This is for my friend, John Priestner, THANK YOU. Thank you for paying the ultimate sacrifice. We should thank and remember everyday but especially today.

To you, John and all who paid the ultimate price, THANK YOU THANK YOU.

John, you made me laugh everyday.  Whether it was getting busted with firecrackers on "our" senior trip at 6 Flags (I'm glad my Dad was with us and not yours.)  Spending countless hours at each others house.

Skipping school to go crow hunting in the back of the yellow truck (why walk, when you can just shoot out of the truck bed) before the Ozzy concert, I think the Statute of Limitations is up for that.

For the scar behind my ear that makes me think of you whenever I see it.....OK, you're not directly responsible for that one. However I had to go to the store before I could go to your house.

I was hurrying and didn't see the hot water on the counter. The hot water that ended up going on the back of my head when I was reaching down.

Being a part of your wedding to Teresa.  Finally, and sadly, speaking at your memorial, it was an honor to be asked by your family.  You meant a lot to me then and you mean a lot to me now.

I wear this B-Sens jersey with your name on it, in your honor. When people ask me about the jersey, it's my pleasure to tell them the story about how you rejoined the services.

In fact, I was in Ottawa for a Sens game this year. Someone else was also wearing the exact same jersey. I asked the gentlemen if there was any particular reason that he was wearing it.

He said that he liked the way it looked. He asked me why. He probably was just being nice but it gave me the opportunity to tell him a little bit about you and what you did for our country.

I have no name on the back of the jersey. I told him that I didn't get the jersey for the name on the top but for the name on the bottom.

How you were deployed to Iraq and gave up your life during Iraqi Freedom. To read about him, go here.

THANK YOU for being a friend and THANK YOU for what you did for our country.

God Bless You, John Priestner.

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