PRESIDIO OF MONTEREY, Calif. -- Friends and fellow Soldiers from the 229th Military Intelligence Battalion stationed at the Presidio of Monterey gathered to remember Spc. Jordan C. Selfe at a memorial ceremony at the Presidio of Monterey, Feb. 24, 2014.
Selfe, a native of Carlisle, Pennsylvania, graduated from Tiffin University and entered the United States Army on May 7, 2013. He served in Military Intelligence as a 35P Cryptological Linguist at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center in Bravo Co., 229th Military Intelligence Battalion.
Shortly after his arrival at the Presidio of Monterey in Sept. 2013 Selfe was diagnosed with terminal Burkitt's Lymphoma.
He died on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2014 in Charleston, S.C., surrounded by family and close friends. Selfe was 23 years old.
Selfe's awards and decorations include the National Defense Service Medal and the Good Conduct Medal.
In his short time at the Presidio Selfe made many friends and was considered by his peers an optimistic and persevering student.
"He was a dedicated Soldier, quick to encourage others whenever he saw a service member struggling; it didn't have to necessarily be about studies, or making the grade as a Soldier - and that was even after he had been diagnosed and began to show visible signs of his illness." said Pfc. Alan Studer from the podium while delivering his eulogy to Selfe.
"Being in the Army was where he wanted to be and the life of a Soldier was what he wanted to live. He was -- and would have made -- a great Soldier."
The Presidio of Monterey memorial ceremony held for Selfe was attended by more than 100 service members and staff of the Presidio of Monterey and Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center.
Chaplain Capt. Jonathan Averill provided a memorial reflection and benediction during the ceremony, followed by personal recollections of Selfe from Bravo Co. Soldiers Pfc. Alexander Makimano and Pfc. Steven Radd, as well as Pfc. Studer.
Selfe is survived by his parents, Jeff and Heather Selfe, formerly of East Berlin, and now residing in Florence, S.C., a brother, Jared R. Selfe of Surfside Beach, S.C., a sister, Jenna N. Selfe of Florence, S.C., a maternal grandmother, Jean L. Strouse of Lamar, his paternal grandmother, Patricia M. Selfe of Mill Hall and his girlfriend, Claire Spellman of Des Moines, Iowa.
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