I was one of the unfortunate, who never had the opportunity to meet Sgt. Jonathan Cadavero. He is , however, of particular importance to my country, myself and my family because he gave his life for our safety, well-being, and security here in the United States. Thank you, John. We salute you! I have a very difficult time with death since my father passed away when I was a small child so it has taken me a while to pay my condolences. Blessings to the family.
-BT Arnett (July 22, 2007)
It would have been easy for him to turn back to safety, but he didn’t. Through the smoke and chaos and sniper fire, Sergeant Jonathan Cadavero made his way to a soldier bleeding on the ground. They were a convoy of I.E.D. hunters, from the Army’s 10th Mountain Division, whose job it was to find and neutralize I.E.D.’s in southern Baghdad, Iraq. On that particular mission, a Hum-Vee was hit by a roadside bomb, causing massive injuries to a soldier’s leg. As the medic in the group Sergeant Cadavero knew it was his duty to help the wounded soldier. His first priority was to stop the bleeding, and after the wound was stabilized his secondary precedence was to get the soldier to safety and away from the center of the road where they were vulnerable to enemy fire. Sergeant Cadavero ran to the closest building, made sure it was secure, dashed back to the soldier, and carried him on his back to the shelter where they waited until further medical reinforcements arrived. Four times Sergeant Cadavero passed through treacherous sniper fire to save the life of a fellow brother. He humbly related the story and his resulting nomination for the Bronze Star for bravery, while on a brief home leave from Iraq. With a casual shrug and smile, Jonny confidently stated that his fellow soldiers would have done the same for him.
Such stories of courage are common in war, yet so uncommon in civilian life. General George Patton stated, “All men are afraid in battle. The coward is the one who lets his fear overcome his sense of duty. Duty is the essence of manhood.” Courage is not the absence of fear, but a continuing on despite the fear. Soldiers have a moral clarity amongst the hell of their surroundings, doing what is right when it is difficult and perhaps even against their nature. It is an American principle that men are given by their Creator the right to live in freedom and to choose the kind of life that they will lead within an orderly society, and it is the duty of our leaders to ensure this principle is encouraged here and abroad when making policy. Freedom is what our soldiers are fighting for right now, against a tyranny that seeks to control and impose its will indiscriminately on all. A passage from the Army’s Soldier Creed declares, “…I will always place the mission first. I will never accept defeat. I will never quit. I will never leave a fallen comrade…” We need to require of our politicians, working in D.C. as our soldiers serve overseas, similar devotion and uncommon virtue in supporting our soldiers and the adequate completion of their mission, and never accepting defeat or defection. Our duty as Americans demands that we bring freedom according to the finest democratic tradition, and not allow a democratic façade to hide a new generation of fascism’s rise as there was hidden through democratic elections in Nazi Germany. We are in for a long, difficult struggle, and while our soldiers show bravery on the battlefields those at home should be inspired to place our morals first and never leave our principles behind.
-Kristia Cavere (July 20, 2007)
The most wasted of all days is one without laughter. ~e.e. cummings
When I reflect upon my nine years at Waldwick I remember being truly happy. Our class was so united it seemed as if we were family. Jonny, as our class president, was the leader of what we did. He seemed to have a special way of making everyone feel accepted and loved. He and I always competed against eachother in the spelling bee and the geography bee, he always won first place but managed to make my second place ribbon seem even better than his!!!
I cleary remember a Sunday afternoon when we were working on the yearbook our sophomore, and final, year at Waldwick. We were putting together pictures and talking about our dreams for the future. Jonny was talking about how he was going to buy me a James Bond car when he went to the NBA! As the converstation turned serious we began to realize that life after Waldwick would never be the same, but like Jonny said atleast we'd had those years together. ( That is worth more than any James Bond car a girl could have!!!)
Hearing Mr. Locke talk about Jonny at the Memorial brough back all those wonderful memories and helped me realize that I was very lucky to know Jonny growing up and that nothing can take away the basketball games, pizza fridays, class trips, and the simple memories one acquires with childhood friendships. His words also helped me remember that Jonny's lasting gift to us is the laughter he brought to everyday.
Like Raquel, I've read everything on the internet about him trying to get a sense of the man he became. On June 13th, she and I talked about Jonny and agreed that in 24 years he accomplished that which others take decades to do....Jonny was able to make people laugh, touch lives, protect us and serve his country. A part of me is so sad because Jonny is no longer with us, but I am truly blessed to have grown up with him.
Jonny signed my tenth grade yearbook, our Waldwick goodbye, with the following phrase...
" Wouldn't it be cool if we were neighbors in heaven?"
I can't wait! I'll be laughing for eternity!!!!
Love You Jonny.
- (July 12, 2007)
Although I did not know Jon personally, I have no doubt of the kind of man he was. Listening to the high honors bestowed upon him at his funeral convinced me even more of the importance and value of good christian parenting. Jon grew up, lived, and died honorably. He embodied values deeper than most. Jon was God's man in every way. These values are rarely developed so well without a strong parental base behind a person. Thus, by taking a few moments today to remember Jon, I am not only honoring him.....I am also honoring and blessing his parents who raised such a wonderful boy who would later become such an honorable man. Thank you, Jon, for giving all of yourself for the rest of us. And thank you, Mr. & Mrs. Cadavero, for giving all of yourselves to raise such a tremendous son. God is using your family as vessels of blessing for others. May you be at perfect peace and rest as you remember Jon and watch God as He faithfully completes the work He has begun in your family.
Blessings, Sheri Thomas
-Sheri Thomas (July 9, 2007)
When I think about my ten years at Waldwick, I remember them as magical. We were different kids from all different backgrounds, who were bused in from our various cities (Jonny being the only New Yorker I ever knew for a long time), and somehow through the years became family. My early memories of Jonny were those of all the girls in our second grade class. We all wanted to be his girlfriend! The funny thing was that during those first few years I think we all were at one point or another. Even then, I thought that he was my boyfriend simply because it was my turn and he did not want to hurt my feelings. The reason we all wanted to be his girlfriend was that he could do nothing wrong. Jonny won the spelling and geography bee every year, he was the best in most of our PE sports, he always dressed nice and man was he funny! What else would a little girl want!
After Waldwick, through the years some of us kept in touch and some of us didn't. I remember the last time I saw Jonny. I was picking up my brother from Waldwick and was just blown away by Jonny. We chatted about how we were both in our last year of college and how he then told me he would join the military after graduation. He was still as funny and goofy as ever, however I remember being so impressed with the intelligent, kind, thoughtful and handsome man he had become. I remember asking him, "Why in the world have we lost touch?” Like many other young people busy trying to find their place in this world, we lost touch again.
At Jonny's memorial service and I listened to Mr. Locke talk about our Bible Read-A-Thons, camping trips and basketball games Jonny took very seriously. I could not help but smile because those memories are like chicken soup, comforting and warm. I just kept thinking, "What am I Doing Here?" Someone as special as Jonny...gone? My brain is still struggling with that.
Through the years, I would hear about the different accomplishments, different Waldwick alumni would make and I would feel a sense of pride. Many times I have said that alot of that is owed to Waldwick. Jonny was the exact product of what our childhood and adolescence at Waldwick gave us. I mourn for the man in Jonny I never knew. Oh how I would have loved to sit and reminisce about the nine years we spent together, I would have loved to have met his wife and he my husband. We would have looked at each other's spouses like protective siblings.
I have read pretty much everything on the web about him and I seen every picture, trying to get to know the adult side of him, even if through print. I can't help but see the Jonny I knew then. The same smile and mischievous look in his eyes. I am so proud of him and the amazing way he touched so many lives in such a short time. I grateful to have shared such an important period of my life with Jonny. I have been broken hearted since he has been gone. In a sense, a part of my innocence that I carried with me from that time has been shattered. However, Jonny has inspired me to not keep saying things like, "I'll call them tomorrow and tell her/him how much I love them." Jonny has inspired me not to wait to say thank you and I love you to the people in my life. Thank you Jonny.
-Raquel Benjamin Cardona (July 4, 2007)
The first time that I met Jon, he was three years old, full of life, and a very active little boy. He and his family had come to see my school's Christmas program. As he went away, I remember thinking to myself, "Thank God our school isn't near Jonny's house. Otherwise, I might be teaching my superintendent's child." I was sure that it wouldn't bode well for me if he was one of my active little first graders. But God has a sense of humor and knows when people need to be in your life. When Jon was in 9th grade, I had the pleasure of being his literature teacher. I was determined that my students would be able to draw their own conclusions to stories IF they had a logical reason for the conclusion. Jon never disappointed me! I heard stories about the soldier running away with the enemy nurse, how he had as many ideas as Walter Mitty, etc. By the time he reached my computer class the next year, we had developed a strong, bantering relationship. He always had me laughing, whether it was promising every Waldwick teacher a new car when he became a famous NBA player or the day he told me Geometry was invented by adults to torture kids. As much as he made me laugh, he also showed a sensitive, tender side. One day as I was driving him to school, he told me about his plans when he became a father - he would attend his daughter's ballet recitals, watch his son's games, etc. It saddens me that it was not to be part of his life plan. One lesson he unknowingly taught me was to make sure that every day of one's life counts - whether the years will be long or short. The future is only a promise, not a certainty. He loved those around him and he made a difference. We would honor his memory to remember to follow in those footsteps and make a difference ourselves.
-Irene Whiteman (June 30, 2007)
The Top Ten Things I Remember about Jon (in no particular order)
1) How much he loved his family, especially his mom, dad, sister, and grandmother.
2) His Patriotism for his country and how he chose to put it into action
3) His ability to draw people to him, even unintentionally
4) His sense of humor
5) His love of basketball and his basketball skills.
6) His commitment to Waldwick School
7) The way he could get the whole class laughing in the middle of a lesson and still get me to smile at him (and maybe laugh with them!)
8) How handsome he looked in his uniform
9) The way little kids viewed him as their hero
10) How pleased he was when I told him to start calling me "Glenda" instead of "Mrs. Creighton"
-Glenda Creighton (June 27, 2007)
As I held my son for the first time after delivering him in the early morning hours of June 13, 1982, never did I think that I would spend what would have been his 25th birthday at a cemetery at his gravesite.
As I drove to the cemetery with a heavy and broken heart, I reminisced about past birthdays...the balloons, gifts, family and friends gathered together for the celebration, Jon's favorite dinner, his favorite home-made chocolate cake with real whipped cream frosting, the laughter he created, and all the love that filled the house.
I sat on a bench, my eyes fixed on his bronze grave marker, tears running down my cheeks, I asked for the millionth time "why." For a brief moment I thought (again) I am having a bad dream, but reality set in (again) when one of the cemetery directors came to give me the temporary grave marker used before the permanent one was put in place.
I thought of how June 13th will never be the same; neither will any birthdays, holiday, or special occasion. There will always be an empty seat, a void, a sense of loss.
Although the pain I feel inside will never go away, I am ever so gratefull that Jon was given to me for 24 1/2 wonderful years. The memories are countless, all of which are happy ones. Through the tears I tried to dwell oon those happy times, but tears flowed even more as I realized the opportunity to make more memories is gone forever.
I continued to sit there thinking, remembering, and crying. For some reason I looked around the cemetery and was reminded of the countless lawns Jon cut over the years...and then noticed that his plot had the thickest and greenest grass of anyone in the entire cemetery. How fitting for Jon to stand above the rest even now!!
As I got up to leave, I whispered "I love and miss you son" and placed flowers by the marker. I will continue to miss Jon all my days. My love for him has not and will not stop. He truly is my beloved son.
Your loving mother, Nadia Cadavero
-Nadia Cadavero (June 27, 2007)
No words can express the gratitude that I as a proud American feel for and to all our soldiers for continuing to ensure we live in freedom and peace. Thank you doesn't begin to express how grateful I am to each soldier serving our country in any capacity and to their families for supporting them and sharing them with us. My thoughts and prayers are with and will continue to be with the Cadavero family and all the families of American soldiers.
-Melanie Sahly (June 18, 2007)
“Those are a success who have lived well, laughed often and loved much; Who have gained the respect of intelligent people and the love of children; Who have filled their niche and accomplished their task; Who leave the world better than they found it, Whether by a perfect poem or a rescued soul; Who never lacked appreciation of the earth’s beauty or failed to express it; Who looked for the best in others and gave the best they had.”
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
The world became a lesser place on February 27, 2007. Receiving that heartbreaking call from my uncle on that quiet, late winter evening, I felt time stand still for just a moment. Our worst fear had been realized. It was, more or less, an unspoken fear when Jon was first deployed back in August of 2006, but acutely felt by us all. We all hoped for the best for him, prayed for his safety, cheered him on through e-mails and letters and occasional phone calls. And now: it seemed impossible – implausible – totally unimaginable. He was so heartbreakingly young! So vital, so brave, so very alive. But now suddenly gone in an instant. Those first few hazy days and weeks, we were haunted by that old Irish ballad, “Oh Johnny, we hardly knew ye.” It was surreal, to say the least. Our hearts were shattered: not only for ourselves, but also for Jon’s parents, for his sister, his wife, his aunt – for everyone whose lives he touched. And he touched countless souls in the fleeting time he was here on earth – we’ll never know just how many. We mourned the loss of someone who had so much more to give. For what he might have become. How far he yet had to go.
Helen Keller once wrote “Life is either a daring adventure or it is nothing at all.” This is how Jon lived his life. With a joie de vivre unparalleled by anyone else I have ever met in my entire life. With an unselfishness far surpassing anyone else you would ever come across in the normal course of day-to-day life. He gave his life, without an apparent moment’s hesitation, in an attempt to save countless others. Numerous tributes have been written about him and how he showered everyone with kindness, generosity, and in particular, his wonderful, inimitable brand of humor. He left ‘footprints’ on everyone’s hearts, and all who came in contact with Jon felt truly blessed. He was THAT amazing and had the effect of making you want to strive be a better person. He was always my “little” cousin (the youngest of seven on his father’s side), but he had the biggest heart of all of us.
Today, June 13th, marks what would have been Jonny’s 25th birthday. A birthday that he shares with his beloved grandfather. And a true milestone in one’s life – that first quarter century. It is, and now forever will be, one of those ‘anniversaries of the heart.’ A day that we will each mark quietly, with fond memories of Jon and how he truly epitomized the words ‘This little light o’mine, I’m gonna let it shine.’
Many thanks to my cousin, Kristia, for setting up this wonderful website where we can leave our tributes to Jon. She, too, is a bright shining light in our family and also has that magical effect of making you want to be a better person. Her eloquent words of wisdom belie her young age, and inspire us all.
So let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, everyone. For Jon, for his family, his wife, his friends, for our troops – Jon’s brothers and sisters-in-arms – and for each of us here on earth. The memory of Jon will serve to make the world a brighter place. And that is truly his greatest legacy.
Wishing all love and peace and grace,
Debra Valle and Family Dudley, Massachusetts
-Debra Valle (June 13, 2007)
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