Speaking of Laser Beams, does any one recall (don't remember when) the military pilot who was flying off the coast of California and checked out a freighter (Russian I think) that shot Laser Beams at him, damaging his eyes?
My memory is failing me but, perhaps one of you can recall this story.
Capt. Pat Barnes' right eye is still sore more than two years after an apparent laser attack. But his biggest pain these days is government bureaucracy. Barnes, whose retina was damaged as his helicopter shadowed a Russian ship on the West Coast, is grounded, has been denied a standard pilot's bonus and is fighting for a disability pension. "It's a slow process," Barnes, 42, said in a rare interview from his home in Aurora, Ont., north of Toronto. "I don't hold out much hope." Barnes' troubles began April 4, 1997, when the Sea King helicopter he was piloting buzzed a Russian ship suspected of spying on U.S. nuclear submarines in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, off Vancouver Island. The eyes of a fellow crew member -- Lieut. Jack Daly, a U.S. intelligence officer -- showed clear laser damage after the mission to photograph the cargo ship as it passed through American waters. Pentagon officials have since said there is no proof that the crew of the MV Kapitan Man was responsible, but have never explained how Daly was hurt.
http://www.ltjackdaly.com/articles/Pat%20Barnes_101199.htm