We lost an American hero early this month, long before his time. David Harrington earned his Super Dave nickname back when he was in Army Special Forces. It came partly from his physique \u2013 he always looked as if he had stepped off the cover of a bodybuilding magazine — but also for his martial prowess. Brain cancer did what the warfighters of our country\u2019s enemies could not. He passed peacefully in hospice in Baton Rouge, surrounded by his loved ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Back when he and I were both sponsored shooters on Team EoTac and later the Panteao Gun Team, he was always one of the men to beat. I was always impressed by the fact that in games where many competitors used tricked-out \u201crace guns\u201d Dave often competed with the guns he had carried for real, a stock Beretta 92 or a stock Glock 19. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When our team occasionally taught classes as a side event at major matches, I found Dave to be an outstanding instructor. Plain-spoken, clear, and patient with students, Dave Harrington lived up to the \u201cSuper\u201d prefix others had given him in that respect too. He also had a self-effacing sense of humor: when our mutual friend Fernando Coelho gave him a Superman cape with \u201cSD\u201d emblazoned on the back, Dave wore it to a match. He didn\u2019t take himself seriously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n