First of all, I feel embarrassed to find out so late about my good friend passing. My sincere prayers and thoughts go out to the Bettons.
My name is Seong Kim and I was Ryan’s roommate at VMI during his freshman year. While being the only Asian in the room, I was quite uncomfortable in the beginning. Ryan change that in a flash after he saw me wearing a UMich jacket. The friendship grew to a point where I can honestly say that he was a brother to me. Even though I haven’t kept touch with him for a long time, I was always thinking about him. It’s been 12 years since last I’ve seen him, and yet, I can clearly remember every single minute of the time spent with him. He had one of those personality that just beams out at you. When the room gets into an argument, he was the one that mediates. He was the bridge between all the roommates and I think Paul, Brad, and Brian could attest to that.
Hey Ry, sup bro! Remember me? It’s Sung. Man… The last 3 times I’ve seen you or heard about you, I’m crying. The first being when I was leaving VMI, the second from being drunk at your house party, and now this. It’s Thursday, April 09, 2009. It’s embarrassing to even call myself a friend. When I saw your post on facebook, man… I kinda got sick to my stomach and I couldn’t work anymore. You know me, when something’s in my head, I have to get it out. So I just started to write.
Compared to some of the other friends you had, we’ve only known each other for a very short period of time (2years). But in that short period, I found a real friend, I mean a REAL friend! I found me an advisor, and a confidant. Collinsville boy! LOL! I remember how you made Collinsville all big and wonderful… me being from city, I expected a little more than a hangout at Wal-Mart. But going there, it was the most fun 3-day vacation I ever had to this time!
All the memories I have of you… the hell night where I didn’t know what “sound off” was and I yelled and you yelled out “Betton RK, sir!” going to Disney World on the band trip and just being silly at Paradise Island, “Broccoli!”, how BR perez fainted on our way up House Mountain and we had to push his stinking body up the mountain, Brad not meeting the weight requirement to give blood, “Arnold, Flex!” (LT. Townsend, after making a voodoo doll out of wire hanger), LT Gray asking me “give me 3 reasons why you don’t like Nascar?” and one of my answer was “because it’s a waste of gas, sir!”, the noodle court, flag football, paul almost getting killed from the rack falling about 6 inches away from his face, studying bio together (well, you did the studying, I did the computer chatting), my harsh introduction to moonshine and jell-o shots, and you telling me to chill when I was about to kill Ashley Wilmore.
I have nothing but fond memories of you. I love you, bro!
Your Asian brother,
Sung

Ryan,
As we prepare to go back out to the ship tomorrow on the anniversary of your death, I realize that I still think about you a lot. I think about your trademark sayings, your quick wit, your wisdom beyond your years, your great sense of humor, your loyalty as a friend, your integrity, and your uncanny ability to make people feel better by your simply being there. You were a natural pilot, a respected leader, a dedicated and loving father and husband, and you are one of the best friends I'll ever have. I still miss you dearly.
Tomorrow night we will be qualifying new students off the deck of the USS Eisenhower in the same waters off the coast of Virginia, and I can't think of a better place to be on the anniversary of your passing. In doing so, I truly hope we honor your memory.
I hope you'll be there in the cockpit with me bud...
"Word and peace chicken grease"
Shocker