More than his accomplishments, Kade is remembered for the way he made people feel. He treated others with a rare kindness and love. He was able to make people not even close to him feel cared about and valued. He truly did care for them and valued who they were. Though he never really mastered the ability to hug, his clumsy, loving embrace is  really missed. Those he knew are forever better and grateful for having been fortunate enough to know him.

CDT Collin Keogh

USMA 2021

Kade’s loss signified a moment in my life where I no longer felt innocent. His exuberant happiness and drive to help others was something that helped me get through many of the tough days of plebe and yuk year. Losing this sort of figure in my life displayed to me the fragility of life and the importance of relationships. His loss ignited in Company H1 an everlasting campaign to share happiness and be there for anyone. Simply, the company strived to be more like Kade in our daily interactions with each other.

CDT Jordan Dingle

USMA 2022
Company H1

Kade cared about everyone. He consistently put the needs of others before himself—whether it was homework help, paying for a meal, or being a workout buddy, Kade always found a way to be available for others. Kade also was a ferociously hard worker. He set a high standard for his own achievement and usually exceeded it ---except maybe in Military Movement. Kade was the kind of leader and teammate who made you better, not because he told you to but because he made you want to.  As much as Kade was a professional, he also had a fun side. Kade would agree in an instant to take a trip to the mountains, New York City, or just over to your room to chat for an hour because he understood the value of quality time spent with others. Kade embodied what it meant to love those you work with and for. Kade loved people. What set Kade apart was his capacity to not only show people that he loved them but to make it a point to tell them that he loved them too.

CDT Emersen Bribiesca

USMA 2021
Company H1

Kade literally carried me through a lot of the Sandhurst practices during cow year. He would always encourage me to push myself physically and always be there for me with support. And on occasion he would literally carry me up the hill behind DENTAC during buddy carry hill sprints. He was no stranger to getting roped into long conversations about anything and everything on a lonely CCQ shift or covering for you in a pinch. He was the best of us because, while we only knew him for two and a half years, he treated us and cared for us like family. I only hope He rubbed off on us even a little.

CDT Sean Hallman

USMA 2021

Company H1

Kade was a light to his friends and peers. He was the first to offer a helping hand and went out of his way to make everyone feel as though they were part of the H1 family. As time goes on, we learn more and more about the kindness Kade displayed. The firsties remember him as the man who bought out the company store at plebe parent weekend just so we could all have something to eat as we waited for our families to arrive. The cows remember him as the ever-present squad leader who adamantly checked on his people to make sure they felt at home. And while the yuks in the company only had a little time with him he made an impact by helping to tutor them in chemistry and get them on the right track in every pillar. Kade was selfless, kind, honest, and most importantly never afraid to be himself. He was what every cadet should strive to be as a future officer and what every person should strive to be as a good human. He will live in the hearts of H1 forever.

CDT Emma Begin

USMA 2021

I remember when I first arrived to H1 and met him. He was always trying to help. My team leader said he would give the shirt off his back, that was the first thing I heard about him. He was always willing to help and take time out of his day to be there for others.

CDT Harney

USMA 2023

If I had to describe Kade using one word, it would be incredible. He was always helping others and looking for ways to make West Point bearable. Kade was my first semester squad leader. I never had a leader care about me the way Kade did. He would always check in on me just to make sure I was doing alright. He would also ask about my family and interests which made me feel appreciated. I will never forget the memories Kade and I shared. He was always helping me with my Chemistry homework and we even celebrated National Figi Day together. Kade was not only an ideal leader but a genuine person. There will never be another Kade, and I'm grateful I was fortunate enough to know him. 

CDT Jahryca McClean

USMA 2023

Company H1

As many of Kade’s friends and company mates say, he was a genuine and kind soul. Kade always cared for everyone and went out of his way to help. He was not my team leader, but he was one I could always go to. I remember him giving me advice or helping me out with my plebe questions. I remember seeing him during CFT, always talking to one of his trainees when we had free time. He gave ice cream from a box to any one that passed by his room. He listened to me when I presented power points to him. A distinct and funny memory that I remember was at the end of my plebe year and his yuk year. I had to strip my Kevlar helmet, remove all the screws, and take the top cloth part off of the helmet. I went to Kade to help me out with that and I remember losing one screw after gathering all the pieces together. Kade helped me look all over the room for one little screw for almost an hour. The little screw ended up  being in my helmet the whole time. I’m so grateful to have known him my plebe and yuk year of west point. He has taught me to relax and reminded me that everything was going to be alright. If I was ever amped up, he calmed me down and helped me realize what to do. Everyone loved Kade. We talk about how much we miss him and what a wonderful person he was. I’m so glad to have talked to him and grown closer to him, and see what an impact he has on us, company H1.

CDT Maya Ginzburg

USMA 2022

Company H1

There was one thing I always remembered about Kade. He was always the person I could go to when I needed someone to talk to, and he was the most attentive person I have ever met. He genuinely cared about me and it really hurt when I realized that he felt we wouldn't give him that same genuine love and affection in a heartbeat. I think he felt his problems would be a burden to us when it would have been anything but that. When I was Plebe, I was trying to figure out how to write a paper for my PL300 class (I don't even remember what the paper was about). However, I do remember sitting down with Kade, while he was on his CCQ shift, and talking with him for a couple hours about life, and how I felt expendable in the grand scheme of things. I told him I felt like my greatest purpose in life was to fight and die somewhere. It was not necessarily what he said that stuck with me after I told him that, but it was how he reacted. He listened, he cared, and he showed that through his actions. He would always come in to check on me and as to how I was doing - which I'm sure you know is Kade just being Kade. It was so common for him to be so good to all of us. I do not know where I'm going with this, but I just remember coming away from that conversation knowing I was loved by my friend, and that Kade was someone I could always go to when I needed to get something off my chest. 

CDT Miranda
USMA 2022

Kade’s spirit, positivity, and smile never went unnoticed. I can still see his grin in my head when I think about him. Kade taught me and my company about the impact of small interactions, both before and after his passing. My clearest memories of Kade include him recognizing how stressed I felt as I walked back to my room late at night, when he was on the CCQ. While the other team leaders either did not pay attention to things like this, or mainly focused on correcting us, Kade was one of the only upperclassmen I knew who genuinely asked me if I was okay. Holding in tears, I nodded, and he told me to get some sleep. I remember crying in my room after that- it meant so much to me that someone, other than my plebe friends, cared about how I was doing, even when expressed in a small conversation. When we were heading to a formation during grad week of my plebe year, I entered the stairwell at the same time as Kade and he greeted me with “Hey Anna!” That sounds like a normal interaction, but this was a few days before our recognition, and no one was calling us by our first names. He said hi to my roommate too and expressed that he was trying to learn our actual names. I remember that being the meaningful highlight of my day- but again the gesture was so small. Kade had an innate love for others, and he brought people together in life and in death.

CDT Anna Tovkach

USMA 2022

Company H1