A new warrior in Valhalla

[John Pierce]

It is with great sadness that I must report that Grapeshot ... my friend, and one of the greatest advocates for gun rights the Commonwealth has ever had ... has passed away.

I, this site, and all the people who use it to communicate and socialize, owe him a debt that I am not sure I can even adequately describe. He put in countless hours moderating the forum and working to make sure the forum stayed on-target, civil, and spam-free. And that was in addition to the work he put in for VCDL and the cause in general.

I think that everyone who is active on the forum knew him well, even if they never had the privilege of meeting him in person.

If you didn't know, his name outside the forum was Dale Welch. Funeral arrangements will be in the Richmond Times Dispatch and I will post more here as well.

His work for gun-rights, open carry, and this site are a legacy that should inspire us all! He will never be forgotten here!

Godspeed Dale!

 

[Tess]

Saddest news I've received in a long time. A great man, a great friend, a great advocate.

Yata hey

 

[solus]

he will be missed

One of the finest gentlemen I have had the pleasure to have met and thoroughly enjoyed his smile & wit for many years during in my life.

go well my friend.

 

[BB62]

I just heard the news through another forum member, solus.

I was fortunate to meet Grapeshot/Dale in Virginia a few years ago after the passing of another forum member.

Though he struggled with his health, including a reduced ability to engage in verbal communication as well as to make the most of sustenance, his mind and memory was exceedingly sharp.

His ongoing willingness to challenge the status quo with regard to gun rights and his encouragement of others to do the same, despite his hardships, simply amazed me.

Although I know some took issue with his moderation (and at times lack thereof) of OCDO, I've never been a member of any other forum where the moderation, and the resulting forum community, got anywhere close to what was to be found here.

Dale, your light and experience will be sorely missed, and I will pray for you and for those those left behind.

 

[color of law]

He will be sorely missed. He was a man of easy temperament.

 

[CJ4wd]

R.I.P. Grape.

 

[scouser]

I'm proud to be able to call Dale a friend. Although he and I have had our differences of opinion online, those differences never affected our in person friendship.
Hopefully Don Litten & Paul Henick (peter nap & skidmark) heard his arrival in the next world heralded by a V8 and some loud exhaust pipes and the three musketeers are once again reunited.

Yata Hae old friend .....

 

[1245A Defender]

Wowwie!!

a great friend i never got to meet

his passing seems to have froze the forum for the last 3 days
i felt a great disturbance in the force

he leaves shoes that will be hard for you to fill...

 

[HP995]

Extremely sorry to hear this news. I was hoping the forum outage was just technical. Never got close to him in real life but enjoyed knowing him here. Grape, enjoy the shooting range up there!

 

[John Pierce]

The forum issue WAS technical (PHP version update vs Memcache for the technically inclined). It just coincided with a great tragedy.

Extremely sorry to hear this news. I was hoping the forum outage was just technical. Never got close to him in real life but enjoyed knowing him here. Grape, enjoy the shooting range up there!

 

[Tactical9mm]

My condolences to his family, and to all of his friends. His presence in this forum, and in the collective shield-wall of the battle that we all fight, will be greatly missed.

I did not know him personally, but I knew of him through his forum posts here. He is a warrior who will be welcomed in the great hall.

I wish him, and those he leaves behind, the best.

 

[defcon4]

Rest in Peace Grapeshot!

I am stunned and deeply saddened to hear that Grapeshot has passed on.

 

[Firearms Iinstuctor]

RIP Grapeshot

May another great moderator come for ward.

 

[DoubleTap]

All of the kind and loving words written have brought tears to my eyes.

This forum and all of the great interactions Dale had with so many, was a great joy to him and a huge part of his every day life. He loved the job of moderating, although it wasnt always easy. And he loved catching the "spammers". We used to say, he was going "fishing".

Dale was a man of many talents. The best man I have ever known and loved. He was my hero in so many ways.

Thank you all so much. And thank you again, John, for your opening tribute to Dale.

Soon we will be posting the details for a planned celebration of his life.

With Warmest regards,

DoubleTap (Diane)

 

[CrossFire]

Never got the chance to meet him in real life but developed a great respect for the man thru this site. R.I.P Sir and go with God.

 

[OC for ME]

I Never Met the Man...I Shudda Made The Effort

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too.
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster,
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make a heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And—which is more—you'll be a Man, my son!

- Rudyard Kipling - circa 1895

R.I.P

 

[HP995]

The forum issue WAS technical (PHP version update vs Memcache for the technically inclined). It just coincided with a great tragedy.

Strangely appropriate timing for the outage to happen; it got attention and prepared us to hear some news. Perhaps one of those "no such thing as coincidence" situations where Providence lines things up. (With a little help from PHP.) The forum's silence was a fitting tribute to the missing voice of GS.

 

[sidestreet]

Guardian, Champion. Warrior...,

among so many other good and noble things, like Leader, Mentor, and maybe, probably, most importantly, Friend.


My deepest sympathy to his family and friends.


My heart hurts too badly to say much else right now, but I offer this verse to my friend, from The Bible, Philippians 1:3 "I thank my God in every remembrance of you."


sidestreet


Jeremiah 29:11-13


Philippians 1:3


we are not equal, we will never be equal, but we must be relentless.

 

[SAvage410]

DAmn...

I met Dale a few times at the annual Lobby Day rally. I did not know him well, but he always struck me as a quiet, compassionate man. I know his work here on the forum will be greatly missed, and I will miss seeing and talking to him in January. Condolences to his family.

 

[blahpony]

RIP. I'll raise a beer for you.