Kevin Ouellete was a great friend. We worked together as RA’s at UMaine and became quick friends. I was in ANG and just coming off a year of being activated after 9/11. He joined the Army National Guard and ROTC that year. We had a lot in common and spent a lot of time together. As many have said, it was hard to have a bad day around Kevin. He would always make you laugh. His sense of humor was contagious. When I found out about this program, I knew I wanted to do it. What a great way to honor a great friend, husband, father and American. I tried many times to find a time to do one of Colorado’s great 14K Ft mountains, but the weather did not cooperate. Then, I picked May 6th as my make or break day because Memorial Day was coming up. It was a little rough (a ton of snow this time of year)but we made it, 14,265 ft. We just finished. My good friend Brent joined me. He is a U.S. Air Force Academy grad and vet as well. We struggled missing the trail because of the deep snow and had some hairy moments, but we made it to the top after about 8 hours. It was a real privilege to do this for Kevin, Amy, his 2 little girls and their family.
V/R,
Star-Lord
MATTHEW LORD, Maj, USAF