I have been putting this off for quite a while now and finally decided it is time to face the fact that Patrick is gone. People like Patrick should never die! They should be given life forever because they inspire us to achieve plains higher that we would if we had not met them.
In one of his writings he refers to a departed friend as a "Cloud Resister" and now I must use Patrick's own words to define his current occupation. I am going to miss Patrick so much it hurts!
Its not that we spent so much time together or even had much contact the last few years of his life but I always felt that he was there and that we would see each other again on some venture that involved unselfish sacrifice for a good and just cause. That’s what Patrick’s life was all about as far as I am concerned.
At first I thought he was just a grumpy old man but after supper he spoke to the group relating the story of his brother Charlie, a medal of honor winner who tossed the medal back at the Pentagon. Wow! He also talked about his relationship with Phil Berrigan and I ended up wanting to talk to him about all his experiences. It was to late and we all had to get some sleep so I put it off until we could get some free time together, maybe tomorrow.
The next day after we crossed the Smokies and made it to our destination I grabbed a plate of food and looked around for Patrick, saw him sitting in the back of my Trooper and went over to see if he wanted company. I asked him if I could sit down and eat with him and he said “I’m gay you know.” I looked him in the eye and asked him “does that mean I can’t sit down next to you and eat?” and that was the beginning of our great friendship!
We must have talked half the night mostly about all the experiences that Patrick had been through. The Pentagon and Fort Benning actions he, brother Charlie and Father Roy Bourgeois were arrested for and did time. The 10-12 years he had already spent in prisons and jails. His Plowshares activities, his relationship with Phil Berrigan and on and on and on.
He asked me if I had ever seen any documentaries about the Doolittle raid on Japan in WWII and I said many times. He told me that the sailor that was flagging the bombers off the Hornet was his father! I related to him that could visualize that sailor in my mind and was just amazed that I was talking to his son!
Patrick and I had a lot of time together during the walk. I was a support driver so I did not have to walk. Patrick walked about every other segment so he was riding we me the rest of the time. We talked about everything you can imagine including the "idea" he had for a screen play. More on this later. At night we could be found discussing the state of the peace movement and how the government had descended into the sewer.
During one of the breaks we had Patrick told me about a screen play that he was developing in his mind. He called it "Coins Of Th Realm." The story started back in the thirties and was about bull fighting, very Hemingway-esque. It was about the "sin" of violence and it seemed like bull fighting was the essence of meaningless violence. I forget many of the details in between the bull fighting and the end but I will never forget the ending.
It was a long parade down the road to the White House. Martin Luther King Jr., Christ and Ghandi were arm in arm leading the procession. Millions followed! Lining the roads were millions of people, separated from the procession by armed soldiers. One by one the soldiers layed their arms down and joined the procession until there were no soldiers left only human beings seeking peace!
During his time in the Crisp County jail we corresponded quite a bit. Actually we shared several hundred letters back and forth and we really got to know each other's inner soul.
We talked quite a bit about "Coins" and I continued to support Patrick and encourage him to finish the screen play. We discussed, via snail mail, many subjcts ranging from politics to movies. My wife's favorite thing to do was go to the movies so every time we went, at least once a week, I would send Patrick my movie review. He really liked hearing about the movies.
He also wrote quite a number of essays and poems that are published on this web site. If you want to read them click the Authors on the main menu and scroll down to Patrick. "Phil's Peace Pancakes" is a must read.
When Patrick returned to the real world he decided to live at the Smoky Mountain Peace Pagoda and help manage it. Sister Denise only came up one a month so Patrick took over some chores like cutting wood and general cleanup. It also gave him time to work on "Coins."
My son Jim and I delivered a computer and printer to Patrick to use to work on his writings. I thought that I would see Patrick very ofter because I was a frequent visitor to the Peace Pagoda and therefore would probably get together with Patrick for dinner and lively discussions about many,many subjects.
But it was not to be and this visit was the last time I saw Patrick in person. I deeply regret that.
For several years until his heart operation Patrick and I stayed close via the telephone and email. He was always into something. He became and actor in a local theater group, he became a model as shown above, and he finished his screen play. He was supposed to send me a copy for my review but for some reason he never did. He had a friend who is a very famous actor who told Patrick that he was interested in "Coins" and that Patrick should make sure that he was sent a copy. I know this for sure since I received all of Patricks letters and such to save for him while he was in jail. Patrick told me to read them and send copies of whatever seemed important along to him but to keep the originals. I did just that. Anyhow his friend backed out and it upset Patrick a whole lot but he accepted it like the man he was. I felt bad for Patrick but I could do nothing either.
This is a Christmas card and the envelopment it came in. Patrick sent it to me from the Crisp County jail. It seemed important to me to include it in this dialog although I don't know why. I also have some other art work that Patrick created while he was incarcerated and I have some other pictures that he sent me from the Peace Pagoda. I have mis-placed the pictures and will add them when I find them.
This is my son Jim and his wife Jules visiting Patrick while on their honeymoon. It is the last picture I have of Patrick and I treasure it..
John Patrick Litey - A soldier, an actor, a politician, a model, a play write, a poet, an activist, a man of great courage, a man with great honor, a selfless individual, a cloud resister, and a dearly beloved friend. Those of us fortunate enough to have spent time with you in this life will miss you greatly.
Peacehq
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