It’s with a heavy heart that I write this week’s column. Recently, I found out that a person who I interviewed for an article passed away.
Army Capt. Lamar Norris lost his battle with cancer on July 22, 2015. Now, I didn’t know Norris personally, but the time I spent interviewing him showed me exactly the type of selfless person he was.
I spent a portion of my Memorial Day Weekend with Norris at the S.S. American Memorial near Seguin. During the 30 minutes or so I spent talking with him, Norris said several things that illustrated his character and reflected the selflessness for which American service members are renowned.
Knowing that his cancer was terminal, Norris said he often reflected on what life would be like for his family when his body could fight no more.
“A lot of people like to think of their legacy as what people leave behind or what they did,” he said. “People normally have something written on their tombstone that represents what their legacy is. To live, to love and to leave a legacy are basically the three things that we are put on this earth to do. But leaving a legacy doesn’t necessarily mean leaving your mark on the world, so much as you’re going to leave your mark but it’s going to be with your family. For me, my family is my focus being that I’m not a politician — I’m not here to affect world policies. I’m here in a different capacity. Maybe someday in the future of my family and the tribulations, they’ll leave a different kind of legacy.”
As he stared down his end, Norris wasn’t concerned with what would happen to him, rather he wanted his family to soldier on and live a long and fruitful life.
So here’s to Capt. Norris, his courage and the fighting spirit that left a mark on me and many others. >> Read original article here >>
Derek Kuhn is the managing editor of the Seguin Gazette. He can be reached at derek.kuhn@seguingazette.com or by calling 830-379-5441 ext. 218.