Those of you who have read my other books, know that I frequently give real veterans cameos in my novels. 

Beginning with Tom Clancy Weapons Grade, I started to honor fallen service members, with their family’s permission, by making them characters in my books.  

In Capture or Kill, I chose to honor Army Captain and West Point graduate Mark A. Garner. 

Mark and his beautiful wife Nickayala Myers-Garner were our neighbors during my last tour of duty in Germany.  They were hometown sweethearts from the small town of Elkin, North Carolina. 

Mark was a Ranger qualified infantry officer and he deployed with the company he commanded to Afghanistan shortly after I rotated home from Germany. 

On July 6, 2009, Mark was killed in an IED attack. 

He was just thirty years old. 

Nickayla handled Mark’s death with unbelievable grace and poise. 

Rather than return back to America, Nickayla elected to remain in Germany where she teaches grief counseling workshops to other military spouses. 

You can read more about Mark & Nickayla’s story here. 

With the recent Memorial Day weekend, I couldn’t help but think of an old proverb that says that people actually die twice. 

Their first death occurs at their final breath. 

The second when people no longer speak their names. 

As you enjoy time with your family this holiday weekend, please take a moment to remember Mark and his sacrifice. 

Then say his name.