Honoring a Promise: U.S. Marine Reenlists In the Face of Loss

In a heartfelt ceremony, U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Kaydan Smith made a profound commitment not only to his country, but to the memory of his late wife Emily. Amidst the grief of losing her in a tragic car accident, Smith, a network administrator with Headquarters Battalion, 3d Marine Division, reenlisted among friends and fellow Marines at Camp Courtney, Okinawa, Japan, Feb. 21, 2024.

The ceremony took place just two days after what would have been Emily’s birthday. Smith says his decision to advance his journey in the Marine Corps honors her wish that he continue pursuing his dreams, regardless of life’s obstacles.

“One thing we were really big on was following our dreams,” said Smith. “We were both supportive with each other’s decisions.”

Since the beginning of their relationship as high school sweethearts in 2015, their support for each other never wavered. Upon graduation, Smith and his wife’s separate career aspirations led them down different paths. Emily left for college, studying to become an elementary school teacher, while Smith followed his dreams and enlisted in the Marine Corps. Through the ups and downs, they continued to encourage each other from a distance.

“Joining the military was a dream I had since I was a child,” said Smith. “Even though we had different challenges, and even though we were long-distance, we would always call each other and encourage each other to keep going.”

The couple reunited and married on the date of their five-year anniversary, a year after Smith’s enlistment.

In 2023, on the way to a family gathering, Emily was rear-ended into oncoming traffic. She passed away in the accident.

“I no longer had that one person that’s always there for me no matter what,” Smith said. “At that point I was just looking for someone to tell me what to do. I was completely lost.”

During those trying times, Smith found strength in words from 3d Marine Division’s Headquarters Battalion Commander, Col. Brian Harvey, who displayed care and confidence in him despite his somber circumstances.

Harvey’s words and reassurance gave Smith the needed assurance to lean on his command while he grappled with his grief. Receiving the support of his fellow Marines and leaders during his darkest times reignited Smith’s passion for his military service.

“That will forever stick with me,” said Smith. “The feeling of loneliness was one of the biggest struggles I had, but the Marines here understand me. They are my family.”

Smith had the opportunity to personally thank Harvey at his reenlistment ceremony, and was congratulated by his former commander with the same enthusiasm, support, and assurance as he had in the past.

Smith says he will always love and miss Emily, but he’s found renewed purpose and continues to honor her memory by living his life in a way she would have wanted him to.

“Knowing that I won’t be able to talk to her again is hard. If I could talk to her right now I would start off by saying happy 25th birthday,” said Smith.

"Everybody that you love… make sure you tell them how much you love them. The one thing you’ll regret is not telling people that as much as you want to” Lance Cpl. Kaydan Smith