These are things Nic believed in, and what he echoed through an essay he copied to his mother in a 2010 email.

Edmund Carpenter II was only 17 in 1938 when he wrote “Before I Die,” a look at five things he wanted to experience in life before he died. There are several similarities between Moses and Carpenter. Both served our country, and like Nic, Carpenter was awarded a Bronze Star for his military service. And both checked off all of the life goals from the essay.

Carpenter's Five Life Goals

1. Do something truly great
2. Friendship
3. Travel
4. Love
5. Sorrow

“Before I die I want to know that I have done something truly great, that I have accomplished some glorious achievement the credit for which belongs solely to me. I do not aspire to become as famous as a Napoleon and conquer many nations; but I do want, almost above all else, to feel that I have been an addition to this world of ours. I should like the world, or at least my native land, to be proud of me and to sit up and take notice when my name is pronounced and say, 'There is a man who has done a great thing.'" **Before I Die by Edmund N. Carpenter II**

I didn’t meet Nic Moses, though I think about what he was like every time I see his stone marker in our studio. As I’ve learned more about him, his story, and what he stood for, I’ve recently thought about the final line from that paragraph of Edmund Carpenter’s essay. Maybe Nic only read it once and forwarded it on in an email, not thinking much about it, but he — just like every American we honor for their ultimate sacrifice on Memorial Day — accomplished the five things Carpenter wished to live out just as his life was getting started.

Nic’s life had a tragic ending from every angle, and especially this weekend, my heart goes out to Nic’s family and friends, like Craig and Aaron.

I know they’re remembering Nic Moses, a truly great American soldier.

As long as his friends want to keep it in the OutKick 360 studio, the Nic stone won't leave. Nic Is Here!

Please take a moment to remember our lost veterans and their families this Memorial Day. They paid the ultimate price for the freedoms we enjoy.

Memorial

Nic Is Here: The Soldier Over The Shoulder Of OutKick's Hot Mic

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