Idus was a stranger to no one that I am aware. He was well liked by all his peers and was always the first one to crack a joke or play a prank on his team mates. He was very inquisitive about everything going on around him.
I can remember when we first got electricity in our hooches at Quang Tri. Idus was bound and determined to make the first updates on the existing wiring the Sea-Bees had installed.
I remember him going around and trying to solicite receptacles from the air wing across the base. He insisted on having his personal outlets right next to his rack.
He was always looking for a way to make things a little easier for everyone.
I had run several patrols with Idus in the early days of my tour and it seemed like everywhere I ended up, Idus was right behind me. He happened to be with me again on the infamous "River Patrol". As many of you remember this was a disaster to say the least. Dan Dehaemer's team was pinned down with several men wounded and was yelling for a corpsman. I sent Idus along with Doc Tomlinson to assist this other team and somehow Idus managed to crawl down to the rivers edge. He was trying to get himself in a better position to take out this light-machine gun position that was raising havoc on our side of the river. It turned out to be a fatal mistake. Idus was killed soon after repositioning himself trying to help his fellow Marines. It was just his nature to answer the call regardless of the risk. I only wish we could have done something different that day and maybe his life would have been spared. His death was a great loss to a lot of people within Delta Company.
You will always remain in our hearts and our minds. God Rest Your Soul My Brother.