Mon 11 Dec 2006
Krissoff ’03, RIP
Posted by eph under Nate Krissoff '03 at 4:55 pm
A statement from the family of Nate Krissoff ’03.
We are deeply saddened by the loss of our eldest son, 1st Lt. Nathan M. Krissoff USMC. Commissioned in June 2004, Lt. Krissoff deployed with 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion in Okinawa, Japan in September, 2006. Lieutenant Krissoff was the battalion’s counterintelligence officer. He routinely took part in patrols throughout al-Anbar Province. During his deployment, we were able to speak to him frequently by satellite phone. In every conversation, it was apparent that his Marines were his first priority. He consistently and courageously led them from the front. Through good and bad, he reminded us that the media could not possibly capture the complete picture — the heroism he witnessed among his Marines nor the satisfaction and pride they shared in protecting and defending civilians to create a more stable Iraq. His commitment to his family, the Corps and his country never wavered. He was a tremendously loyal son, brother and American who made the ultimate sacrifice for the defense of his country.
Please send all questions or emails to Austin Krissoff at akrissoff _at_ hotmail dot com. Services will be held the week of the 18th, to be confirmed at a later date. A contact list is being made.
Condolences to all.
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4 Responses to “Krissoff ’03, RIP”
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Whitney Wilson '90 says:
I think David is able to effectively articulate in a way which is very difficult for me (and perhaps others) the fact we owe, at the very least, sincere “thank you’s” to all who serve in the military. Regardless of your views on the propriety of any particular action, the vast majority of those who make the ultimate sacrifice in the service our our country (incluing foreign service officers, civilian employees, and contractors working in war zones) did not making the decision to wage war. Instead, they have made a decision to serve us in the wider world. Their committments should be honored, and not only when the pay the ultimate price. I don’t know if saying “thank you” to a soldier you see in the street would come accross as corny, or even be appreciated, but it would reflect a sincere feeling from my heart.
Condolences and best wishes to the Krissoff family. I owe you, and millions of others, more than I can express.
Warrant Officer Kenneth Ottley says:
My sincere condolence to the Krissoff family and to the Marines that had the great fortune to benefit from 1stLt Krissoff’s leadership and friendship. I first met Nat in Damneck Va, August 2005 where we attended the Basic CI course. To say that our entire class graduated better Marines because of Nat is an understatement. Although young in the Marine Corps, it was quite evident to myself – a 23 year veteran and to the school staff, that Nat was a Marines Marine and a force to be reckoned with. It was an honor to serve with him for that short period of time. God bless the Krissoff family, the United States Marine Corps, and the United States of America.
kim says:
I knew Nate.
I first encountered him in an American politics class my freshman year at Williams, when he was a senior. This class was my first real discussion class at Williams, and, as a terrified freshman, I was anxious to figure out who the older stars in the class were and how it was done. Nate was certainly one of those stars, and I began to study his moves. At first, I found him difficult to figure out. He was very intense, yet quite laid-back; serious, but then again, never serious at all. But smooth. Always smooth. One day, as we spilled out of Griffin Hall and onto the grassy hill overlooking Route 2, I was astonished to find him walking next to me and asking a question about the class discussion. I probably stammered some half-intelligent thing, being the dimwitted freshman I was. He flashed a quirky smile, and to this day, I couldn’t tell you whether it meant amusement or approval.
I think Nate approached life the way he approached all his activities – fully, and with a great deal of heart. In the classroom, he was attentive and curious, while outside class, he was a hard-working athlete, earning his place as a stand-out leader of the water polo and swim teams. Talking to him, you got the feeling you were in the presence of someone who wanted to – and could – make a big difference in the world.
Beyond that, just as Nate delved into international politics, so too did he desire to discover what the people he encountered were all about. He would try to bring out the best in them. Every time you talked to Nate, he made you feel like you had tremendous potential; that the things you were doing, no matter how mundane, were of terrific importance.
I have not seen Nate since he graduated from Williams, but we kept in touch through email. Via email coordination, I was able to meet and talk with a friend of his over Thai food last March – a fellow Marine who was in Hawaii for a few days. Nate himself was in Hawaii for one day last August on his way back to Okinawa. I am extremely sorry that I got his message too late and missed him.
As political science majors, we learn to analyze and question the way things work in the world. We study history and leadership, geography, economics, ethnic conflicts, charters, constitutions, doctrines, declarations of independence. We are tickled by current events, and how they either fall into the pattern that we have already predicted, or how they fail to follow that pattern, throwing our whole world out of whack. Then we create new theories. We theorize to no end about what impact X event will have on Y country and Z conflict thousands of miles away. And sometimes, we forget that the world we analyze to death is actually the world in which we live.
It is not enough to approach the world fully. We must also approach it as Nate did — with a great deal of heart.
Nate sent me a message in December 2005, asking about my post-graduation plans, if I planned to be back in Hawaii to “liberate the islands” in 2006, and whether I had managed to “take over the political science department.”
“Perhaps” and “Working on it,” I wrote back. “What are you up to?”
“I’ll be liberating Okinawa….a real haven for former poli-sci majors,” he wrote.
“Getting stationed there for two years. The diving is amazing, the people are gracious, the soup is hot. What more could you ask for. Happy New Years.”
Rest in peace, Nate. My deepest condolences to his family. This is a tremendous loss for the entire world.
Warrant Officer Kenneth Ottley says:
I have created a website on http://www.togetherweserved.com in memorium of Nate. Go to the site and check it out. Anyone who has pictures and words of comfort to add please contact me at kdottley@hotmail.com or phone 954-549-0719.