Could you forward this to the ping list? Here is the latest on our attempts to help a wounded Marine and his wife who were mugged recently in Washington DC.
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Marine who lost arm, leg in Iraq mugged outside Washington
AP ^ | August 3 2006
Posted on 08/03/2006 1:06:05 PM CDT by jmc1969
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1677190/posts
Post # 310 of this thread by Coop
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Update on Mark and Denise Beyers:
I paid a visit to Walter Reed this evening. I did not call ahead to the Beyers, because I was going there anyway and I was afraid they may have been pummeled with phone calls the past two days. (Found out later my suspicion was correct.) Spoke with Mark by phone from the lobby, and as soon as he heard I'm an old jarhead, he invited me up. At first I didn't recognize him, but then I realized we had met two weeks ago at a barbecue behind the Mologne House.
Mark's lovely wife Denise came back a few minutes after I arrived. She had picked up some items for dinner, so my invitation to take them out to eat was politely declined. I dropped off a card, and told them to prepare themselves to be overwhelmed with cards, letters and care packages. They seem surprised, so I shared the story of Joshua Sparling (see Sparling thread here). They said they had been swamped with phone calls (even their cell phones -- they have no idea how those numbers were known), especially by the media. The young couple seemed amused that this horrible incident occurred over three weeks ago, but nobody thought much of it until someone (apparently in Mark's home town) shared the story with the media. Now it's exploded.
I also learned a few details that have been either unclear or misreported. They were not in Bethesda, but in D.C. up near Bethesda. Denise was knocked down (she showed me a lovely scab on her knee), but she was not punched or kicked. And some stories supposedly said Mark's father was assaulted, but he was not even with them.
No items being sent to me for delivery to the Beyers have reached me yet, and Mark confirmed that he may well be going home to New York for good this week. So I obtained his father's address to ship everything for him. If they are still at Walter Reed next week, I will deliver the items then, and they've agreed to let me treat them to dinner then.
On a side note I had dinner with Mike Sparling, Joshua's father, this evening. He and Joshua went to the Freedom concert in San Diego, compliments of Sean Hannity and Kirby Wilbur out of Seattle. Joshua got to spend time with Ann Coulter while there. And get this. Joshua has a date with Ann sometime in the next few weeks! :-) It must have been that "man in uniform" thing!
Thanks to everyone for caring!