I first met Steve my Senior year of high school. I was going to QHHS, and I was dating his older sister, Debbie, who was a Junior at AVHS. My brother, Evan, was dating his oldest sister, Susan, whom he eventually married. I remember Steve as the annoying little 10 year old brother who would never leave us alone when we were at the Redd’s. He was always trying to get Evan and I to pay attention to him, play with him, and it was usually Steve who insisted that we stay for dinner.

2 years later, I joined the Army, and left the Antelope Valley. When I came home on leave a few years later, things had changed. Steve was family now, in more ways than one. Not only was his sister married to my brother, but Steve was staying with them, going to QHHS, and my dad kind of took Steve under his wing, as Coach Gillins is prone to do. We took a family trip to Ventura, to my sister Nancy’s house. It was One of the few times all of us Gillins siblings got together after I left. Steve was there, and fit right in, as if he belonged to us. I remember Steve told an off-color joke, and actually made my mom laugh, which she NEVER does at off-color jokes.

During that time in Ventura, Steve hounded me incessantly about the military, and specifically, the Army, saying that he was thinking about joining after high school. He asked me about Basic Training. I told him that if he could handle QHHS wrestling practice, Basic was a piece of cake. My dad laughed, because that is exactly what Coach Gillins told me when I joined. I also told him NOT to be a Military Policeman like me, because we are all jerks, and nobody likes us…

I got out of the Army in 1991, and moved to Idaho. Later that year, my brother called and told me that Steve had signed up. I tried to follow his career through my brother, but that was kind of hard to do as Steve was a Ranger, Best of the Best. I did learn that he excelled in the Army. He found what he loved. A man cannot do that kind of job just because he loves it, though, it has to be deeper. It has to be because he believes in something way bigger than himself. It has to be because he knows that if he doesn’t do it, no one else will.

Steve loved serving, and he gave his life doing what he loved. He lived a life of no regrets. He lived the life of a true hero.

I can only pray that we can all be worthy of his many sacrifices.

He will be missed, but as long as we never forget, his legacy lives on.

Rest in Peace, My Friend. We will see you again. In the meantime, Soldier On, Steve, Soldier On.