Corporal Caddell

I received some sad news yesterday. James Caddell, a Corporal who served with my current unit for several years, passed away just a few weeks ago. He died of a heart attack brought on by altitude sickness in a remote mountain town in Bolivia, shortly after he and his wife left Ottawa to travel the world for a year. He was 32 years old.

I didn't know James very well, but he was the first supervisor I had when I first transferred to Kingston. I remember him as being intelligent and professional. He was a good soldier, and a strong analyst. He'd served in Bosnia, and the other troops really respected him.

I think it's kind of hit me hard considering how much we had in common. Like James, I am a former Armoured Crewman who decided to abandon my armoured assault vehicle for the maps and markers of an Intelligence Analyst. We shared a passion for foreign affairs and international travel.

Beyond the sadness of losing a comrade, it has been a very sharp reminder of my own mortality.

We live in a society where a death from anything other than old age is viewed as the exception, rather than the rule. We're brought up to plan for the future, and to work for ourselves in the long term. We're brought up on fables like the Ant and the Grasshopper and the Three Little Pigs to remind us what happens when we focus on our immediate gratification. Today's desires should be placed on the backburner so that we can prepare for the future.

There's nothing wrong with putting yourself in a good position for the future. But I think I'm going to try and spend more of my time living in the present. It's just far too easy to forget how fleeting and precious our lives really are.

Beyond his character and his accomplishments, James Caddell passed on while in the midst of pursuing his dreams. That alone carries with it an inherent nobility, and deserves a great deal of respect.