Pearls Before Angels

Stephan Pastis losing to Jeff Keane in Tikrit

What do Ping Pong and a comic strip have to do with a fundraiser to purchase laptops for wounded warriors?

A lot.

Because today I had planned on telling you all about Soldiers’ Angels, who are raising money to purchase high tech equipment for wounded warriors. Guys who can’t get out of bed easily need laptops. Those who can’t use their hands need voice controlled equipment. The Angels are holding an event called Project Valour-IT, running until Veterans Day, and they really need your support. (Click on the image and you’ll go right to the donation site.)

I have seen the Soldiers’ Angels in action, at military hospitals like Walter Reed, Bethesda, Brooke Army Medical Center, and Landstuhl Regional Medical Center. They provide comfort to our troops and take my word for it, their name fits. They really are Angels.

I was going to tell you all this, but then I got a call from Stephan Pastis, creator of the popular cartoon strip, “Pearls Before Swine.” Stephan is a big supporter of our troops too. He has traveled with other cartoonists across three different continents to visit wounded troops and active duty personnel. His affection for the men and women in uniform is palpable. He is a friend and a patriot.

Here’s a picture of us flying to Kuwait.

See? We’re buds.

So it came as quite a shock when he told me to read his latest post, “Saddamapalooza, Day 3; or, Stuck Inside of Kuwait With the Baghdad Blues Again.”

Go ahead. Read it. I’ll wait.

I mean, this is one of the guys I flew to Southwest Asia with. We drew cartoons for over 1500 troops on our last trip. We were in Iraq together, for cryin’ out loud.

Pastis in protective gear

So it hurt to see his article. But I’m not a vindictive sort, and I want to give him the benefit of the doubt. Besides, I know the last thing he would want to do is interfere with a noble cause like Project Valour-IT, because they really, really need our help. The troops the Soldiers’ Angels serve sacrificed for all of us, and now it is our opportunity to give something back. (Click on the image to donate now.)

So even though, yes, he beat me in ping pong (Editor’s note – he did, in fact, lose three straight games to Jeff Keane, and did not win a game. Nada. Zip.), that’s OK, because I hope that by writing about it he will have given more people the chance to donate to the Soldiers’ Angels’ effort to help our wounded warriors. So feel free to send this article around.

And just to show there are no hard feelings, here’s a little something I threw together for my buddy Stephan. I hope he likes it.