R.I.P. CSM Larry (Ken) Fisher

[DelTavian]

On Saturday night in his apartment in New Orleans my 1SG from Desert Storm died of a heart attack. CSM Larry K. Fisher (Ken) was one month shy of his 49th birthday. He was an E-7 1SG when he led 63rd Chemical Company of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault!) during Operation Desert Shiled/Storm. He was as tough as they come and demanded a lot of us. However you were also very confident that he was looking out for and taking care of us. He kept us safe.

 

I didn't get close to him until after I got out of the service and became the unofficial reunion chair for 63rd. Through phone calls and emails I relied a lot on Top for advice. I really depended on his wisdom when the second Iraq war kicked off and I had serious urges to reinlist. Top convinced me it wasn't my time and place and that I wouldn't be able to cope with being away from my son. He told me I was too good of a father to leave my boy. He helped me cope with the feelings of watching someone else go to finish our mission.

 

Top was also tons of fun at the reunions when he was able to make it. At the 2000 reunion he was still on active duty and showed up late on Saturday night when the party was in full swing. I'll never forget him saying, "How many of you sons of ......es got a haircut when you heard I was coming?" I and several raised our hands...and I had been out since 91.

 

Top will be laid to rest on Monday in the military cemetary in Hopkinsville, KY. There will be a visitation Sunday and a service Sunday evening before the full military funeral on Monday morning. Hank and I are headed up Sunday morning and will spend the night in Clarksville with part of the 63rd family so we can be a part of both services.

 

When my old squad leader woke me up with a serious message Sunday morning I knew we had lost someone. I feared it was one of the 3 old timers who are currently with 63rd in Afganistan right now. I never dreamed it would be Top. After all he had just emailed us all last Tuesday about gearing up for the 20 year reunion in 2010. He was so excited. Now the thought that he won't be at any more reunions is very painful. I'm sure Sunday and Monday will be painful. I hope we can all be strong for his wife, 4 kids and grandkids.

 

R.I.P. Top. It just won't be the same without you.

 

Dave.

[dandy82]

Sorry for your loss, Del...I can tell you had a ton of respect for the man. Have a safe trip to Hoptown.

[riverdaleman]

my prayers are with you and his family

[noonesfool]

My prayers are with you. It's a short life we all have, but people like Tops sure make it a great ride Del. Be safe.

[Baldcoach]

Veteran

Author Unknown

 

 

A protest raged on a courthouse lawn,

round a makeshift stage they charged on.

Fifteen hundred or more they say,

had come to burn the Flag that day.

 

A boy held up the folded Flag,

cursed it and called it a dirty rag.

A man pushed through the angry crowd,

with an old gun shouldered proud.

 

His uniform jacket was old and tight,

he had polished each button, shiny and bright.

He crossed the stage with military grace,

until he and the boy stood face to face.

 

Then the old man broke the silence.

 

"Freedom of speech, is worth dying for,

Good men are gone, they live no more.

All so you can stand on this courthouse lawn,

and ramble on from dusk to dawn.

 

But before the Flag gets burned today,

this old veteran is going to have his say.

My father died on a foreign shore,

in a war they said would end all wars.

 

Tommy and I weren't even full grown,

before we fought in a war of our own.

Tommy died on Iwo Jima's beach,

in the shadow of a hill he couldn't reach.

Where five good men raised this Flag so high,

that the whole world could see it fly.

 

I got this bum leg that I still drag,

fighting for this same old Flag.

 

There's but one shot in this old gun,

so now it's time to decide which one.

Which one of you will follow our lead,

to stand and die for what YOU believe?"

 

The boy who had called it a dirty rag,

handed the veteran the folded Flag.

 

The crowd got quiet as they walked away,

to talk about what they heard that day.

 

So the battle for the Flag this day was won,

by a loyal veteran with a single gun.

Who for one last time, had to show to some,

That these colors will never, never run.

 

It is the veteran, not the preacher,

who has given us freedom of religion.

 

It is the veteran, not the reporter,

who has given us freedom of the press.

 

It is the veteran, not the poet,

who has given us freedom of speech.

 

It is the veteran, not the campus organizer,

who has given us freedom to assemble.

 

It is the veteran, not the lawyer,

who has given us the right to a fair trial.

 

It is the veteran, not the politician,

Who has given us the right to vote.

 

It is the veteran, who salutes the Flag,

who serves under the Flag,

whose coffin is draped by the Flag.

 

 

 

God bless all our veterans. I'm sure Top is dressing the lines on the parade grounds in Heaven's boot camp right now. He's got a lot of good company up there. A whole flock of Screamin' Eagles.

[CoachT]

Sorry, Del. I can tell how important he was to you.

[dwarden]

I have known Ken about 6 months and in that time he has taught me a lot about Emergency Preparedness, he was truly one of a kind and will be severely missed by me and everyone whos lives he has touched. He was a great man and had a passion for Emergency Preparedness unlike anyone I have ever seen. I will keep his family in my prayers.

 

Deborah Warden

Governors Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness

Baton Rouge, LA

[DelTavian]

Thanks CoachT for making this where all can see it.

 

DL.

[staceyf]

This is a very hard time for me as Ken was my life for 30 years. We have 4 wonderful children and 5 grandchildren and he will be missed more than anyone can ever know. He supported me everyday by just that one call. I am not sure how I will go one without him he was my Rock. I am glad he had so many friends and all of our friends from our military years has been wonderful. Just be with your loved one as much as you can because you have no idea when it will be your last. I love him and always will and will be with him one day for the rest of our lives. And Dave Top loved you to so much. Thanks to everyone for the love and caring you have had for him. I am glad he had a friend there and was not alone.

 

His love of his life,

Stacey Fisher

[DelTavian]

Some of the CoachT family asked me to post a picture of Top in the thread. Can't do it right now from work but you can go to the front page of my web site where I've done a little changing there to honor him. If anyone can copy and paste one or both of the shots here feel free to do so. The top picture is from Desert Storm at King Fahd Air base during the build up. You can see some intense training going on behind Top. /biggrin.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin.gif" />

 

DL.

[DelTavian]

Link to obit.

 

http://www.legacy.com/CourierPress/Obituar...sonId=113536203

 

DL.

[Sepulveda]

This is a very hard time for me as Ken was my life for 30 years. We have 4 wonderful children and 5 grandchildren and he will be missed more than anyone can ever know. He supported me everyday by just that one call. I am not sure how I will go one without him he was my Rock. I am glad he had so many friends and all of our friends from our military years has been wonderful. Just be with your loved one as much as you can because you have no idea when it will be your last. I love him and always will and will be with him one day for the rest of our lives. And Dave Top loved you to so much. Thanks to everyone for the love and caring you have had for him. I am glad he had a friend there and was not alone.

 

His love of his life,

Stacey Fisher

 

 

MRS. Fisher,

I want to start off by saying I am very so truly sorry for your tremendous loss. Everybody that met Sergeant Major will agree with me that he was one Great Man. Through all these years of serving with your wonderful daughter Cassandra and having met your family I have nothing but love and respect for all of you. He will forever be remembered for all his accomplishments but most importantly for being that wonderful Father, Cassandra never forgot to mention in our conversations and remember that there is no one that can take those 30 yrs of beautiful memories that you made with him..

 

With much love and respect,

Sepulveda