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<p><em>Brent Thomas Mumford</em> was born to Carey and Janice Mumford and was raised in Crossville, TN and Melbourne, FL. </p>
<p>I met Brent, affectionately known as “Mumf,” in the fall of plebe year. We weren’t in the same company, but we had a mutual friend, Joey Gullion, in Company I-2 with me. Joey was a skinny, super confident kid from Texas, and rightfully so as the highest-ranked player on the Army Golf Team. Joey’s buddy Brent braved the hazing of upperclassmen and pinged over to our barracks to visit. That day I was in Joey’s room, and it was my first time meeting Brent, apparently an accomplished golfer himself. It seemed Brent was quieter and more reserved than Joey. Over the years I found this to be the farthest thing from the truth.</p>
<p>Mumf and I became friends through Joey. I had a chance to watch the two of them hit golf balls for the first time and was amazed at how these two skinny kids could hit a golf ball that far! Over the next year I got to know Mumf a lot better, along with some of his companymates. Mumf, Tag Greason, and I became a triumvirate that spent many weekends together down in Virginia with our girlfriends. The three of us were best men or groomsmen in each other’s weddings. </p>
<p>After graduation we’d keep in touch through letters and phone calls, but we were all trying to find our way in this new career and get-togethers were few and far between. As chance would have it, many officers were offered an opportunity to leave the Army early as part of a draw down under President Clinton. One of my favorite photos is of Mumf shaking hands with Clinton during graduation, diploma in hand. I’m convinced Mumf probably made a deal to get out early during that handshake.</p>
<p>Mumf went off to the corporate world and got his MBA. I was immediately in awe of his ability to assimilate into the corporate world. While he excelled at West Point, we had no idea how business savvy he was. He was one of the most brilliant people with numbers that I ever met and I learned a lot just listening to him talk about his experiences in the dot-com and private equity sectors.</p>
<p>In our adult years, Mumf and I spent a lot of time together. Much of our time spent together was traveling to Las Vegas, Hawaii, Paris, Phoenix, Seattle, Chicago, etc. Los Cabos, Mexico is one of my favorite vacation destinations; however, I could never get Mumf to go because he was too restless to just sit on a beach and not do anything. He didn’t sleep much and always had to have his brain actively engaged in something, so beach vacations weren’t ideal.</p>
<p>Some of our favorite times were in Las Vegas. I wasn’t a big gambler. I would plan to lose a little and be done. Mumf said to me, “Why come to Vegas when it’s a sunk cost? I risk more but I don’t pay for hotel rooms, dinners, drinks.” That was classic Mumf. He was truly a numbers guy and brilliant at that. For the next 15-20 years we spent many weekends at Mandalay Bay playing hours of blackjack, eating great dinners, going to Mayweather and Pacquiao fights, Super Bowl parties with Charles Barkley and the like.</p>
<p>A classic story includes a night of festivities in Las Vegas when the group dispersed and left Mumf with a $2,500 dinner and drink bill. In came an angry Mumf at 5am who exacted revenge by making me take him to dinner the next night. We went to the nicest restaurant at Mandalay Bay, and he asked for the best wine list. It was one of the most fun nights I had with Mumf, but it took a while for my bank account to recover, and I still have the $2,000 “dinner for two” receipt at home.</p>
<p>My last story is one about the Mumf that few saw. I’d never been to the beaches of Normandy, and it was on my bucket list. I made a declaration and texted Mumf that “we’re going.” A year later, we were off to Paris. Our second day we woke up at 11pm due to jetlag. We grabbed a late dinner and then walked around Paris until 3am. </p>
<p>Mumf had his high-end camera. Taking pictures was something that he loved to do. He had a fascination of nice cameras and pictures. Paris is a beautiful city, but at night, with no one on the streets, it’s spectacular! We walked and talked some, but much of it was just in stunned silence taking pictures at every turn of Paris’s nocturnal beauty. It was one of my favorite nights hanging with my friend. No people, no bright lights, no blackjack table. Just two friends taking in a moment.</p>
<p>We took a first-class train to Normandy later that week. It was Memorial Day and my birthday. The trip was everything I expected. It was absolutely awe inspiring to stand on the beaches and look up at the cliff thinking about the mission of those soldiers on June 6, 1944. We achieved our mission and finally stood on the hollowed grounds of where so many sacrificed their lives. The train ride back to Paris that same day was quiet and somber, but we left grateful for the memories. </p>
<p>Mumf and I had many other memories we shared together: birthdays in L.A., trips to Scottsdale, Dave Matthews Band concerts at The Gorge, Army-Navy games, etc. Every single moment together was special, and I do and will always miss my friend. Rest well, brother.</p>
<p><em>— JJ Durant (with assistance from Erich Mumford)</em></p>
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