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Joey Jones

30 May, 20 tweets, 5 min read

Thread: I can’t drink anymore. When I do, the ghosts show up. They put their arm on my shoulder, look at me, body parts missing, faces half blown off. They smile with what is left of their smile. They look at me with wisdom I can’t fathom and hold me with love I can’t understand.

I just can’t face them. How do I look upon a man with honest eyes, knowing I’m here breathing, laughing, complaining and he’s lying dead beneath my… us. I can’t have that tough conversation with any of them. The one where I tell them I miss them. Where I say I’m sorry and they

reply “for what?” The conversation where they ask me about their kids-toddlers then, adults now-their widows.. some remarried and happy, some drowning in sorrow and regret. I can’t look upon their faces and keep a dry eye. So when I drink, and my brothers come, I cry. I get angry

I see visions of hell and feel resentment for heaven. I see spoiled children laughing around me, the lucky ones who haven’t seen behind those curtains, the many. I hate them for their ignorance, I hate I didn’t die when I should’ve to keep them that way. So I don’t drink.

Instead, I smile. I Remember them as they were. I watch their kids grow and find love and speak their names and tell their stories as often as I can: GYSGT Floyd Holley: eodwarriorfoundation.org/gysgt-floyd-e-…

SSGT David B. Lyon: eodwarriorfoundation.org/virtual-memori…

SSgt Joey Fankhauser: eodwarriorfoundation.org/ssgt-joseph-h-…

SSgt Steve Dunning: eodwarriorfoundation.org/ssgt-stephen-j…

Nick Sprovtsoff: eodwarriorfoundation.org/ssgt-nicholas-…

Dan Patron: eodwarriorfoundation.org/sgt-daniel-j-p…

EJ Pate: eodwarriorfoundation.org/gysgt-ralph-e-…

Dave Day: eodwarriorfoundation.org/ssgt-david-p-d…

Justin Schmalstieg: eodwarriorfoundation.org/gysgt-justin-e…

Top Fedder:

Chris Eastman: eodwarriorfoundation.org/gysgt-christop…

Adam Perkins: eodwarriorfoundation.org/ssgt-adam-l-pe…

Chris Eckard: eodwarriorfoundation.org/gysgt-christop…

Adam Benjamin: eodwarriorfoundation.org/msgt-adam-f-be…

The man standing beside me on August 6th 2010. Fireman, Marine, Father, Dad, Son Daniel Greer: thefallen.militarytimes.com/marine-cpl-kri…

My best friend from 8th grade. Marine. Mentor and brother. Chris McDonald: dailycitizen.news/news/local_new…

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More from @Johnny_Joey

Joey Jones

@Johnny_Joey

20 Mar

Thread: One thing I learned to do early on was to find a place inside my mind to exist comfortably. It was incredibly useful in the corps when we’d get extremely cold or wet. But was invaluable laying in a hospital, everything in bandages and not able to move a limb.

Severe Pain, or even the frustration of being bandaged, full of tubes and unable to move can occupy our minds. So we have to take control back. You start at your finger tips, work your way down you limbs, deep into your chest, closing each section of your body behind you like a

water tight chamber on a sinking ship. Like water, the pain and discomfort lock behind a door and cant get to you, so you not longer feel it, suffer from it, as you make your way into the spot you’ve prepared for yourself inside

Read 4 tweets

Joey Jones

@Johnny_Joey

5 Mar

Thread: One of the hardest things I live with, in the realm of regret, is that at the same time I got hurt my dad was hitting rock bottom. Addiction, depression. I think what I’ve realized, and struggle with, is that I was certainly selfish that first 5yrs after my injury.

What I know to be true is, had I dedicated myself to him I could’ve saved him. But what I also know to be true is -I couldn’t have saved both of us. I had to be dedicated to remaking myself. I had to become a Phoenix of sorts. Find and board and body surf this crazy wave.

He was an anchor of emotional baggage and frustration. I was so resentful that when I needed him most he couldn’t be the rock I needed him to be because that’s exactly what he needed me to be for him.

Read 6 tweets

Joey Jones

@Johnny_Joey

21 Feb

Thread: When someone says “I was a Marine so I have credibility with guns/AR-15” be skeptical. I served 8 years, coached on our ranges and carried an M-16 in 2 wars. I have learned more from civilians after my time in service about 2A, guns, and yes the AR platform after service

Than I was ever exposed to in the Corps. Having served, or carried an AR platform M16 in combat means you are familiar with the gun, not an expert. It certainly doesn’t mean you know more about its place in the array of guns available to civilians or how our constitutional rights

Are exercised or defended. I am so proud of my military service. But for me, and most veterans, it was a season of life, not a Jason Bourne programming of expertise on anything tactical or war-like. There are many cases of politicians and advocates hanging their authority on

Read 4 tweets

Joey Jones

@Johnny_Joey

4 Feb

@mtgreenee

Thread from a fellow GA14: @mtgreenee apologized on the House floor today. She gave an explanation for her past comments and the evolution of her beliefs/thinking that I can assure you her constituents will believe and find reasonable. She basically said

“I’m a regular citizen, not an ivory tower intellectual, wonk, or swamp”. That matters [most] to them, and provides cover for her Facebook videos and comments. She sounded sincere and humbled. However, this is in direct contrast to her demeanor over the last 4 weeks and

comes on the heels of an onslaught of tweets using this to fund raise. She says she didn’t campaign on these conspiracies and stopped believing them in 2018/19. But she waited until today... until her ability to do her actual job was in jeopardy...to say this publicly...

Read 10 tweets

Joey Jones

@Johnny_Joey

26 Jan

Thread: As a hunter and outdoorsman I 1) believe climate change is real and 2) believe we have a responsibility to act on it. I also know the solutions offered by the left are purposely bombastic, and most have very little chance of coming to fruition.

By ignoring the issue altogether, conservatives... who include many conservationists... have allowed the left to conflate a real problem: climate change with an ideology: socialism. If we want to win anything, this is a place to focus efforts

The keystone pipeline is a great example. We’ve allowed an “either/or” position from the left to pressure dem politicians into making decisions that hurt blue collar Americans because they feel they need to pass some church of climate purity test. All the while we sit silent

Read 5 tweets

Joey Jones

@Johnny_Joey

31 Aug 20

Thread on sports and politics: the teams I love: Braves, Bulldogs, Falcons and NASCAR have been there for me literally my entire life. The first time my fam could afford anything: a Braves game in early 90s against the Expos. We lost badly, but it hooked me and I got to watch

@DeionSanders

The greatest era of Braves ball in front of a tube TV console in our 1966 single wide... poor, smiling and proud. I watched @DeionSanders play for both the birds and the Braves while his antics made headlines. I grew up hearing the stories of how @HerschelWalker was a gladiator

@NASCAR

We spent every Saturday night at the local dirt track helping my youngest uncle win in his late model with worn out equipment and less horsepower, but all the talent he needed then are breakfast at my Nanny and Papaw’s on Sunday before glueing ourselves to a @NASCAR race

Read 12 tweets

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