March 24, 2008
Bash here…I don’t know if Pat has had a single Deep Thought yet today,as he is rushing to L.A. to see his eye doctor. Hopefully we’ll see him here tonight. I’ll keep ya posted.
4:36 P.M.
Against all odds, I have passed my eye check-up with flying colors. I was brought to this Dr. by a friend well-connected with the UCLA eye center as “the best Dr. in the nation” for retinal re-attachment surgery. The doc is so strict he’s been nicknamed Darth Vader. Well, as most of you know, given my schedule I was unable to quarantine myself and keep my head face-down on a table for 8 hours a day. I was really nervous the retina wasn’t re-attaching, especially since I had started to occasionally see little green lights which are a sign of it de-attachment.
After extensinve and careful examiniation he told he it was all coming back together fine, and that the lights do sometimes happen rarely, ( as in my case ), and were significant of nothing. I jokingly told him “I don’t folllow not even one of your frickin’ rules and I’m healing up just fine”. He told me that he had taken extra measures in the surgery to hold things together because he could tell I “was’t a rule follower”.
Anyway, I no longer have to wear the mini-collander over my eye, and can engage in the usual full round of activities including working out and shooting. I have a follow-up surgery in a month, and he says I should be good to go to hit Afghanistan in September.
At the moment I’m working feverishly to finish the draft of my bio-pic for Fox, am sorting out/editing things for for Young Americans, miles away from the garbage of “Generation Kill” that one of its writer told me it was ( keep in mind that it’s really about a different war, just the push to Baghdad where the biggest enemy faced was a sandstorm, and as you can tell by the book the writer saw no real action, which is probably why he made so many “mistakes” ( uh, polite word for lies and fabricactions? ) in the book which were brought out on the internet ), and a lot more to report from there.
For legal reasons and strategic domestic combat OPSEC the real good and juicy stuff has been left out of “Deep Thought” but will be returning. I want this feature to exist as a daily journal about all the drama they call my life, sort of a badly written version of Rosseau’s “Confessions”.
5:03 P.M.
Be respectful of others and their opinions. Inflammatory remarks and inane leftist drivel will be deleted. It ain’t about free speech, remember you’re in a private domain. My website, my prerogative.
If you can't handle using your real email address, don't bother posting a comment.
Knowing Pat im sure he had plenty of deep thoughts. just not enough time to share them with us.
Good luck at the doctor today buddy
March 24th, 2008 at 9:22 amI thought his appointment was for tomorrow
I hope all is OK with him and he just was able to get in sooner!!!!!
March 24th, 2008 at 9:27 amHope all goes well, Pat. Eye issues are the worse; hell, I had a bad eye infection right during the Tech shootings. That was a hellish week, to say the least.
March 24th, 2008 at 9:30 amHopefully the eye doc had an opening and moved up the appointment, and not an urgent need to get there on Pat’s end.
———————————————————–
My D.C. trip is this weekend. I am staying near the White House.
I need from our D.C. “frequent-fliers” some good locations in that area for “cheap-but-good” eats … Same with coffee shops.
The hotel has a nice dining room, but if we’re out on foot where are the “must dine” (and the stay-the-heck-away-from) establishments?
Also, in that general area, a nice moderately up-scale restaurant where we can have a nice dinner one of the nights.
March 24th, 2008 at 9:56 amAre you going to be joining the Freepers at Walter Reed? Good folks there doing good things!
March 24th, 2008 at 10:28 amhttp://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1990655/posts
Did not know about that … Will consider it in my plans.
You going?
—————————————————
Listening to Rush Limbaugh on the radio show just now. His parody creator (name slips my mind at the moment) has put together a “Grandma Got Run Over By Obama” … song.
March 24th, 2008 at 10:38 am
Drill
March 24th, 2008 at 10:43 amI’ve always wanted to be there with them. They’ve been stuffing it to the Code Pinkos every week for a few years now. They make me real proud. Since my job at TWA evaporated 30 days after 9/11/01 my travelling has been sorely curtailed.
DANG! Would have liked to meet a fellow Dollardhead too.
My trip is to meet with some online friends I met shortly after 9-11 on the HBO Band of Brothers message boards discussing the mini series.
The WWII father (D-Day, Normandy Beach) of one passed away before the Christmas holidays. The family is having him laid to rest in Arlington next week. Some of us decided to attend (coming in from as far away as San Fran.) to show our support and pride.
March 24th, 2008 at 10:50 amLet the FReepers know about it if you all don’t want to be “low key” about it. I’m pretty sure they would be very supportive too.
March 24th, 2008 at 10:55 amI love the pictures they post every week of the wounded troops coming out to thank them and waving from the buses coming and going.
You’re doing a great thing.
To be clear, one of my friends is the San Fran. traveler … My flight is way shorter out of NE Ohio via Cleveland …
March 24th, 2008 at 11:05 amToday? Pat is rushing to L.A.? On Easter-monday?
Or, is he rushing to L.A. to get to his appointment in time for tommorow?
March 24th, 2008 at 11:50 amWe’re not sure.
Just keep good thoughts.
March 24th, 2008 at 12:03 pmDrillanwr:
There’s a nice deli on 9th and Pennsylvania Av by the Navy Memorial that I like. It’s by the FBI building & the Archives. It’s cheap, and it puts you really close to things like the National Gallery and the Natural History Museum…
You’re up there in time for the Cherry Blossoms, too — lucky you!
March 24th, 2008 at 1:54 pmThanks for the ‘eats’ tip …
YES! Hopefully the weather will be sweet and warmer than we’ve had here in Ohio …
March 24th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
March 24th, 2008 at 2:29 pmHey, larry …
What’s new?
March 24th, 2008 at 2:45 pmGlad to hear you’re doing ok Pat, we were kinda worried about ya!
March 24th, 2008 at 4:16 pmI heard this rumor that Ron Silver was wanting to play you in the movie about your life…..
Ron Silver!!??!!
No-o-o-o-o-o!!!
Pat, insist on Robert Downey Jr. … at the very least. And he doesn’t have to put on any “black” make-up or a robot suit. No offense to Ron, but he’s just too old.
Great to hear the eye news too. Don’t go hog wild (nods to Louie) …
March 24th, 2008 at 4:27 pm@drill:
I second the motion. Downey’d be perfect.
March 24th, 2008 at 4:40 pmI thought that might be a good “conversation starter”
March 24th, 2008 at 5:00 pmInstigator!!!
Downey, Jr. is pretty much a given …
It’s all the wimmins in the Dollard bio that need casting … I’m sure Pat’s “couch” is strong enough to handle those ‘reads’ …
March 24th, 2008 at 5:05 pmTo bad you don’t have time to visit the Marine Corps Museum in Triangle, Va., just outside the gate of MCB Quantico. Also, just up the street is a great little restaurant called the Globe and Laurel a miniature museum in its self.. Owned and operated by a retired USMC Major.
March 24th, 2008 at 5:19 pmGood news, Pat, you had me worried!! Great cartoon.
March 24th, 2008 at 5:24 pmMade a note of it. Thanks!
Hey, back down in the 20s tonight, bro. Stay warm!
March 24th, 2008 at 5:28 pmi have my va comp case wed anyone know what to expect?
March 24th, 2008 at 6:12 pmI’m not real “up” on that subject … Just wondering if taking along a jar of Vaseline might be wise … (dicking with ya, lar …)
Guys???
March 24th, 2008 at 6:18 pmGreat news Pat :smile:… and the Libs say we need Government to take over health care.
I’ve got this gut feeling that in France or England the eyesight in your right eye might have been sacrificed for the “Greater Good”
Just a hunch.
PS- heavy caliber hunting rifles are well known to detach retinas, don’t know if your in to that, just a little info in case you’re at an outdoor range and the guy next to you says, “Hey you wanna try my .500 Nitro Double gun?
March 24th, 2008 at 6:50 pmBash’s post got me thinking.
https://pat-dollard.com/2008/03/i-heard-from-lcpl-jeremy-today/
I was 9 years old.
My Cub Scout pack had written Christmas cards for the soldiers in Vietnam.
Months later to my surprise, I received a letter from the soldier that got my card.
I lost the envelope decades ago but the letter, a single loose-leaf page hand written in pencil, is still one of my most prized possessions.
Here is the text of this letter,
____________________________________
Danang AFP, South Vietnam
Nov. 25, 1971
Dear POD1,
I wish to thank you for your wonderful Christmas card.
It was really nice of you, to have the time to send a warm wish of “Happy Christmas”.
I bet you can’t wait for decorating your family’s Christmas tree.
The Christmas season is a time of joy.
There is so much to due—Having a snowball fight, making a snowman, writing a letter to Santa Claus, Keeping busy in your Cub Scout Pack, Looking at all the pretty decorations. This keeps a boy like you pretty busy.
But the nicest part of Christmas is that you will be with your family and friends during Christmas.
I am 24 years old, graduated from college, but this will be the first Christmas that I won’t be with my father, mother, and brother Steve. Yes I will miss being with my
Family at Christmas. Please do me a favor, POD1—be a good boy and be helpful to your daddy and mommy during this time.
I wish your whole family-
“A Very Happy Christmas”
Dave Myers
______________________________________
The older I get, the more “between the lines” meaning this letter has for me.
March 24th, 2008 at 6:53 pmI don’t know the fate of Dave Myers.
May God bless him and his family.
Was early on in high school I bought a POW bracelet (A.F. Maj., pilot). I wore it for a couple years … never took it off until I had to go into surgery for my appendix … and then I slipped it from my wrist onto my Mom’s. She did the same when they brought me back to my room.
Cripes … even in my liberal hippie days I was STILL really supportive of the troops!
Anyhow, jump ahead nearly 15 yrs.
The mid 1980s I came across the bracelet when I was cleaning out all my accumulated junk of life in preparing for my first daughter to be born. I called the DOD and they said they couldn’t give me any info on my POW … But they took my info and said they would look into it and pass on my info if they located him.
A couple months later … a letter came in the mail from Washington state. It was him. He sent several hand-written pages saying how touched he was by the whole bracelet thing, and that I still had it … He filled me in briefly on the years he had been captive (close to that of McCain). He had newspaper clippings of his return home.
I wrote him back and dropped the bracelet in the envelope. It was the first time I’d ever felt I’d actually completed something.
March 24th, 2008 at 7:07 pmGlad to hear things are looking up, Pat!
Interesting story!
When some tell me that Obama (b/c he was against OIF at the beginning) or Clinton (b/c of her “experience” and the low-risk military operations that Bill was famous for executing) are more qualified on national security, I ask them, “Who was bombing enemy positions, subsequently serving as a POW (but still a military officer), while Clinton was rubbing elbows with the commies, and Obama being indoctrinated by them?”
Here’s some alarming insight on BHO, most scary of all, is that it is even worth considering: http://www.aim.org/aim-report/is-barack-obama-a-marxist-mole/
March 24th, 2008 at 7:18 pmIs Barack Obama A Marxist Mole?
More like a Marxist rat.
March 24th, 2008 at 7:22 pmSounds like Pat is doing good.
Hey Drill:
I too wore POW/MIA braclets way back when. I wore three of them starting in my sofhmore year in HS. Had to give up my last one in Basic. No jewlry allowed.
There was a big barrel of POW/MIA bracelets. I had a hard time giving mine up. Even the DI’s were on my side. One of them kept saying “See I told you they would remember us”.
And the other told him to STFU.
The dude lost it and started crying. Not because of what the other DI said, but because so many of us remembered them.
My last brcelet had Col Cherry’s name on it. My first had McCain’s name on it. The second was an AF Col lost over Laos. I know he never came back
I might have the names mixed up, but that’s what I recall.
Not too shabby for a liberal Democrat HS kid. To this day, I remain the only kid in my class to support the VN war, and who joined the military during the VN era.
I also got a chance to meet John Freaking Kerry up close and personal. Bet you’ll never guess what I told his ass…to his face???
March 24th, 2008 at 8:08 pmYeah Pat! Glad to hear your eye is doing good!
March 24th, 2008 at 8:12 pmJohnny Depp might do the best job. Now I look like more like the bottom of his shoe, but in terms of properly capturing the character, he’s probably the guy, and we’re the same age.
Downey, to me, is a close second.
March 24th, 2008 at 8:30 pmI’m going to butcher the spelling but his name popped into mind reading your post… and now I’m not sure if he was a Maj. or a Col.
Raymond Vizsotsky (sp)
WOW! You had McCain’s! That’d be priceless now.
March 24th, 2008 at 8:47 pm