My brother

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."

John 15:13

Friends, Family & Brothers,

Two nights ago I lost one of the closest friends I'd ever had. I don't exaggerate at all when I say he was my brother. Rob & I met a little over 9 years ago on our first day of a mini-boot camp/indoctrination for beginning college as midshipmen at Jacksonville University. Our racks were side by side, and my first assessment of him was "I am going to hate this cocky guy." From that point on, our friendship bloomed into a very tight brotherhood. We lived together on a couple of occasions. Even when faced with the prospects of not being granted a scholarship from the Navy to continue schooling, Rob wouldn't let me go home in defeat. That wasn't his style. He knew that his futon and garage in the little shack of a house he was renting would suffice until I could get back on my feet.

Rob was the kind of guy everybody wanted a piece of...everybody wanted to be around him. Those people who were not his friends wished that they were. And the people who were his friends wanted to be closer to him. His inside circle had silly hand shakes and stupid enthusiastic greetings like "BEAU" or growling & barking dog sounds. He was so enthusiastic about everything. He was the focal point of the group. He was the kind of guy that knew he could do anything if he put his mind to it...and that was just the kind of guy I wanted to be around. Whatever Rob decided to do, I wanted to be there doing it to. He decided to pledge Phi Delta Theta in his Junior year of college...not without me he wasn't. We really were attached at the hip. On May 5, 2001 Rob and I were commissioned together...the two of us standing side by side holding up our right hands and swearing to defend our country together. We didn't want to do it any other way. In my deepest depressions Rob was my encouragement. In my highest times, he was with me celebrating.

Rob called me on Friday night just before he was getting underway to congratulate me for a job I had just been selected for. It was a very unexpected phone call because at the time, only one other person even knew about it. Looking back on it now, I know that Rob's call was no accident...God was giving me one last chance to say goodbye to him. The last time we were together, face-to-face, was in a hotel room in Tampa, the morning after our friend's bachelor party. Looking back, that was no accident either. Rob and I had a deep conversation about our spiritual lives, God, eternity and the likes. He spoke about the love he had for Sara...his soon-to-be fiancé. He told me of his plans to marry her and start a life together. This conversation was no ordinary conversation. God ordained it to happen.

For the season of his life that I was able to share in, I am truly blessed. I am a better man for knowing & loving my brother Rob Elortegui. It is my strongest belief that in all things God will be glorified. And even in the midst of this tragedy, God will be glorified. I've already received a great outpouring of emails and phone calls from friends that I haven't from in years. They all have questions of their own purpose & mortality weighing heavy on their hearts. Many want to know that there is some meaning to all of this. Any man or woman who searches their hearts has to know that there is more to this life that what meets the eye. I want you all to know that THERE IS...The God that you all speak of in times like this really does exist. And he loved you so much that he sent his son Jesus to die on the cross for you. He paid a price for you that you could not pay. Rob is with him now. And I intend to see him again some day when God calls me home. I want all of you to be there too. For any of you who have never asked God to be the Lord of your life, this event should remind you that we are not guaranteed tomorrow, so don't haste. Give your lives to Christ and live with a purpose today. The quote "there are no atheists in fox holes" is true. There is a battle going on around you whether you know it or not. I don't want to overkill this too much, so I'll end it at that. I love all of you. You can all call on me to talk about this if you'd like. 904-742-4533

The scripture above is the scripture that I had engraved on a keepsake for my groomsmen before any of this happened. Once again, I don't think it was an accident that God put that verse on my heart to describe the love I have for my brothers and that they have for me. "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." Rob exemplified this love for his friends. If presented with an opportunity to give his life to save one of his brothers, Rob still would have boarded that flight & laid his life down in our place. That is the kind of guy he was. I love you my brother. I'll see you again some day.

-YITB-, "BEAU!!!", Love,

Nate Hemphill
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