This is a picture of my old friend, Ron Kubik. Ron and I met in high school. We became good friends pretty quickly considering we both were really big into the hardcore scene. He made fun of me for liking NORA (honestly, who wouldn’t?), and I made fun of him for liking E-TOWN CONCRETE. We went to shows together, traded CDs like it was our jobs, and stayed friends even after graduation. Ron was a very “in your face” kind of person. He motivated you. He’d walk into a room and you either loved him, or thought he was the biggest prick you’ve ever met. He was your friend no matter what, and was always there to remind you of it. Ron believed that if you didn’t give life 110%, it wasn’t good enough. 

As an Army Ranger he did just that- gave it everything he had.

On April 23rd, 2010, Ron Kubik was killed in Afghanistan just a few short weeks away from returning home to New Jersey. He was two months away from his twenty-second birthday. 

I remember it was 6:45pm when my brother called me and the first thing he said was, “Jaye, sit down. You need to sit down”. I was one of the first few people to find out Ron had been killed.

It’s hard to think that it’s been two years. Not even three weeks prior to his death, Ron and I had gone out to get coffee together while he was home, and he told me about his plans of going to Rutgers in the Fall. He was on his last tour in Afghanistan.

Now I don’t support the war he died in. I don’t support most of the selfish decisions the US Government makes. All I have is nothing but respect for people who have the guts to join the military, and put their lives on the line for someone else’s benefit.

I can’t believe it’s been two years. Miss you, Ron.

June 22, 1988 - April 23, 2010