Kris Romeo Bishundat 9/11/01

I have the honor of paying tribute to Kris Romeo Bishundat. Kris who would have turned 24 on September 14, was assigned in May to the communications division of the Chief of Naval Operations Center at the Pentagon. An information systems technician there, Bishundat had moved to newly renovated offices three weeks before the attacks. He had enlisted in the Navy six years to the day the terrorists struck. Reading about this great American and great human being it really makes me proud and sad. He had many friends - from what I could find online and he is greatly missed. I'm so sorry you lost your son, your brother, your boyfriend and your friend.

A message from his sister:

"Ever since I can remember, my brother always wanted a jeep. He found a picture of himself on his second birthday, posing with a jeep that had belonged to our great-grandfather in Guyana. I remember him showing it to my mom and dad and saying, 'See, I was destined to have a jeep.'

He got this jeep not long before September 11. It was the 60th anniversary edition of a Jeep Wrangler. He was just beaming. The jeep was his way of saying that you only live once.
After September 11, I got a phone call from an older lady who wanted to express her condolences to our family. She said she had met Romeo at a restaurant while they were both waiting for a table and he offered to take her for a ride in his jeep. Although they did not go for the ride, they sat at the bar, he bought them drinks and they spoke for hours. She thought it was the sweetest thing because they had never met before and she had thought that younger people did not want to talk to the elderly.
This story is indicative of Romeo's character and philosophy on life. Romeo loved the movie "Pay it Forward" -- the story of a young man who performs random acts of kindness for strangers. When Romeo drove through a toll both, he would pay the next person's toll. If he saw someone who looked lonely, he would talk to them."
-- Devita Bishundat, sister

He was an adventurous, fun-loving soul who was into surfing, golf and tennis, his mother said. "He loved life and lived every day to its fullest." Her son had a real sensitive side also, she said. His mother recalled how, in a conversation with him about an hour before the attack, he expressed how he was so touched that his sister, Danita, not only took the time to pack his lunch but also wrote a note telling him to enjoy it. He was so touched by it, he also told his girlfriend, Lisa Kenney, about the note in a phone call to her before the attack. "He was very sensitive," his mother said. "I couldn't have asked for a better son."

Bish,

Another year man. It's been a crazy year man. I've ran into some people from the Shreveport on Facebook...Ran into an SK2 I know you would remember in Colombia so that was kind of bizarre! I miss you bro. I can only hope to run into you again in another life. May your family remain blessed with the memories you've provided them. Always thinking of you man.

KrisIT2(SW) Kris PoffUSS Shreveport (LPD-12)1997-2001
Kris Poff,
Miami, Florida

Bish,

Not a day goes by that I don't think of you and our days on watch on the SHREVEPORT. I know you are at peace but I will never forget you and you are truly a hero to me. God bless you and your family!

HMCS(SW) Mark JudsonUSS SHREVEPORT (LPD-12)1999-2002
Mark Judson,
Great Lakes, Illinois

Hey Romeo,

As I sit off the coast of Pakistan on the USS Eisenhower, supporting missions in Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom serving a plateful of Waldorf,MD. Justice to the bad guys. You are in all my thoughts everytime we launch a loaded F/A-18 off the ship. So in closing brother, I hope your up there watching.
Garrett Powell,
Indian Ocean

September 11, 2008
Thinking of your wonderful smile and missing you!
Jenn Greene,
Annapolis, Maryland

September 14, 2007
Happy Birthday!!!
Doug Abraham,
Livonia, Michigan