1LT Daniel Hyde -- Putting others before himself is how Dan lived his life. I first met Dan during our basic training at West Point and was immediately impressed by the three sport all-star from Modesto, CA. Even though he was your peer, you just wanted to look up to Dan and ask him for guidance. I still remember Dan throwing himself down on the gauntlet and volunteering for the worst duties just to give his peers breathing room to recover.

Dan graduated in the top 3% of his class at West Point and went on to earn the Ranger Tab in the Army. No matter how bad a situation, you would never find Dan without a smile or without an optimistic outlook. Taking the burden off of others’ shoulders and bearing it himself is how he thrived. At such a young age, he understood how his positive energy could change the attitudes of those around him and that influenced his leadership style as an Infantry Platoon Leader. Dan was willing to help anyone at anytime and he made such a positive mark on every life he touched.

Dan was killed in action on March 7, 2009 in Tikrit, Iraq of wounds sustained when an explosive device hit his vehicle. He was with the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. Dan is survived by his parents and a sister. A portion of all sales will be donated on behalf of 1LT Hyde’s Gold Star Family to the 1LT Daniel Hyde Memorial Scholarship Fund at Thomas Downey High School in Modesto, CA.