Christopher “Chris” George Campbell was born on September 16, 1974 on the island of O’ahu, Hawaii at Tripler Army Medical Center. From the moment he was born, he was a busy baby boy who grew into a toddler on the go. The transition to elementary school was no different. There were many phone calls from the school office and trips to the doctor after jumping, falling and even an athome attempt to fly, which resulted in a broken collar bone. The sense of adventure seemed to be interwoven into this little boy’s life. He loved sports, baseball in particular, and had a dream to be a professional baseball player. A favorite summer getaway was the trip to Bear Island, taking the ferry over to Hammocks Beach State Park, where Chris would become a lifeguard. The love of the ocean had cast its spell. Chris was at home in the water. He skipped class to surf with his buddies and became a lifeguard at the pool.
Two years after graduation from high school, he joined the United States Navy and began basic training in Great Lakes, Illinois in the Fall of 1996. His daughter, Samantha, was born the following year. After he completed basic training, he went to “A” school and from there to Basic Underwater Demolition School (BUD/S). After a lengthy and rigorous process, Chris became a Navy SEAL. Born into a Marine Corps family, patriotism was second nature. As an adult, Chris became a proud patriot of the United States of America. It was his personal dedication, discipline, perseverance and positive outlook that enabled him to become a top tier operator. Although training and deployments resulted in him being geographically distant, he never lost touch with his family. He would pop in unexpectedly at his parents or drive for hours to be present at an event for his daughter. We are pleased to name UTAH in Chris’ honor. UTAH will carry on Chris’ memory and will grow to be a future paws4people Assistance Dog.
