Prayers and help for Pinkhamr

[ridurall]

HONEYBEE I just saw your note. You've got my prayers and give it heck. Randy didn't get long once they told him stage 4 and the chemo just acted like poison to him. I want to thank everyone that prayed for Randy, his family and me over the past few months. The first hospitalization for Randy put in in the ICU for close to 2 months with a tube down his throat or one in his neck. This time he started chemo and that night he was in the ICU and unable to get the CO2 out of his body. I had never been in that situation with a friend passing but I thank the Lord I could be there for Randy and his family. My only regret was that 8 months ago when my father passed I was unable to be with him. He died alone and I was only 7 miles away and didn't know. I so wish I could have been with him. Randy was the brother I never had and we had a lot of fun shooting and working on guns together. We both learned a lot together. Thanks again for the prayers and the help when Randy first went into the hospital. This forum is a great site with good people.

 

[Isha's Pa Pa]

God bless Him and his Family !

 

[MyMonkey]

I saw this last week and could not even post until now. Randy will be sorely missed. My thoughts and prayers are with him and his family. I am glad to have known him. My father died 2 years ago at 65. Too early.

 

[okie98]

Rest in peace friend. I will miss our long distance transactions.

 

[beast1989]

Prayers to Pinkhamr's family. May you forever rest in peace in the presence of the Lord.

Like many of you pinkhamr was a "first" for me too, he was the first transaction I ever had on here and created my feedback thread.

RIP

 

[Shootin 4 Fun]

Damnit!

RIP Randy.

Honeybee, you stay strong and win the fight.

Prayers to all.

 

[BadgeBunny]

GC and I are sorry to hear of Randy's passing. Prayers go out to Linda, ridurall and the rest of his family and friends.

Honeybee, don't give up! GC and I both are praying for you and Lea and your family.

 

[SoonerStatePawn]

Condolences to Randy's family & friends.

He will be missed.

 

[ratski]

Just wanted to pass on my deepest sympathies to Randy's family. I only met him once, but felt he was a heck of a guy.

It felt like a brick hit me when I saw the announcement in the paper.

I am truly sorry for your loss.

Dave

 

[ridurall]

Last Wednesday on July 30th we had the official funeral for Randy where we placed his ashes in a vault at the Fort Sill National Cemetery. I had a thread going on another concealed carry site where Randy and I often posted and brought up that I was kind of spooked that his wife Linda had asked me to speak for him at the funeral. It scared the snot out of me because the last time I spoke publicly was before I retired from the Air Force 20 years ago. However I also felt honored that she respected me enough to ask and I could not refuse her. One of the members on the site, the “Professor” ( AKA yankeejib on CCF) came here all the way from North Carolina to play Taps for Randy and family. We got together for a visit, show and tell and some shooting of the 50 BMG the day before and on Wednesday I got up early to met with Linda’s family and friends for the convoy to Fort Sill National Cemetery where we were met with an Air Force Honor Guard, the “Professor” with his trumpet and a BIG NO GUNS sign on the front gate. For some reason I thought that since the Cemetery was not really on Fort Sill and near Elgin that wouldn’t be a problem. So while trying to dress without wearing my usual bib overalls I had to figure out a better way of carrying my handgun without being obvious. In the long run I put on some khaki pants and a long sleeve shirt with long tail that was not meant to be tucked in. As we pulled in and I saw the No GUN or knives for that matter sign I quickly pulled out my wife’s Walther 40 S&W that I pinched from her this morning while getting ready and put it in the pouch behind the seat. After getting the lay of the land and the entrance facility and while driving to the pavilion I called the Professor to invite him out to lunch afterwards. Now while standing there visiting, then watching the Honor Guard do it’s tremendous job of paying their respects by unfolding then refolding the American Flag and give it to Linda and then present a 21 gun salute to Randy I suddenly realized in my hurry to get out of the house in something different than my usual “uniform” I had left my wallet, all my IDs and my check book at home. I felt butt necked. There I was feeling the fool for leaving the house without my concealed carry license and any form of money and having asked the Professor out to lunch which of course when you ask someone the right thing to do is to pay for it and here I was flat broke. I had to ask the Professor if he could spot lunch and I would get even with him afterwards via PayPal. Of course he said no problem and then we started arguing about me paying him back. I told him if he wouldn't let me I was not going out to lunch. After we got that kind of straightened out the “Professor” played Taps perfectly with enough emotion it about tore me up. So much better than a canned CD or taped version. Man it was so wonderful of him to make that tremendous drive out to Oklahoma for us. I have a world of respect for him and his talents. I was supposed to speak before him playing because it might mess me up but the Honor Guard didn't get the word. In the long run I got through what I had to say I guess just fine. At least no one threw anything at me. We then went to where Randy’s ashes were going to be interred and Linda had me place his stack of leftover BATF 4473 forms that his daughter and son-in-law shot with his 50 BMG that I loaded with a teaspoon of his ashes over 220 grains of AA8700 behind a 647 grain API bullet. They also placed Randy’s FFL license, a picture of his 50 BMG next to his DPMS AR-10 .338 Federal and a wooden desk plaque saying “kwitchyourbellyaching” that his father-in-law sent him years ago for birthday or Christmas and Randy would send it back to him for his birthday back and forth as a family joke. It kind of hit me when we were putting the stuff in there and I had a difficult time with my composure but in the long run got by. Afterwards the Professor and I had some Korean food for lunch. You know the regular kitten, puppy and raw fish type of food but it was good and the Professor and I said our goodbyes. I’m very pleased that Randy’s service turned out as nice as it did and it was not the normal over 100 degree weather but closer to 70 degrees and a bit wet. The kind of moisture that Oklahoma needs very much. I will never forget Randy as he was the brother I never had but man I miss him. A customer and friend of mine purchased several of Randy’s guns from Linda and a couple of them had only shot a very few rounds through them. The first was a DPMS .338 Federal and he had a few problems with it feeding. I wanted to make sure that he was happy with his purchase and told him to come out and we would figure out the problem together. I polished the M4 type feed ramp and that did not solve the feeding problem but then tweaked the magazine lips and it now works perfectly. The other was Randy’s 36” barreled 50 BMG that was not striking the primer hard enough with America (?) brand ammo. It worked great with my reloads so I polished up the left side of the hammer where it could strike the inside body of the bolt and that didn’t fix it then took out the firing pin and polished the shoulder where the firing pin goes through the face of the bolt. It allowed the firing pin to protrude and extra .002” and solved the problem perfectly. I love it when a plan comes together. I’m pretty sure this will be my last post to Randy’s thread, it has been an emotional 6 months since he passed but I’m pleased that in the end before he died he accepted Christ as his Savior. Randy spent most of his life as an agnostic and all the years I knew him I would drop those hints trying to get him saved. Just enough so that we could remain friends and not so much that he would get mad and run me off. I’m looking forward to seeing him again when my time comes. For those of you that don’t understand think about getting right with the Lord because it does not work after you die. Your family will appreciate it. Take care my friends and thank you for all the prayers.

Ron



I'll cling to my God and my guns, and you can keep the "Change".