To our family he was the glue that held everyone together and to everyone else he was just their best friend. This stayed the same for 31 years until a Tuesday morning on September 11th, 2001. As a result of his passing, my uncle Mart has still managed to affect everyone’s lives just in a much different way and in fact maybe even more influential. By wearing this Dog tag around my neck and having it hang near my heart symbolizes to my family and me that no matter what has happened he always near our hearts in addition to me just keeping his name alive and honoring him in a way that I feel he deserves seeing that he lost his life in such a tragic way at such a young age when no one in our family was quite ready to see him go especially in that manner. This necklace was inspired from me saying I want an object i could wear everyday to do what i set out to do which was keep his name alive and honored. To this day it remains as my favorite birthday gift I've ever received. This necklace is a reminder of lost family members and connects me to my identity because it is one thing I wear no matter the situation.

– James Lauria

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