Column - Remembering Chad - An American hero and great friend

It is just something that can never be answered, and never will be until we too have passed on.

Over the weekend, Chad Byrne, my friend and an American hero, left hundreds of people whose lives he touched behind when he passed away from what doctors believe was an infection called encephalitis, which is said to have occurred from a mosquito or tick bite.

If you are not familiar with Chad, he was one of a band of soldiers from Glens Falls’ U.S. Army infantry division better known as Charlie Company – who were featured in Tom Brokaw’s primetime special “To War and Back,” which chronicled their time in war and the death of South Glens Falls native Pfc. Nathan Brown.

Chad served two tours of duty in the war-torn country – twice suffering injury. Once when a piece of shrapnel tore part of his ear off during the attacks that left Brown dead and the other time when a car bomb exploded severely injuring his leg – leaving him with a long road to recovery. He was honored for his service with two purple hearts.

Although Chad faced adversity after the war he was never shy to talk about his experiences and was always eager to return to battle out of a desire to serve his country and be there for his fellow soldiers. You see, Chad was truly a selfless human being – he was the kind of person who was always concerned with what was happening in everyone else’s life – the kind of friend who would give you the shirt off his back. Chad’s laugh and smile were contagious, and you would never meet a person who knew him that would ever have had a bad thing to say about him.

Times were not always sunny though. In the weeks prior to Chad’s death, it was reported in the Post Star that he had been arrested for having two small bags of heroin in his possession. Although the paper was only reporting the news at the time of his arrest, they continued to bring up the irrelevant issue after his death to sensationalize his struggles and sell their papers. Nonetheless, for those who never knew Chad they might take his arrest as an indicator of what kind of person he was, but believe me it was not. Even though Chad’s life only got harder after coming back from the war, he continued to be the same loving son, brother, uncle, friend, boyfriend and person he was before his problems began.

On Monday, the people whose lives Chad touched over the course of his 26 years on earth gathered at the M.B. Kilmer Funeral Home in Fort Edward - the town where Chad was raised - to pay respects to their friend. Even Tom Brokaw made sure he called the family to give his regards to a man who he said ‘should have had a long happy life.’

As I stood in the hour-long line waiting to pay my respects to him and his family - it was still hard to believe that he was gone – for I don’t think the feeling of losing a friend at such a young age even seemed real. It wasn’t until the next day when I sat at the back of the church and his casket draped with the American Flag was carried in by four of his fellow soldiers his cousin and his brother that it truly hit me – Chad was gone.

That day it seemed as though the whole town of Fort Edward including people from throughout the area turned out to say their final goodbyes before Chad was laid to rest among all the other brave men and women who served our country in battle in the Saratoga National Cemetery – a testament to how many lives Chad touched throughout his short life.

Here’s to you Chad – I don’t know if there is such thing as heaven, but if there is – I know you are there. I will never forget your face, your smile, your friendship – farewell my friend – and may the four winds blow you safely home.