Tuesday, November 1, 2022
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My name is Christopher Edward Boykin. Whom ever should be in possession of Shawn's Navy Dog Tags, you should find mine there with them. We exchanged our 2nd pair of tags the day we left the Navy together. I spent 2 years on a war ship with Shawn. We did the same jobs, drove the ship, painted the ship while at sea together, stood enemy watch, moired the lines together. We often got into trouble together. Everybody in our division hated each of us in the beginning, but shawn and I were best buddies every day and every night of that adventure out at sea. We launched missiles in the Persian gulf, sailed the Indian ocean, the Mediterranean, crossed the Artic circle, and went on a safari in kenya, then toured the coast of france on a train together. We departed the Navy in Charleston, S.C. and partied like rockstars exchanged dog tags and said we would stay in touch.
We never really did. Life took over and our incredible friendship faded away. Shawn visited me once in kentucky, and i visited him in Jackpot, Nevada. He was sick, i shaved my head like his. We went arrowhead hunting. I found a perfect 10. He was blown away. I think he placed it there. I love that guy. I knew it was something he had obviosly loved to do since he was a kid. We caught up with each other, got right back into our incredible conversations like we had never left the ship. He was my GOOD friend. Everyone always says "best" friend, and i could say I've had a few best friends over the years, but NOBODY was ever my GOOD friend like shawn was to me. I said i would stay in touch and yet ibdid not. I have been around the world since then, lost touch with nearly everyone. I began searching for shawn again a few years back online. I could never find him, I check when I think of him. Today I saw the number 2222, that was his number, mine was 1111, so i searched for him again. I found what i was looking for but didnt want tonfind, his obituary, over a year since he passed, and I'm incredibly sad. I wish I could have seen him happy with his new family. I would love to have met his wifexand daughter. I wish I would have tried to keep our friendship through the years. He deserved better from me. I could have wished for more time with him, but I will consider myself one of the lucky ones who got to spend 2 years every day and night as shipmates and best buddies on a war ship, experiencing really tough times and really great adventures... and all passed by in just a blink of an eye. I will always regret not staying in touch. I will forever miss my GOOD friend Shawn.
~Christopher
