“Forever Loved, Never Forgotten”
The Navy Gold Star Program is eternally grateful for the sacrifice of those Service Members who have died in service to our country. To help us to never forget, we have set up this tribute page to honor and remember the memory of those lives. If you would like to honor the memory of your Sailor, Soldier, Marine, Airman or Coast Guardsman through the Navy Gold Star website please submit your thoughts and a photo.
John Thomas Larimer was born in the early morning hours of February 16, 1985. He grew up with his four older siblings in Crystal Lake, IL. John graduated with honors from University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. John became fourth-generation Navy when he enlisted and went to Great Lakes in February, 2011. Next was CTR-A school and then stationed at Buckley AFB in Aurora, CO.
We last saw John in early July, 2012 and he told us he was being encouraged to go to OCS and become an officer. After John’s death, we learned that they had started a mentoring award in his name because he had been mentoring other military personnel on and off the job. We also learned that he was doing extremely well with his assigned job.
John didn’t die because of his Navy service. He died in a mass shooting at a movie theater on July 20, 2012