Freeper Doctor Raoul Has Died

Raouls Family | 3/25/2013 | Abner

[abner]

Doctor Raoul died Saturday of a rare form of cancer. He was 58.

Raoul's family contacted us this morning to see if they could find out more about his activities as an activist.

This is such a shock. His family is looking for photos and stories about him.

He is and always will be a Free Republic icon.

He kind of fell off the face of the earth about 2 or 3 years ago now. All attempts we made to reach him failed.

If you have photos please contact me. Please feel free to post stories and I will make sure the family sees this thread.

[hellinahandcart]

Good to see you posting, FRiend.

[hellinahandcart]

I remember when he came to Olney and had a gas mask on with a sign that stated “hippies Smell” .

I've been looking in my stash for that picture. Sending a bunch to abner tonite. 'Pod.

[Exit148]

abner-—— so many names here who FReeped with our dear Dr. Raoul, and he is still gathering us together. His spirit lives!

[Alberta's Child]

Sad news indeed. Condolences to all of his friends and family for their terrible loss.

I didn't know him personally, but I will always remember his part in one of the defining moments in recent history:

FR Thread: Kristinn and Doctor Raoul Confront Bob Kerrey

I'm not ashamed to say that I had more than just a touch of envy at someone who could be so unapologetically righteous, and manly. I downloaded a video clip of this incident and I still view it whenever I'm feeling down. I'm now looking for a server that is hosting this video, and I'll post a link if I can find it.

"May the wind be always at your back, good man."

[hellinahandcart]

The loss is real. Prayers up.

You're not kidding.

However the country needs us now. More than ever. 'Pod.

[Absolutely Nobama]

Prayers from the Levy family.

[ironman]

IMPEACHMENT IS FOREVER - HAPPY CLINTON IMPEACHMENT DAY !!! (2005)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1543286/posts

Protest commando takes active stance (Dr. Raoul in the news)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1106618/posts

Code Pinko Medea Benjamin Flees When Confronted by Doctor Raoul at Dover AFB
Sunday, March 14, 2004 | Kristinn
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1097589/posts

[Albion Wilde]

I think his family will be surprised at how involved he was. One time when we were driving together to DC, he said they didn’t know of his activities. He didn’t talk about himself very much. But he was bigger than life out there on the streets

I can't agree more:

That's Doc Raoul just behind the streetlight globe in the black shirt holding a flag in the center of this 2008 photo in West Chester, PA, where patriots countered a group of anti-war ghouls. To Raoul's left is VAFlagWaver, and to her left in the white shirt is Albion Wilde.

As reading this thread reveals, Raoul Deming was here, there, and everywhere. He freeped in multiple locations in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Washington DC, Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina and Texas -- and that's just the ones I know about offhand -- while holding down a job, being a family man, and performing many, many acts of charity for the combat wounded.

He would drive any freeper anywhere to freep -- I remember fondly meeting up with him and Sisku Hanne somewhere on the PA turnpike and going in his car hours west from there to Johnstown, PA to freep John Murtha. En route, he tried to convince us to drive down weeks hence to Georgia for an upcoming freep on Armed Services Day, when Fort Benning would be targeted by protesters. My health wouldn't allow it at the time, but I know he got there.

Here's a banner with a slogan Raoul wrote:

The alternate tagline in the red stripe was "Anti-War Commies Go Home."

Raoul freeped at military bases, in front of the Capital Building, the White House, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, the Lincoln Memorial, the Arlington Memorial Bridge -- anywhere there was a need or a cause and he could lend his extraordinary, attention-riveting political humor.

Here's Doctor Raoul (left) dressed as Boris Badinov at the 2006 FReep of the White House Correspondents Dinner, waving at the media elites as they arrived at the DC Hilton in a long line of limos and hired cars. They were a captive audience as he shouted, "WELCOME, COMRADES! WELCOME, COMRADES!" If bad looks from leftist journalists could kill, we'd have been attending his wake that week. (That's BStein80 in the baby bonnet.)

Here's Doc arriving at the same at the Correspondents Dinner FReep with a full carton of fresh-baked soft pretzels for the FReepers, which he had acquired from Philadelphia before driving down to DC.

Freepers weren't the only ones to benefit when Doc Raoul brought Philly soft pretzels or hoagies from his road trips. More times than I can count, I saw him show up at Walter Reed with cartons of these Philadelphia delicacies for the wounded. Somehow, he would transport them for 3+ hours and keep them still warm, even having the vendor wrap them individually in foil. If you said to him, "Oh, my gosh, Raoul, how generous! I can't believe you went to so much trouble!" he would just brush it off, and then rave about the great cheesesteaks from a Tony Luke's on east Oregon Avenue or some treasured West Philly food spot.

Once at Mologne House, a residence on the old Walter Reed campus for recovering wounded, he discovered a soldier from Poland, a Coalition trooper recovering at Walter Reed. The soldier was brave and good-humored, but struggling with English and obviously far from home. The next week, Raoul grabbed my elbow and said, "Let's go see that Polish soldier." He had an extra-large shopping bag in his hand. We went up and knocked on the soldier's door, and the young man opened it. Raoul made a brief reference to his own Polish heritage -- how it made him a customer of a very good Polish deli -- then proceeded to unload package after package of Polish meats, cheeses, pickled products and authentic Polish baked goods for the gob-smacked soldier.

It was just typical of him. One time, he just handed me a one of those gray Army-issue jackets with the reflective chevron stripe to wear on the dark, heavily-trafficked avenue while freeping Walter Reed. "Here!"

He did so much for so many with so little fanfare. He's here; he's there -- Raoul Deming, a speeding streak of patriotic passion -- always with a smile, a joke, an infectious baritone laugh!

Raoul, the father of a Navy seawoman, and ConcreteBob, a Marine veteran, began holding barbecues outside of the recovery dorm at Walter Reed with Mike Sparling, a Vietnam vet whose son was an Iraq War inpatient. They cobbled together a grill from an oil drum. Soon the smells of the pounds and pounds of meats and grillable veggies they brought in would bring soldiers out of their rooms in wheelchairs or on crutches, down to the old outdoor picnic table. Eventually, Walter Reed itself realized what a good idea this was, and had three large stone patios with deluxe built-in grills constructed. Raoul raised funds for these barbecues from freepers, but I know Raoul (and Bob, too) contributed a large share from his pocket.

That's just the kind of guy he was.

[Daffynition]

[Chode]

yup...

[abner]

Thanks for posting.

Barry & I still have our Army jackets from him.

[tomkat]

OUTSTANDING eulogy !

[GeronL]

That is sad.

[hellinahandcart]

Scanning in the pics now. Expect them momentarily.

Some doozies! ‘Pod.

[abner]

I’ll bet.

[BunnySlippers]

Rest in Peace,

[exit82]

You captured the man perfectly, AW. Awesome post.

Doctor Raoul was an awesome Freeper.

He will inspire us once again to be bold to fight for freedom and this great nation.

Whenever Freepers gather in the future, may he always be remembered.

[haircutter]

what a great story to share with us...
even though he is gone...tonight he is here with all Freepers..
may his family find Comfort and Peace

[Albion Wilde]

Ping to 388

[Albion Wilde]

What a wonderful post and photo. Saved to hard drive. So sorry for our loss!