Remembering Our Friend Private Sean Sullivan

Happy Veterans Day.  Today is a day Americans acknowledge our country's Veterans. I would like to thank an old friend who passed away too young, Private Sean Sullivan. Anyone who knew Sean never would have believed he'd end up becoming a Marine. But we were young then. Sean was young. Our days were filled with school (or sometimes playing hookie). Our nights were filled with waiting for darkness, so we could sneak our alcohol up to "Flat Top" above the Savin Hill Courts (which have since been renamed in Honor of Sean, to the Sean P. Sullivan Memorial Courts), where we would then proceed to get wasted and just have a good 'ol time. We were young teens and the only thing that mattered was having a good time with our friends. We weren't spending our time thinking about growing up and becoming responsible adults. Maybe our biggest concern at the time was "Do we have enough money between us for another keg?" Whether we did or didn't, we had fun. A huge amount of our fun came from spending time with our lovable friend Sean Sullivan a.k.a. Salamandor or just plain Sully. If I had to pick just one word to describe Sean, I don't think I could. He was such a combination of things. He was sweet, lovable, caring and carefree. He was kind and generous, thoughtful, friendly, good looking, smart and absolutely hysterical. More than anything, he was a friend. He was there to lend an ear or a shoulder. So, you wonder why we never would have thought he would join the service with all these wonderful attributes? Because to Sean, his friends were everything. To join the Marines would mean leaving his friends and the fun times of his teenage years behind. We thought Sean was too busy enjoying life to even consider a life in the service. Didn't he stop us all in our tracks the day we found out he enlisted?! But we were proud. Our dear friend chose to enter adulthood on the right track. He could have just as easily entered it as an alcoholic instead, as many of us thought we might, considering the amount of nights we spent in front of the packy looking for a buyer. He was now Private Sean Sullivan. Willing to give up his partying ways to serve his friends and country. When Sean enlisted we were in the middle of the Gulf War. It was a brave decicion he made. As it is for any American who enlists. Whether it be for 4 years or a lifetime career, these men and women put their lives on the line every day for us. Unfortunately, Sean didn't get to choose 4 years or a lifetime. At the age of 20, Sean's life was cut short. Not in the line of duty, but while home on a leave, Sean was killed in a car accident coming back from a canou trip with his friends. First question asked, and not surpisingly, had Sean been drinking and back to his partying ways? What was surprising is the answer was no. Sean hadn't been in the service long, but even a short time changed how diciplined he was. What it didn't change was the friend he had been to all of us. Sean wasn't killed instantly. He was left in a coma and at one point we actually had the hope he may actually stay with us because he had moved his arm. It turned out it was just an involuntary reflex and very soon after Sean left us. Physically he left us, but never has he left us in our hearts. Sean was the type of person who left a lasting impression on everyone he met. And I know, for me personally, I can't drive through Savin Hill without stopping by the bench dedicated to him just to say hi. Sean has been gone for somewhere around 17 years now, but like all our soldiers on this day, he will NEVER BE FORGOTTEN. We still miss you Private Sean Sullivan.