Jeff Cooper Fades...

Update on Jeff Cooper, 14 Sep 2006

"Several months ago Jeff suffered three new fractures of his vertebrae. This has caused him severe and constant pain and he has been unable to do anything but concentrate on pain relief - this is why there have been no Commentaries since Vol. 14, No. 4, April/May, 2006.

The doctors suggested kyphoplasty, a procedure to separate the spine at the fracture sites and relieve the pain - unfortunately, this does not normally work on old fractures, or it would have been done a long time ago.

Jeff went into the hospital with the goal of getting prepped for having this procedure done, but the doctors pronounced that he is not strong enough to have it done. As it stands now, Jeff has a partially collapsed lung and has been on oxygen for several months, and additionally his heart is now showing signs of distress.

On Wednesday 13 Sept, Jeff came home from the hospital and hospice care has been arranged to assist Janelle and the family with Jeff's care. While Jeff is alert and in good spirits it is likely he will will not be out of bed much in the future. Right now everyones' focus is on keeping him as comfortable as possible.

While phone calls are not a good idea, cards and short letters for both Jeff and Janelle would be greatly appreciated. The family has asked that flowers not be sent.

You can send cards and letters to them at

Jeff Cooper
2950 W Gunsite Rd
Paulden
AZ 86334-4301
USA

Among other things, the Colonel was responsible for bringing to the civilian and law enforcement fields something EVERY military officer longed for.

In the armed services, officers are very, very antsy around enlisted men with loaded weapons. When I first joined the Corps there was none of this "keep your finger off the trigger" instruction, and in combat your finger had better be on the trigger when clearing a house or searching for a target. Even the paintballers will tell you this. Take the time, the seemingly infinitesimal time to move to the bang switch, and they can chisel "He Played By The Rules" on your tombstone. It certainly isn't fashionable to say such things, but since when has this blog been fashionable with anything.

Cooper and those like him persisted, and as time passed there came into being the LAWS.

1. All guns are loaded
2. Never point a gun at something you are not prepared to kill
3. Keep your finger off the trigger until you have identified your target and are prepared to shoot.
4. Be certain of the areas adjacent to and behind your target.

I recall when a writer once asked the Colonel how one practices dry-firing by NOT pointing a gun at something one is not prepared to send to hell, and the Colonel appeared to be dumbfounded, but finally admitted that, well, maybe the pointing the gun deal was a little overblown.

All Guns Are Loaded remains sound advice for anyone, novice or expert, but as with the above there are of course reasonable exemptions. A disassembled firearm is obviously not loaded, and there are other examples, but you get the point.

Keeping your finger off the trigger is good advice when on the range, or at home and just fondling or cleaning the weapon. When fighting for your life, please feel free to find the trigger and finger it at your leisure.

Being certain of one's surroundings is also good advice, except when it is not. Another range-rule more than anything else, for in the real world against real foes no one has the time to call a halt to the proceedings so as to check the surrounding area for nuns out for a Sunday stroll.

When starting a newbee, by all means ingrain in them the power they hold in their hands, and teach safety. But never expect a reasonably intelligent person to blindly follow the basics all of the time. Ain't gonna happen.

But back to the Colonel.

As time passed and the world had succumbed to the gun variation of YOU'LL POKE YOUR EYE OUT, the Colonel and the Colonel'ings rested on their laurels, as the herculean task seemed accomplished to a fair thee well. People were afraid of guns, and it was time to do not a damned thing more. While ballisticians were feverishly working on improved munitions for the modern firearm, the old timers were still marching from pillar to post and asking if everyone was familiar with the LAWS, and no new kids on the block emerged to shine a light upon the new and vastly improved armaments that were taking the world by storm.

Why should they? Didn't we have the 4 LAWS? Didn't we know that all one needed was a finely tuned, $4000 model 1911 with full metal jacketed ammo? Hadn't we attended the expensive self-defense classes that taught speed-draw, and speed-shooting, and speed reloading?

Just keep your finger off'a the trigger, kid, and do like I told ya. Forget alla this fancy stuff, practice till your fingers bleed, don't limpwrist, and get that mozambique drill down to a science.

That'll be $3 grand. We prefer cash and it'll be more with a credit card, but if it ain't a cashiers check then don't even think of walkin' out that door till we're settled up proper like.

That aside, I really do wish the Colonel well. In his day, he was the real deal. Fussy like most officers, but a man's man in spite of it all, and his senior NCO's do say that he paid attention some of the time.