A gathering was organized in San Diego for Saturday night, July 31, for friends to honor West Seattle resident, and Officer and Culinary Specialist Second Class, Jarod Newlove, a sailor killed while serving his last 40 days of duty in Kabul, Afghanistan. The theme is "Fair Winds and Following Seas," a popular mariner toast and salutation.

Officer Newlove died July 23 in a Taliban stronghold, Logar Province, 60 miles from the capital, where he drove with Officer Justin McNeley of Colorado who was also killed.

While it is currently a mystery why the two left their base, Camp Julian, there seems to be no mystery that Newlove was cherished not only by his family, including his wife, high school sweetheart Kim, and their son and daughter, but also by those he served with and those he came of age with at Chief Sealth High School near where he was raised, and where his parents still reside.

As a chef onboard he served a lot of people. There seems to be a consensus that barbecue was his specialty.

"We served together on the USS New Orleans," said Melinda Manciu, Culinary Specialist First Class, his supervisor. "Everybody enjoyed his food."

She said he began his culinary training during boot camp at Great Lakes Naval Base north of Chicago.

Now a civilian, she helped organized the gathering and told the West Seattle Herald that Newlove's friends would fly in from all over the country to honor him.

"He affected a lot of people," added Manciu. "It's amazing that everybody's coming together for him.

"He had a heart of gold, and he'd always be there, it was an automatic given," recalled Manciu. "He would always be upbeat. I don't even remember him having a bad day at all. He was only 21 when I met him. He was always careful, never got in trouble. He was family."

Manciu pointed out that while some civilians might wonder why there are sailors in landlocked Afghanistan and deep in the desert interior of Iraq, the ships carry jets, explosives, and other equipment used by the other branches to support the war, and their services are also depended upon on the ground.

Sam Svarny, also 25, was close to Officer Newlove at Chief Sealth. The two boys delivered the West Seattle Herald together as Freshman. Svarny lives near the high school, and the neighborhood where they were raised. He said Jarod's father also attended Chief Sealth.

Svarny, a diesel mechanic, believed that being a sailor would, to a degree, keep Newlove out of harms way, and sees irony in the inland fiasco that led to his pal's death.

"He wasn't a 'Rambo type," said Svarny. "I mean, he was a cook, a cook," he repeated with dismay, eyes tearing up. "He liked to cook and that's what he wanted to do. He made great barbecue."

Svarny seemed confused and yes, bitter by the loss of his friend. Svarny voted for Obama, is against the war, and said that "World War II was the last war that meant something.

"My kids are never going into the military, never," Svary said. He and his girlfriend are raising a five year-old daughter and are expecting a second child. Sam's younger brother, Jason, considered Jarod a role model.

"I didn't even know what to say to Jason when I heard Jarod was killed. Jason said, 'I looked up to him like a big brother.'

"I don't understand our government, how people can leave base in a vehicle and they don't know what he was doing. There might be something more there. I am sure Jarod was doing what he was supposed to do but they're not telling."

There were those few days when Newlove was reported missing and some reports suggested he was taken hostage.

"I was definitely hopeful," said Svarny. "He was always a strong kid."

Svarny recalled an incident where, as kids, he, Newlove, and several other friends in high school were goofing off.

"We used to jump off the Arboretum Bridge by U.W. from the old, closed on-ramp to 520. One time Jarod jumped off wrong and bellyflopped and his chest was all red. He didn't care. He was laughing. He was a fun guy. Always made other people happy. He was responsible too. That's why my little brother looked up to him. Chief Sealth was like a big family back then. We were all cool with each other."

Svarny's thoughts of his Chief Sealth days turned sarcastic when he recalled the military recruiters on campus.

"They were at our school all the time," he said. "They'd have booths and hand out stuff at lunch. They'd learn your name, and were like, "Hi Sam! How you doing?"

Gill McLynne, who operates the Alki Tavern his family has owned and run for 35 years, graduated a year apart from Newlove at Chief Sealth and remembers him well.

"We had history class together," said Gill. "I liked him a lot. He was just kind of a good guy to know."

Some Alki Tavern employees and regulars were friends of Newlove, and Gill said that he wants to organize a memorial party there to honor Jarod, but said he wants to be respectful of the family and may wait a bit.