🎖 Remembering CPT Nathan King: The War Doesn’t Always End When You Come Home
At Squatch Survival Gear, Memorial Day isn’t just a day off. It’s not just about flags, BBQs, or sales. It’s about names. Faces. People we served with. Some who died downrange. Some who made it home. Some who made it home… but still didn’t make it.
CPT Nathan King was one of those names.
He was an artillery officer. Fires section. We weren’t best friends, but we were friendly. He was solid. Smart. Respected. Reliable. The kind of officer you didn’t have to worry about — he just got it done.
We had a lot of mutual friends, and I remember hearing how he and a few other captains figured out how to make those long days in-country bearable. One night they threw a little casino night, and rumor has it CPT King actually made a craps table out of paper. That tells you a lot about him — sharp, creative, resourceful. The kind of guy who could take war and make it a little less miserable for the people around him.
He did his year in Iraq like the rest of us. Came home. Went on leave. Came back. Got back to training.
In the airborne world, we have to keep current with our jumps. This one was supposed to be easy. No ruck. No weapon. Just a helmet and a duty uniform. A “Hollywood jump.” Most of us hadn’t jumped in a year, so yeah — nerves were there. King was a little nervous. Hell, we all were.
And just like that, he was gone.
It was supposed to be just another jump.
I didn’t even know he was gone until it was over.
His funeral was at Fort Bragg. I remember standing there thinking about all the conversations I never had with him. Wishing I’d been a better peer while we were deployed. I was already on my second rotation by the time many of my friends were doing their first, and in that rush, I missed the chance to know a good man better.
I carry that regret.
Memorial Day is about remembering those who served and fell. But it’s also about the ones who came home, smiled, trained, showed up, and still didn’t make it. We lose people in ways the world doesn’t always see.
So this Memorial Day, remember CPT Nathan King. Say his name. Don’t let him die the second death—the one that happens when people stop talking about you.
If you know a veteran who’s still carrying more than their fair share, check in. Not just once. Not just on holidays.
Veteran Owned. American Made. Built with Purpose.
From all of us at Squatch Survival Gear — we remember.