America: It is Still the Home of the Brave

Friend and commenter Nashville Cat sends sad word of the passing of Ryan Job, a member of the Navy Seals who recently died after reconstructive surgery. Ryan had been blinded due to combat injuries sustained in Iraq. He was 28 years old. N.C. sent a news video about Ryan, which is definitely worth a look:



N.C. also passed on a couple of personal anecdotes about Ryan, which I have edited slightly for the purpose of preserving confidentiality:

When we showed up at the appointed hour [for dinner], Kelly [Ryan’s wife] was not feeling well, so we seized the opportunity to whisk Ryan off for some industrial strength male bonding at his favorite watering hole. Well, of course, we had a blast. After we got him modestly snozzled, and he found out about our slightly unsavory law enforcement backgrounds and attitudes, he loosened up and displayed his wicked sense of humor. One quick example: Ryan leaned over and invited us to peer into his prosthetic eye. There, deep within, was a tiny gold SEAL emblem (what SEALs call a “Budweiser”).

A couple of weeks later, I suggested to X that he take Ryan shooting at the range where X is a member. Sure enough, Ryan jumped at the chance to smell some gunpowder. The owner put them in one of the VIP lanes. X gave Ryan verbal corrections and the range to target and when he was lined up, X would tell him, “Send it.” So well trained are SEALs that Ryan was producing some excellent groups. There was only one other shooter and he was in the adjacent lane. During a reloading break, he asked X why he was giving Ryan directions and X replied, “Because he’s blind.” The guy looked at Ryan’s target, then at his own, and just packed up and left. He was being out-shot by a blind man!

May God rest the soul of this courageous patriot, and comfort his friends and family.