Maybe you're a fan of Anthony Bourdain, maybe his passing is just another celebrity death - tragic but a death spotlighted only because of their fame.

Personally, I imagined one day meeting "Uncle Tony" face to face. While it's sad that this won't happen now, it's sadder that this "tell it like it is" soul has left us too soon.

True, he started off gaining popularity as the original "bad boy chef." But over time Bourdain realized that glamorizing the drunken, drugged out lifestyle helped no one.

While he joked about pulling a fast one for being paid to travel & eat at places he could barely afford as a cook, Bourdain eventually brought more to filming his globe trotting than just food porn.

If you watch his Lebanon episode where he’s being evacuated with other civilians aboard CL-43 (USS Nashville) shares his “oh, shiitake” moments of “what have I gotten myself into here?!” it’s clear that Bourdain realizes he's no longer indulging his personal whims.

Bourdain was known for his pull-no-punches style of writing but brought a cinematic eye to his his storytelling that drew you in and made it impossible to look away. Yet, it was how this lens helped us to see ourselves in other cultures that was most striking.

While Bourdain never served in the military himself, he was no stranger to our troops. Over the years he made visits to bases like Camp Casey, South Korea.

His death is an unfortunate, but needed reminder that even someone who seems to "have it all" can still struggle with the demons that take away 22 of our shipmates A DAY!

So, I just wanted to share a few sentiments on what this celebrity chef means to me and why his death unfortunately is still a needed reminder.

Farewell, shipmate - we have the watch.