COMSTOCK PARK, Mich. — During Friday night's Comstock Park Boy's Basketball game, Marine Captain Miguel Nava, a 2013 graduate of the city's high school was honored with a moment of silence.
Nava was married to his wife Ryann of four years, and recently had a son, Luca, born in September.
Assistant Principal Tony Petkus knew Nava during his high school days. He knew the captain would be an extraordinary person just by the way he carried himself.
"If you look at any of the pictures, he has had that smile," said Petkus. "He was just so positive. We need more Miguels in this world. Someone that, you know, 20 years old, that is given his dedication, his service to our country, and in his sacrifice."
We spoke with one of Nava's best friends, and teammate, Jacob Brown.
"Miguel is one of the best people," said Brown. "And that's cliché, I think we may overuse that in times like these sometimes, but there's truly no one that was more widely respected and kind as caring as Miguel."
Pictures from Browns and Nava's high school days show that special smile everyone talks about.
When he heard that his friend wanted to be a Marine and graduate from the Naval academy, it didn't come as a shock.
"When he was telling me that he wanted to do that, and the process and the process and everything like that. He was he was gonna complete it," said Brown. "He was gonna get it done."
To Brown, the world lost a good Marine, and an even better person.
"I keep going back to (him) as the most respectful, kind, caring-driven person that there ever was that I've ever met. I mean, I just, I hope everyone could see Miguel and what it takes to be just a decent human being."
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