The tumor of tobacco

I am blessed to have a Navy O3 (LT) here, a fellow whom I met back in Fort Jackson, in my Afghanistan world. In stark contrast to my Iraq deployment, where the Navy O3 in my life was a disgrace, this guy, Mike M is a gem. Mike is a bright, no-shit fellow with a history of coaching his boys' football team, and preaching to his students. I am sure in his Texas hometown he is an institution. He is a friend, I feel I can say, always with a wad of Red Man chewing tobacco in that gob of his, off to the side, so like a tumor. I promised him on his last day, a few months from now, that I will, in his honor, try a bit of Red Man.