baldeagle PO2
Joined: 27 Oct 2004 Posts: 362 Location: Grand Saline, Texas
|
Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2005 3:26 am Post subject: John O'Neill - Man of the Year 1971 and 2004 (SwanBlog) |
|
|
John O'Neill deserves the honor of SwanBlog Man of the Year for his activities in 1971 and 2004. He is the first two-time winner of the award. The following is an imaginary Christmas letter from the O'Neill family. It is written in the third person, as most of these letters are.
Imaginary Christmas Letter from John O'Neill's Family
Merry Christmas from the O'Neill family. It has been quite a year for us. Anne underwent a successful kidney transplant early this year at Houston Methodist Hospital. She quickly recovered enough to be released from the hospital, and she continues to recover.
The source of the kidney transplant was John. It is rare that a husband is a suitable donor for a wife. John was willing to make the sacrifice, despite the pain and the risks. The recovery for John was longer than for Anne. Anne actually visited John in the hospital during his three-week stay.
While in intensive care, John saw Senator John Kerry working his way through the primaries for the presidential nomination. This was reminiscent of an event more than 30 years ago, where John was in a VA hospital bed watching Kerry on television, as Kerry was acting as a leader in the anti-war movement.
In 1971, John was inspired to become active with Vietnam Veterans for a Just Peace, to counter what he saw as exaggerations or outright lies about Americans who had served in Vietnam. He actually debated Kerry on the Dick Cavett Show.
Upon his return from Vietnam, John enrolled in the University of Texas Law School, graduating first in his class. John describes himself as the "Rip Van Winkle of Politics" because he largely faded from public view after his encounter with Kerry on the Dick Cavett Show. John became a successful attorney in Houston and rejected the occasional overture from Kerry opponents to campaign against Kerry during his runs for the U.S. Senate.
The rest of it here along with some posted comments
http://swanblog.blogspot.com/2004/12/man-of-year-1971-and-2004-john-oneill.html _________________ "In a word, I want an American character, that the powers of Europe may be convinced we act for ourselves and not for others; this, in my judgment, is the only way to be respected abroad and happy at home." --George Washington |
|