Memories of Jeremy Kaufmann Spiess

In memory of

Jeremy Kaufmann Spiess

Canaan, NH

June 25, 1976 - September 23, 2025

Jun 25, 1976 - Sep 23, 2025

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Jeremy Link

2017

Jeremy Link

1997

Jeremy Link

1996

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Jeremy Link

1996

Jeremy Link

1996

Jeremy Link

1995

Jeremy Link

1995

Jeremy Link

1997

Jeremy Link

2021, Saginaw, TX, USA

Autumn & Cole Link wanted to share their memories of Spiess. They remember him as fun, funny, telling crazy stories, having a great laugh, and most of all…this epic Nerf Gun Battle.

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Jeremy Link

2021, Saginaw, TX, USA

Autumn & Cole Link wanted to share their memories of Spiess. They remember him as fun, funny, telling crazy stories, his laughter, and most of all…this epic Nerf Gun Battle.

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Lisa Spiess

Jeremy Link

1996

This is a hard thing to write for many reasons, but it all comes down to one simple truth — I miss my friend. The military had a habit of calling everyone by their last names, which turned out to be helpful since we were both named Jeremy. To me, he’ll always be Spiess. I met Spiess in 1994, at the end of Infantry Basic Training at Fort Benning, Georgia. Though we went through training together, we didn’t really get to know each other until the very end, when we were both assigned to Fort Stewart, Georgia. When we arrived at Fort Stewart in November 1994, we were placed in 1st Platoon, Delta Company, 3/7 Infantry. That’s when our friendship really began. We couldn’t have been more opposite — Spiess was outgoing and loved to talk, while I was quiet and reserved. But somehow, it worked. From that point on, we spent the next four years doing just about everything together. Our first real taste of Army life came just days after joining the unit. Since the company was already out on a training exercise, Spiess and I had a few days in garrison to prep our gear and get to know each other better. When we finally joined the field exercise, we were thrown straight to the wolves. The first night, a cold front blew in, dropping the temperature by about 20 degrees and bringing heavy rain. We didn’t know what we were doing and had no cold-weather gear — just our ponchos and a patch of muddy ground. We lay there all night, freezing, soaked to the bone. I think that was the coldest we had ever been — and we later spent a year in Korea! I’ll never forget the day Spiess took me to get my first tattoo. I have no idea how he found this place — way out in the country at someone’s house. The “tattoo parlor” was literally an old bus up on blocks. It was the middle of summer in Georgia, no air conditioning, and hot as hell. Spiess went first, but after about ten minutes he jumped out the back of the bus and started heaving. Right then I said, “Nope, not happening.” To this day, I still don’t have a tattoo — but I always appreciated how Spiess pushed me out of my comfort zone. After two years in Georgia, we both volunteered for a one-year tour in Korea. Spiess got there a few weeks ahead of me, but we both ended up in Delta Company, 1/9 Infantry. We spent that year training hard and partying harder — typical young soldiers just living life. When our tour in Korea ended, we were both reassigned to Fort Hood, Texas. For the first time in three and a half years, we weren’t in the same unit, but since single NCOs were allowed to live off post, we got our first apartment together. Six months after arriving at Fort Hood, Spiess’s enlistment ended, and he left the Army in June 1998. Shortly after that, I deployed to Bosnia. That’s when we lost touch — for about 15 years. Thankfully, social media brought us back together, and when we reconnected, it felt like no time had passed at all. I’m grateful that Spiess reached out to me after so many years—it gave me the chance to reconnect with a long-lost friend and get to know his wonderful family. Over the next decade, Spiess’s travels fortunately brought him, Lisa, Lily, and Ember to visit us several times. One of my favorite memories together was a weeklong camping trip at Big South Fork Park in Tennessee, where we spent our days talking, hiking, and soaking in the beauty of nature. Even though we didn’t get to spend much time together after the military, Spiess always remained my best friend. I love you, brother — and I miss you. Until we meet again. — with The Two Jeremies - Link & Spiess

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