U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL) Kevin Ebbert, whilst he was a Tier 1 operator, was a very much compassionate as a corpsman, wanting to help others. He planned to leave the Navy to study medicine. However at the age of 32, the Arcata, California native died on 24 November in Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan doing his duty in supporting stability operations.

His friends want then travelled deep into the Sierras to "establish a first ascent on a 1000' rock face to memorialize their fallen teammate."

This is a project they call "Kevin's Climb" which at Kickstarter, is now two days away before the pledging session expires. Its goal of US$14,500 is already surpassed with a total of US$18,413 already pledged as of this writing. Still, you can pledge your support as more funds for this project give them more resources to complete this project.

"Kevin's Climb" is a film documentary which shows the friends of Kevin Ebbert band together for a project that will reflect his love for the outdoors and climbing. The friends and the crew will establish a first ascent, which means to travel a route that has never been done --- traverse 24 miles across mountains to a rock face that is 1,000 metres tall. The rock face is called Cyclorama Wall and is deep within the Sierra Nevada.

They actually attempted the route last year, but poor weather conditions forced them back and they are determined more than ever to establish the route. As for why they have to do a documentary, the project proponents say that:

Just doing the climb isn't enough.  Our goal with this film is to create an excellent product that can help share the experience of these men as they strive to celebrate the life of a friend that paid the ultimate sacrifice.  It is a story that needs to be told and experienced. Our success will be in creating a film that truly captures the impression that Kevin left on those who knew him.

It's a story of friendship and determination amongst the living as much as it's a story of someone they want to memorialize. They are doing this not only for fallen friend, but for themselves too that even without their friend, they are still committed to the challenges that bond them together.

You still got two days to support this project and you can support the project with a minimum of US$1.00 and you can give more if you feel more generous. If you think it's worthwhile, then go to the project's Kickstarter page to give your pledge.

(Photo source: Unknown Soldier's Blog)