SFC Zachary Callahan Quick, US Army

Zachary Callahan Quick Zachary Callahan Quick, better known as “Zac”, “Daddy”, “Zacky”, “Sonny Pup”, “Gibby”, “Quick”, and even sometimes “Zachariah” will ever be a hero among men. For those he loved, Zac was a fierce protector and loyal friend. His larger than life presence and reputation escorted him through life like a venerable king being ushered by his court. His enigmatic, piercing, blue eyes shone brightly like a beacon amidst the fog of even the darkest of weathers. His sweet, sincere smile and infectious laughter melted hearts, tore down the proverbial walls of our souls, and brought peace and comfort to the innumerable he gave it to. Zac, whether known as son, father, brother, husband, uncle, nephew, or cousin, was always friend. Much like Atlas, Zac hoisted the world and all its weight on his shoulders so that those he loved would not suffer the burden themselves. He was the shield that kept us safe from the horrors of the world he lived and battled in. His heart and capacity to love was undefined, yet not untouched, by the wolves he bade leave from our doors. Zac was 39 years old, living in Columbia, South Carolina, when he lost his life on November 7, 2015 to the unseen wounds of the real world wars he fought. He had spent the day with loved ones laughing, celebrating, playing, and expressing his love. He was walking to his car with his wife after leaving a local Columbia restaurant that evening. Zac was born on September 24, 1976 in Alexandria, Virginia, to Marsha Mankin-Quick and Maury “Patrick” Marshall Quick. He lived in Alexandria, Newington Forest, during his youth with his parents and younger sister Amanda Kay Quick. Many days of Zac’s childhood were spent exploring the woods and creeks surrounding his home alongside his father; watching, learning, and hoping to one day truly earn the title as humbly and wholly as the man he himself so admired and loved. Zac’s soul was filled with the ocean air and salty waves of the sea, and he spent much time with his maternal grandfather, Luke, on the beaches near Bishopville and Ocean City, Maryland, learning to sail, fish, and crab. Zac was an incredible swimmer whose records still remain unbroken in the halls of the swim clubs he was a member of as a child and young man. He was an indomitable competitor on the prestigious Curl-Burke swim team, and his speed and strength earned him positions on junior Olympic swim teams. Zac had recently joined a master’s swim team in Columbia, South Carolina, and planned to compete, and win, the national competition this coming year. He attributed his success and dedication to the sport solely to his mother, who selflessly sacrificed her every early morning and evening to ensure he realized the potential she saw in him. Watching him swim was almost magic. Every muscle conditioned to, seemingly effortlessly, pull his strong body through the water. His arms pierced the tension with expert control and propelled him at such phenomenal speed. The water may have been his true home – to see him in it was to see happiness. In addition to his love for the woods by his home and the swimming waters he was inherently drawn to, Zac was an accomplished carpenter and overall handyman. He had helped build many houses, office buildings, and apartment buildings throughout the Northern Virginia area as a young man. He built decks, performed high end refinishing projects, and even dabbled in fire prevention systems. One of his first jobs was assisting his uncle Michael, a master plumber, who offered Zac a great deal of knowledge, experience, and wisdom that he often referred to and cherished. There was not a thing Zac could not design and build. His strong and deliberate hands found unending pleasure in the turning of a saw, swinging of a hammer, and final clap to release the pungently sweet sawdust from them. Building houses, however, was no match for the pure joy and accomplishment that assembling desks, beds, and doll furniture for his daughters brought to him. On February 8, 1999, with the birth of his eldest daughter Alison Michelle Quick, Zac became the most cherished and precious of his many roles: a father. Soon after, two more daughters were blessed to him, Hannah Callahan Quick on August 2, 2005, and Ashleigh Kaelynn Quick on October 4, 2006. Zac’s sun rose and set in the beauty and light in each of his daughter’s eyes. His life’s breath was so that they may live safely in comfort, love, and peace. An avid cuddler, confidant, and fellow child at heart, Zac fostered a sense of play and taught his girls that life was always better with a smile. You could fill the ocean, the sky, the universe, and heaven with the love Zac has for his children. Zac enlisted in the Army in April of 2001 as an infantry man, one of his proudest job descriptions to this day. He was assigned to the 1st of the 504th Infantry Battalion at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Zac’s first two military deployments were Operation Enduring Freedom I and Operation Iraqi Freedom I, during which his unit paved the way into Fallujah. Zac returned to spend the next nearly five years as a recruiter in New York City, where he earned the esteemed Gold Recruiter’s Badge. His next Army chapter was as a Psychological Operations, or PSYOP, Sergeant beginning in May of 2008, again at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. His next four deployments were to Iraq in 2010, Afghanistan in 2012, Afghanistan in 2013, and Jordan in 2014. Zac spent almost a quarter of his military career overseas. As a PSYOP soldier, Zac deployed in conjunction with Special Operations Units from the Navy and Marines, more often than not to remote and hostile areas. Throughout Zac’s military career he was awarded numerous other accolades including but not limited to a Parachutist’s Badge, a Combat Infantry Badge, a Thai Army Parachutist’s Medal, two Bronze Stars, two Army Commendation Medals, four Army Achievement Medals, a Valorous Unit Award, an Army Superior Unit Award, and four Good Conduct Medals. He was a true and fearless warrior: strong, quick and clear minded, capable of facing the most devastating horrors and dangers with courage, resolve, and a tenacity only embodied in the very elite few who choose to serve. Towards the latter portion of 2009, just prior to Zac’s third deployment, he met his wife, Brandi Lynn Quick, while serving together in the PSYOP community at Fort Bragg. Together they deployed to Iraq in 2010. Soulmate was the most honest word used to describe the true connection they had between them. Cut from the same cloth, they were kindred spirits who sought laughter in life, loved each other with immeasurable passion, and held onto each other with unyielding commitment. The best and truest of friends, they were married at a Hooter’s restaurant by a close friend on August 1, 2014, then immediately got tattoos together to celebrate. Zac was also father to Carmelita Jane Adeline Roper, his step-daughter. The relationship they shared was tongue-in cheek, sweet, and playful. Their laughter and constant antics echoed a deep and loving bond that was a testament to the understanding and gratitude they felt for one another. Carmelita was born on August 14, 2007 and shared the majority of her childhood with Zac as a father, who loved her always as if she were his own. It is without words that we try to express the loss of such a strong, brave, caring, loving, and jovial American, friend, brother, father, son, and husband. LO, There do I see my Father. LO, There do I see my Mother, my Sisters, and my Brothers. LO, There do I see the line of my people, back to the beginning! LO, They do call to me. They bid me take my place among them, in the halls of VALHALLA! Where the Brave may live FOREVER! Zachary Callahan Quick is survived by his wife Brandi Quick, his parents Marsha Mankin-Quick and Maury “Patrick” Quick, his siblings Amanda Quick and Wayne Herriott, his sister-in-law Rachel Herriott, his children Alison Quick, Hannah Quick, Ashleigh Quick, and Carmelita Roper, his aunts and uncles Marilyn and Robert Austen, Rod Bell, Michael and Deloris Quick, Nancy and Michael Torbert, Barbara and Randy Sheaff, Kathy and Dennis Martin, and Michael and Ileana Mankin, numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, and countless brothers and sister in arms. Services for Zac will be held at Murphy’s Funeral Home in Arlington, Virginia, on Thursday, November 19, 2015, at 2 pm. Final interment for Zac will follow at Arlington National Ceremony with services to be announced. In lieu of flowers, the family wishes for donations to be made to the Zachary Callahan Quick Foundation for Suicide Prevention and PTSD Awareness, with details to follow the services.