9. Lost Among “The Navy”

Colter’s sister once told me that she believed the tattoo on Colter’s chest for his late wife represented “how much love he was capable of.”

Colter’s little sister believed the love Colter was capable of peaked at 28 and was represented by a tattoo. This was the story she assigned to Colter without asking him what it represented. A tattoo that Allison’s friends were already getting inked on their bodies. He was 28 and went with Allison’s friend from childhood...who had a crush on Colter… to get the tattoo and decide where to put it on his body…forever.

Everyone’s unique drivers for influencing this saga has remained hidden. Little secrets here and there that have gone untold, but yielded great influence under the guise of collective grief..

What I honestly hate about this blog post is this is one of Allison’s friends who I think I would like. I hate throwing this friend shade for crushing on Colter. I get it. I crush on him. Sometimes I wonder if she feels how I feel…lost among “The Navy.”

In addition to managing Allison’s Facebook Tribute page, the mafiosa would sell a book for around $60.00 that included “more than 50 photos from port calls;” and publish articles that assigned and inferred Colter’s state of mind. Not only did this group not ask for Colter’s permission or blessing, but they neglected to follow clearly defined Navy policy. The Navy overlooked the transgressions.

Higher ranking Sailors were connected with these Sailors, the Tribute page. They had a front row seat to watch it unfold, giving likes, comments, shares, and said nothing. Asked nothing. No one ever reined it in.

The stories unfolding in the public of social media and the internet would eventually be so out of touch with actuality that we, Colter’s family, would become lost among the U. S Navy’s public facing version of his life.

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