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Corey Dan - Tribute Page For Sgt. Corey DanLast week I was up late one night, and I had the television on, watching the late night news. In reality, I was mainly working on building a new game for this site, so the news was really just background noise while I worked. Then two words made their way to my distracted brain, and my attention suddenly shifted. Corey Dan. I thought to myself, "Hm. That's odd. I worked with a student named Corey Dan many years ago when I was an elementary school teacher assistant."So I gave my full attention to the news, to discover that, in fact, it was the same Corey Dan, and he had been killed in Iraq, March 13, 2006. In my mind I've tried to picture Corey, but it was so long ago that I'm not sure I picture him correctly. In my mind's eye I see a scrawny little boy with lots of blonde hair. A boy with lots of energy, and a touch of mischievousness. A boy with a sense of humor that made him stand out. A family member was quoted as saying: Corey will be remembered for his quick smile, his great sense of humor, and his enthusiasm for life. He touched the hearts of many with his caring demeanor and his outgoing personality. So perhaps I remember him better than I thought. Then there is another memory. One that I'm not entirely sure is accurate - and perhaps someone will tell me if I remember this right - I remember going to see the Oxford Hills Community Production of Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream, and seeing a boy - now almost out of high school - acting his part with enthusiasm and the same spirit I remembered in a much younger boy. And I remember thinking, "You never know what a boy will grow up to be." Since that evening a week ago, I've done a little more research and reading, to learn more about what Corey became, before his untimely passing. Corey Dan became a husband. And Corey Dan became a father, though he never got to see his young son, who was born after Corey shipped out. How tragic now that he will never see his child, that his child will grow up without his father. Corey intended, after finishing his term in the military, to pursue a career in law enforcement. In his honor, a memorial scholarship fund called the Sgt. Corey Dan Scholarship is being set up, and overseen by the Norway Savings Bank. This fund will be used for an Oxford Hills graduate who wishes to pursue a career in law enforcement. If you would like to make a donation to this fund, the information is provided below. Norway Savings Bank P.O. Box 347 Norway, Maine, 04268 Envelopes should be marked: c/o Sgt. Corey Dan Scholarship. Whenever I hear about the death of a young person - and especially a young person I knew personally, I always think of a verse in the book of Ecclesiastes, in the Bible: Ecclesiastes 7:2 It is better to go to a house of mourning Than to go to a house of feasting, Because that is the end of every man, And the living takes it to heart. Certainly life is short, and fragile. And those who are best prepared to face life are those who are best prepared to face death. The person who understands his own mortality is a person who will seek to make the life he has the very best it can be. We grieve for the friends and family of Corey Dan, and pray for God's peace and comfort on you all. And in honor of a short, yet full and enthusiastic life, let us resolve to make sure that our lives - long or short as they may be - will matter, and will make a difference in this world of tragedy. God bless, Douglas Twitchell The Problem Site Site Features
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