Tom Surdyke will forever be a young man that I will look up to. The first night of Beast, he introduced himself by saying I don't really know how I got in here; I'm not special. Of anyone I've ever met, he deserved to be there, and he had within him something special that most lack: the most humble and selfless sense of service. He would do anything for anyone, and he truly cared about people.
I still remember our late night conversations we would have about God and Christ, ...whom he undoubtedly loved, his family and friends back home, whom he gave total credit for his every achievement in high school, and of course the wonderfully lighthearted comedic relief Tom had taken part in that day and what he planned next. I'll always remember planning that watermelon escapade. Our room knew the minute he got it into the barracks, he beamed with that infectious smile of his, Guess what I got? It was perfect. He always knew how to lift others up.
Tom, you've impacted my life, and the lives of those you've come in contact with so much. You never gave up, and you always smiled.
Be thou at peace brother. #PrayForCadetTomSurdyke
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