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Topgun & Cancer
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This was posted on another site by Travis Hunter, one of topgun's friends.
*************************************************

Many of you know Topgun by his handle on this website. Those of us who are close to him, well we call him Mike. Sometimes we call him other words not suitable for a family forum!

I met Mike many years ago through this very website. He shared his experience in reloading with me and that grew into what I presumed would be a life long friendship. I just didnt know how long, or short, that would be.

Mike wasnt very talkative when it came to his bout with cancer. It was skin cancer, one of the many carcinomas, but what the doctors a couple years ago thought they had eradicated has now remanifested itself and spread through Mike's body.

Mike is comfortable in the same hospice home where his beautiful wife passed away. There will be no treatment moving forward. He is away from his computer, which is the only reason I am posting this. If he knew I was doing this he wouldn't be too happy and would want others carrying on and worrying about him.

Mike touched many hearts of those around him and many more nerves! More than once I had to step in and break up potential fist fights with local ranchers and hunters! It was always an adventure, to say the least!

If any of you want any words of love, kindness or even a little razzing sent his way you can post it here or send me a PM and we can get it to him.

My crusty heart is broken and hunting Wyoming will never be the same without Mike. Normally I'd be praying for a speedy recovery, but in this case I'm praying for comfort and clarity as Mike transitions.


Tony Mandile - Author "How To Hunt Coues Deer"
 
Posts: 3269 | Location: Glendale, AZ | Registered: 28 July 2003Reply With Quote
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Gosh, words are hard to come by for this. I certainly never wish for anyone to suffer the ravages of cancer. I've seen one to many personal friends lose their lives over it.

I can only pray for a merciful passing for Topgun and that he is reunited with his beloved in Heaven.


~Ann





 
Posts: 19621 | Location: The LOST Nation | Registered: 27 March 2001Reply With Quote
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Sorry to hear the bad news. Watch my own father just wither away from the disease. F^*K Cancer!


MSG, USA (Ret.) Armor
NRA Life Memeber
 
Posts: 599 | Location: Chester County, PA. | Registered: 09 February 2011Reply With Quote
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That's not good at all!

I've known Mike for quite a while and a more passionate guy in our sport cannot be found.

Best of luck Mike, in whatever form that comes.

Zeke
 
Posts: 2270 | Registered: 27 October 2011Reply With Quote
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I only know him as he was here. All I can pray is that the Lord is merciful ot his body in taking him from this imperfect world into perfection.
 
Posts: 12565 | Location: Somewhere above Tennessee and below Kentucky  | Registered: 31 July 2016Reply With Quote
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Damn. Some weeks it sounds like the bad news never stops. He is not the first, second or even the third this week.

What a horrible disease. Lost my father to it. My wife had it.

May it be as painless as possible.
 
Posts: 12125 | Location: Orlando, FL | Registered: 26 January 2006Reply With Quote
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More bad news. Thank God for hospice, the masters of pain management.

Dave
 
Posts: 2086 | Location: Seattle Washington, USA | Registered: 19 January 2004Reply With Quote
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I wish him well and hope he has a painless transition to where ever his journey ends.
 
Posts: 4372 | Location: NE Wisconsin | Registered: 31 March 2007Reply With Quote
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Mike,

I wish you all the best. I will be forever thankful for the info you passed along that helped me get my first DIY antelope.


Mike

Legistine actu quod scripsi?

Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.




What I have learned on AR, since 2001:
1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken.
2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps.
3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges.
4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down.
5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine.
6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle.
7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions.
8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA.
9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not.
10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact.
11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores.
12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence.
13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances.
 
Posts: 10164 | Location: Loving retirement in Boise, ID | Registered: 16 December 2003Reply With Quote
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Very sorry to hear this.

Lousy skin cancer too. That's why I
go to the derm every 5-6 months for
a branding session as painful as that
is. Should keep it under control.

Wish him an easy trip out.

George


"Gun Control is NOT about Guns'
"It's about Control!!"
Join the NRA today!"

LM: NRA, DAV,

George L. Dwight
 
Posts: 6061 | Location: Pueblo, CO | Registered: 31 January 2006Reply With Quote
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We've lost too many here to this. Glad to hear he seems at peace.


There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn’t.
– John Green, author
 
Posts: 16669 | Location: Las Cruces, NM | Registered: 03 June 2000Reply With Quote
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