Back in 2004, when I started this thing called Doc in the
Box, there were only a few Navy bloggers, Scott of Lt. Smash, Cdr Salamander,
Chapomatic and Kevin of Primary Main Objective.
Lex was the guy who had lived all of the Top Gun stories, he was the
aviator’s aviator and even better, told those stories on his blog Neptunus Lex. Later, when I finally met him in person and
found out that he was a Navy Captain and probably the most senior military blogger (side not to civilians, a Navy Captain is an O-6, squadrons are commanded by O-5’s
mostly and on any given large base, there might be 3 to 6 Captains. One in charge of the base, one for each carrier
air group, maybe one at a hospital. I’m
currently attached to the largest squadron in the Navy and my CO is a Commander
or an O-5, pretty big deal) and he was at my house for a blogger get together and I was definitely the kid at the adult table. Unlike most of us cyber nerds, he was bigger
than that large online persona that he assumed.
Over the years, I had met up with him at milblog conferences, dinners
and once at a change of command which I didn’t recognize him at first in a
suit. Without fail, he always had a
crowd of people around him and he was telling a story. That guy burned with inner charisma and
people hushed to hear what he had to say.
I admit, I had a bit of hero worship.
But one on one, he was just a good guy with whom I’ve broke
bread, he’s eaten my curry and bar-b-q chicken and we’ve turned up a cold one
or three. He was that way to everyone and
if you search his name across the blogosphere, there are hundreds of people who
are saying the same thing. Lex was a
giant among us and a true warrior poet.
I found out last night that he was involved in crash at NAS Fallon working as a contractor flying an Israeli F-21 Kfir by way of an underground Facebook message string of everybody who has ever been involved in military blogging, it blew up my phone. I’ve never seen anything or imagined anything like it, seeing how many people this guy touched in his 51 years. I say it with a heavy heart, you are missed, fair winds and following seas brother. Through us, your friends and readers, you will not be forgotten and your memory will live on.
Story on the Navy Times
2 comments:
Hey Docinabox. We discussed this the other day when you took my blood pressure. I just read on instapinch that they dedicated an A-4 to him at NAS Key West.
He's still making waves, Lex. What a giant indeed.
Lex was good people, it's strange when my online life and my real life meet up. He's still out there telling great stories, at least I'm still hearing them.
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