One of these heroes is a close friend of mine, and he comes directly from our own natural stone industry. His name is Jeff Duncan, and I worked with him almost 10 years ago. At the time that I met him, Jeff was going to be a new saw operator at a local tile and stone company where I was working. I would go out to the shop from time to time and notice Jeff watching intently as he trained on how to cut natural stone slabs into countertops. He learned very quickly, and became a master at what he did.
He and I shared a common bond, as we are both veterans of the Regular U.S. Army. He was a soldier in the 1st of the 17th Air Cavalry - part of the famed 82nd Airborne Division.