Some Hump Day perspective
TSO emailed me about the fellow in the picture, Specialist Reed Jones III with whom TSO got the opportunity to spend the afternoon among other wounded veterans. Here’s the story of the picture from the San Antonio News;
Although doctors initially were against him making the trip from Brooke Army Medical Center, where he is recovering from his injuries, Jones insisted.
“He would do it for me, so I’d do it for him, so here I am,” he said in an interview in the reclining wheelchair in which he attended the funeral Friday.
Jones arrived at Borden Chapel Baptist Church in an ambulance, accompanied by medics.
Despite the pain of the 283-mile journey, the 45-year-old Beaumont native would not have missed his father’s funeral.
Reed Jones Jr. died at age 70 Tuesday after a long series of illnesses. Toward the end, in a weakened state, it was unclear how much he understood of his son’s injuries. He’d been told of the incident, but spared any details that might worry him too much, said the elder Jones’ sister-in-law, Faye Johnson.
TSO sends; “I wish I could convey how great a guy he was. Is on a ton of painkillers and just kept thanking us for visiting.”
Make sure you read the whole story.
Category: Support the troops, Terror War
TSO – you go right back to that hospital, find SPC Jones and give him a big hug from me – I’m not kidding. And tell him how sorry I am for the loss of his father. I will say a prayer for them all.
What a man! What a Soldier! What a son! What an American! How I wish I could give that hug myself.
Truely, an American Hero in our midst.
I hope to come across him someday in person. He would receive from me a salute, a handshake, and a beverage or meal of his choice, my treat. I only wish I could do more.
Well, here’s a link to the Brooke Army Medical Center Amazon Wish List. You can buy something off of the list and they ship it to BAMC. There’s also one for Walter Reed. I try to buy something off of each list every month. It ain’t much, but I figure it’s the least I can do, ya know.
I served with SPC Jones in Afghanistan. He’s a real quality guy. I’m honored to have served with him.