It's just shocking to me right now and I really can't seem to believe it.

I met Ryan at the same time I met a lot of new friends at WPI, when I became an Orientation Leader the summer prior to my junior year. Throughout my one year stint as an OL and the remainder of my time at WPI I do not believe I saw him angry once or ever not energized and full of life. He always had that ridiculous ear to ear grin on his face, even when we used to make fun of him for being the worst pitch player of all time. He always was proud of who he was and of his time spent with ROTC.

You will be severely missed RPJ, the world lost one hell of a man. My thoughts and prayers go out to his parents and his beautiful girlfriend of many years Katie.
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