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I was woken up this morning by a messenger telling me a friend of mine is dead. One of the 3 helicopters to go down in Afghanistan on the 26th had an extremely good friend of mine on it. This man had as much to do with my development as a pilot as anyone in the army. He is survived by his 7 year old son. I watched a lot of football and drank a lot of Guiness with this man, he could make the best damn rack of ribs you'd ever eat. He was a crass and abrasive guy to those he didn't know, definitely not one to make a good first impression, but would bend over backwards to help a friend. If someone's car needed work, if they needed help moving or putting in a deck, he would be the first to offer every time. I've lost a lot of friends in the last 8 years, but never one who I was as close with as Niall. I've had so many memories running through my head today, most of them a time where Niall taught me lesson that later saved my life, some of them just of funny things he'd say, some of them about times when he had his boy for the weekend and invited me along to spend a day with them. Our Army lost one hell of a pilot and our country lost one hell of a man. I'm not religious, but if you are, please keep Niall and his family in your prayers.

Half way down the trail to Hell in a shady meadow green
Are the souls of all dead Troopers camped
At a good old time canteen
And this eternal resting place is known as Fiddler's Green.

Marching past, straight through to Hell the Infantry are seen
Accompanied by the engineers, artillery, and Marines
For none but the shades of Cavalrymen dismount at Fiddler's Green

Though some go curving down the trail to seek a warmer scene
No Trooper ever gets to Hell ere he's emptied his canteen
And so rides back to drink again with friends at Fiddler's Green.

And so when man and horse go down beneath a saber keen
Or in a roaring charge of fierce melee you stop a bullet clean
And the hostiles come to get your scalp just empty your canteen
And put your pistol to your head and go to Fiddler's Green.


Don't go wandering too far down the trail old friend, I'll bring the Guiness when I see you on the green.