Miss you Tom.

Uncle Jim,

Hi, I've never met Tom. But I met Erika, his fiance and I am married to a classmate of Tom's and Erika's ... I am saddened about Tom's loss - he seemed to have been a remarkable person. My husband Phil Haemmerlein just returned yesterday from Iraq and I am grateful he made it without a scratch. I could not imagine having to loose him this way ... I would like to send a hug to Tom's family and Erika ... It is so wonderful that you keep Tom's memory alive like this and bring him near to people that never knew him in life. Remarkable.

I still miss you more than ever. Love you, Becky.

I remember when Tom came home with me over Thanksgiving break in 04. He had never killed a deer before, and hunting was a big thing around our house. So one evening we took off to a grass patch and sat overhead in a tree stand. He got to shoot his first deer that evening and I'm happy to say I was a part of that. A hunter never forgets his first deer. Also that weekend, he got to join in on the traditional midnight 4 Wheeler fun ride. I borrowed my Uncle's 4 Wheeler for Tom to ride. And it was a big one, so we put the cooler on back of it. Later into the night, a few of us started cutting doghnuts and acting like idiots. Tom couldn't resist so he joined in. But the 4 wheeler he was driving was 4 wheel drive, and everyone knows that you can't do doghnuts with a 4 wheel drive 4 wheeler. Only Tom didn't let on he had never driven a 4 wheel drive before, much less a wheeler. So he flipped it on accident. Everyone who met Tom that Thanksgiving took it hard when he died. But we still tell the deer hunting and 4 wheeler riding stories. He will always live on in memory.

I found a link to Tom's site on the forums at Armyranger.com while reading up on everything I could about becoming a Ranger. First, I read through Tom's journals from Ranger School, and then stumbled upon his journals before and after, and finally went back to the beginning and read the West Point journals.

Words cannot explain the different emotions I felt while reading through all the journals of Tom's life. I felt like I had known Tom for years and was a close friend of his. I deeply regret that I did not have the privilege and honor of knowing Tom in life. I hope those that did realize how lucky they were to know such a man as Tom Martin. He was clearly very driven, motivated, and goal-oriented, a family man through and through, a pillar of strength for his peers, funloving and with a heart of gold.

I hope that one day, I could have the impact on a stranger that Tom has had on me. God bless Tom and his family.

Drive on, Ranger...

Hey Tom, got my tab! Miss you brother. RLTW

I found Tom's blog when searching for sosh run on google. I read the entry concerning the sosh run to find out what it stood for, then left. A few days went by and I found myself thinking about the blog and trying to find it again (I am a high school student preparing to start my application to USMA). When I did find it, I read a few posts, then decided to start at the beginning. I read the entire blog from the first post to your post of his death. As I read his journals I felt like I had found a friend in Tom. He was the ideal mentor in giving me a picture of what school at West Point would be like, and life in the Army after. I actually found myself muttering rock under my breath when I saw something I respected like a random act of kindness on the street or a USMC bumper sticker on a car. Reading about his death actually brought tears to my eyes and I am deeply sorry that he never got to be the greatest skydiver in the world, or supreme ruler of the world so he could fix everything he saw going wrong around him. I learned many valuable life lessons from Tom, and I will never forget the words in this journal, as I have rarely heard of so great a man. My heart goes out to the family and Erika and I wish her the best of luck in her remaining years in the army and as a pilot. Rock.

my condolences on your loss i was part of the dirty dozen with tom in ranger school. I was just thinking about school and i remebered he had written our stories from ranger school so i looked him up and found out. i was just wondering if all his entries were posted because i would love to read them and see his point of view from ranger school. thank you and god bless.

Tom,
We met with Perot the other day, you two would have really hit it off.

Came across the Ranger School diary when searching. My son is there as I write. I can only hope that his service will be the honor to our country that Tom's was. Keeping this site going is an inspiration not just a memorial.