It is with great sadness that we inform all of the loyal members of this Committee of Correspondence that Col. W. Patrick Lang passed away after several months of illness on April 4. During his illness he asked several of the regular writers on the blog to keep up the efforts as he battled his illness. We intend to continue this effort. He will be greatly missed. The world has lost a true hero and the nation has lost a great patriot. More details will follow in the coming days.
Very sorry to hear this. RIP.
I was afraid of this. Sorry to hear. I learned a great deal in a short amount of time from his writing.
This is a great loss for us all.
D O L
A great loss. We are all poorer for it. RIP.
Rest in peace, Colonel.
Thanks Harper, may he rest in peace.
What a shame. Very sad news. Rest in peace, rise in glory Colonel.
What a shame. Rest in peace, Colonel.
Many thanks for all your terrific educational works, and your many services to your country.
Condolences to Colonel Lang’s family and members of the committee who help with the site.
As per a previous comment, having been dreading this.
A relative new comer to the site, was fortunate enough to receive acerbic replies to a couple of my comments from COL Lang.
The Colonel viewed the world with a far colder eye than mine. He and the committee helped point out more than a few realities -most of them regrettable of course.
Godspeed Colonel Lang. You are very much missed.
V/R JW
I have followed his blog from its inception, I learned a great deal from him and respect him immensely, Vaya con Dios Colonel.
RIP
It is with deep sadness that I recieve this news. He will continue in memory to be an inspiration and model for personal conduct.
Fred
My condolences to Col Lang’s family. An amazing man, he will be missed.
May his memory be eternal.
A big loss, Col Lang’s presence thru his life huge. His words of wisdom as Bush II invaded Iraq particularly stood out.
My condolences to his friends and family.
Very sad.
Good heart never die.
May God take him into his arms.
Saddened condolences to his wife and family.
I think and hope the blog in good hands will go on. It is a way to pay respect to his memory.
God bless you and yours Colonel W. Patrick Lang. Not many put up with me, and I thank you for that.
RIP good Colonel. You and your wisdom will be sorely missed! You are exemplar of an American patriot.
My sincere condolences to his family and friends.
Very saddened by this. RIP.
What a shock!
Dear Col. Lang, thank you for educating this financial guy. I’ll be eternally grateful for your pearls of wisdom. You are a man of great integrity and character. A true modern-day American patriot who stood for the values of our founding.
RIP.
A profound sadness. My condolences to his family and may he rest in peace.
Very, very sad to learn of the news. I first met Pat as a journalist when he was based in Sanaa North Yemen in 1982 and I have never forgotten his patience in putting up with my questions. I met him again after learning of his pivotal role in the first Gulf War and was forever appreciative of how he steered us all through post 911 world and the invasion of Iraq. Over the years as I got to know him, his stories of his experiences in Vietnam were profoundly moving. Pat was a patriot in the truest sense and I learned a lot of what to value in this life from him.
Yes, his commentary on Iraq was often the only voice of reason and practicality. I will miss him and his deep understanding and love of the Levant. The nation is weaker without him.
My condolences to his family, RIP Colonel.
EARTH HATH NO SORROW THAT HEAVEN CANNOT HEAL – St. Thomas More
God bless the Colonel. He was a good teacher; and was patient enough to put up with my many faux pas and my politics.
Will he be laid to rest at VMI or ANC or somewhere else?
At this point in time, his widow wants to retain his ashes with her until they can be buried together upon her demise in the future. In August, they would have been married 60 years.
Robin:
Let me know if you need assistance in anything.
V/r,
Bob Newman
Condolences to the Lang family.
This is very sad and very bad. One hopes the pain of the passing process was as minimal and contained as possible. One hope the family can take the pain as they work through the loss. There is a vision of the good memories remaining on the far shore after the Lake of Pain is crossed.
We all knew that Gandalf would take his final leave at some point ( as we all will). Now I begin to wonder whether Colonel ( Ret. ) Lang’s periodic threats to quit and shut the blog down were offered as exercises to get us mentally and emotionally used-to and prepared-for Gandalf’s leave-taking.
Would he have wanted the Brotherhood of the Blog to stay together after his passing? Only those who actually talked with him in person in physical reality-space can really know. But I am thinking that a decision by the current blog-runner(s) to keep the B of the B together if it can maintain the Colonel’s standards indicates that they have reason to think that he would want that.
Thank you different clue.
Tolkien once described Gandalf as an angel incarnate; later, both he and other scholars have likened Gandalf to the Norse god Odin in his “Wanderer” guise. Others have described Gandalf as a guide-figure who assists the protagonists, comparable to the Cumaean Sibyl who assisted Aeneas in Virgil’s The Aeneid, or to Virgil himself in Dante’s Inferno. Scholars have likened his return in white to the transfiguration of Christ; he is further described as a prophet, representing one element of Christ’s threefold office of prophet, priest, and king, where the other two roles are taken by Frodo and Aragorn.
(Wikipedia)
My heartfelt condolences to the Lang family, his friends and colleagues. From the peoples of Aotearoa, many who follow Army tradition I extend:
E whakamaumahara ana tātau i tētahi tino toa, kaiako, kaituhi me te kaiwhakapuare i te tika. Ko tēnei te karanga o te maunga ki a ia, ko tana kaipupuri i te mana o te whenua.
We remember a great warrior, mentor, author, and speaker of truth. This is the call of the mountain to him, who held the mana of the land.
I just saw this announcement shortly ago. I still don’t know what
to say. You could tell by the words and language he used that
he was an honorable man. I have not seen anyone appearing
in public or on mass media who has had his extensive real-life
experience.
The country and society will miss him. We miss him already.
I am saddened to learn this news. Rest in Peace.
He was a great man. I knew him only through his writing – I only communicated personally once or twice. But I could tell from the first that he was special.
He didn’t know it but he was a much loved personality in our family, not just to me. Please convey our condolences to his family.
He was an independent thinker with unique life experiences. I felt like I knew him and did not know him at all. I hope the U.S. can still produce people like him.
Pats Family…We are Sad to Know That Pat is No Longer With in In Body…Yet..You
Know..at This Easter Week..That Your Valiant..”Pat” Has passed on to His Place
In the Kingdom of God…A TRUE Christian Knight…Than You All.for sharing him
With Us…
At SST ..back to 2005..We Deeply enjoyed His fond storys of the Things You
did together…Marguerite… all over the World..You drives To California…and adventures all up and down The Coast..on Your Side..The Food stops..The shopping..and alwaysHis pride in his Patio BBQ and Plate displays.He Often
spoke of How Talented Your Maureen is…with Heer Graphic Work…
(Hugs)
He Was a Warrior..But a Lovely Sensitive..and Multi Talented ..Extraordinary Man..and I felt it an honor and Priviledge
to be able to Post on the Forum…of “Civil Debate”..Only a Exceptional Man
Like Colonel Lang would Make available…Even to Commoners Like Me..We all are very grateful For That..
We are fortunate..to Keep Him Near..With All His Writing and Books…”TATTOO”…The “Triology”..Of “Deveraux”….”Human Factor”,,,
And “The Portable PAT LANG…He Will Be There..Waiting..Boots on..
Marguerite…You Know He Will..Your Pat.. We Send Our Love..
JT
As one banned by the Colonel, this may not get through. Yet I must try… to offer condolences to his loved ones. One could easily see how much his wife & family (& generations past!) meant to him. He patiently (usually) educated many readers about the military life, the world of intel & the nature of Arabic culture. We really need that in the USA & no one delivered better. Our loss too – Godspeed to a bonafide American Patriot.
ked
Condolences to Colonel Lang’s family, and all of his friends.
I’ve followed his work for many years with great respect, and learned a lot about the world from him and from all of you who comment here. I am very thankful for the communities that he created.
Sad to know the warrior patriot has passed. His life offered much, has passing brings rememberence.
This is sad news indeed. I had no idea he was ill. While I didn’t agree with his every position, he made cogent, well-argued points. He was never irrational. Another much needed man who will be sorely missed in these trying times.
RIP. He will be missed. Have enjoyed his writing since finding the site in 2006 during the Iraq war. I hope you can continue on here.
Oh NO!!!!
My condolences and Deepest Sympathy to al, his loved ones – saying a prayer for you at this time.
When Col. Lang was gone so long I had a feeling of concern growing.
I am sorry for this loss – and it IS a loss for us all.
kj
A good man who will be missed. My condolences to his family.
RIP Turcopolier
I must try … I met “Maj” Lang in May of ’69. I shipped in as a Pfc at Fkt SSG and he as the new XO, straight from Nam. If ever I’d stayed in the Army it was b/c of the influence of our officers and Pat Lang set the tone. Never curt he was demanding. He expected things done right. I “was” the night shift and prepared the morning briefing book. Discussing it one morning he asked if intel I’d included would help the G2 understand the page. “If it doesn’t help him it hurts. Take it out.” I quickly understood he d/n suffer fools (including the G2) gladly. I asked him tactical questions now and then. If you were interested in knowing he was willing to explain. Better listen up trooper. He would have made a fine Gen’l officer but that is a political appnmnt. By the time I left Frankfurt I realized that for Major Lang personal integrity trumped all else. I’ll leave it at that. He threw me off SSG. I argued too personally. Too late I understood one’s contributions ought to contribute and never be personal. I appreciated a second chance. Col. Lang’s site is special. It takes discipline from all correspondents, oh and an occasional kick in to the kitty. I can’t say I d/n have a feeling this day was coming. I am a better person for having known Pat Lang. He reminded everyone that personal integrity was a real thing. Today is a sad day.
Pat’s family should know what an influence for good he was to so many over his years.
“If it doesn’t help him it hurts. Take it out.”
Yes, Billy, that’s exactly what I found significant about him. And from his military perspective it seemed to make a lot of sense. Made me wonder how the military would have changed my own outlook on matters.
Rest in Peace, Pat. As a detailist myself–yes I may have made that word up (neologism?)–we had to crash.
I will miss Colonel Lang. Discovering his writing around the Iraq war and learning from this great man over the last two decades has been an education. Rest In Peace Colonel Lang and sincerest condolences to his family.
Oh, no! I’m very sorry to hear this. My condolences to his family. I will miss him.
This is sad news. He was a great analyst, writer and always a teacher. We had not much in common; but foremost, from this blog and watching him on NewsHour around time of the 2003 Iraq Invasion, before he was black-balled, it is clear that the Colonel was an US Army Officer who soldiers would follow to hell and back. They are all gone now.
Please dear members of the Committee of Correspondence, read Col. Lang’s memoir, Tattoo, and also The Portable Pat Lang, the record of his writings, especially from this blog, which Publisher’s Weekly rightly said, it could have been called, “I told you so.” But that would never have been a phrase to come from Col. Lang. A great teacher, scholar, and friend.
Rest in Peace Colonel. Your fierce independence and thoughtful commentary was so refreshing and sought after. I have haunted your blog for years. Only you could rein on the Motley Crue cast of fuddy-duddies, soldiers, scholars, businessmen, rogues, and malcontents. I have missed you and knew something was up. I am terribly sad to hear this…RIP.
Oh no. I am so very sorry. He will be greatly missed. My condolences to his family and friends.
I will keep checking in and appreciate the other people stepping in to keep things going.
Deepest thanks Colonel Lang, your efforts to educate us were not in vain. Condolences to his loved ones.
RIP Colonel Lang !! Thanks for Your knowledge and experiences as they changed the way I see things. Condolences to Your family !! Rest In Peace P. Lang !!
My condolences to Mrs. Lang and his loved ones and to the readers of this blog.
I will remember his interactions with me, under various monikers, over the years. Sometimes thankful, sometimes brutal. He banned me and I simply rejoined under a different name and we got along just fine. He called himself a beta male but I think he was very much a man’s man and a gentleman with it. In July 2010 I sent him a scan of an old picture of a Catholic mass in Aleppo, which he published on the old blog. It has been always interesting to read and learn from him.
I will say a Muslim prayer for this brave crusader. May he rest in peace.
I will remember the Colonel especially through the open letter and articles he wrote during the Trump administration in order to stop a full scale involvement (war) of the USA in Syria.
Нека му Господ буде милостив у Царству своме.
Colonel Lang was very valuable to me as a guide through the complexities of our very distorted information environment. Thanks and RIP.
Very sad news. I learned more from reading and occasionally interacting with the Col. over the years than from any professor. He was the sort of person one might read about in a book and wonder if they could possibly be real. He was.
My condolences. I read this blog for years and enjoyed his books. Did leave a comment and he responded, so it was a small interaction but I was happy for it.
We and the Republic have lost a true
Patriot, officer and gentleman.
I am so very sorry. Like many, I have learned so much from the Col.
A great light just went out here on earth.
I send my humble and sincere condolences to his beloved, SWIMBO.
Rest in Peace, Colonel Lang. You will truly be missed.
Godspeed Col. I started reading this blog when one could still hear his ascerbic comments of the wisdom of the Iraq War, when he was still welcome on NPR.
Pat, you were my first hero, the patriarch and most accomplished of all our kin. Words can’t express my gratitude for your presence in my upbringing.
I am terribly saddened to hear this news. My condolences to Col. Lang’s family, friends, and to all the members of this Committee of Correspondence. I cannot say how much I learned from you, Colonel Lang. Thank you.
Rest in Peace.
Very sorry to hear this sad news.
I’m a newcomer, brought here looking for views on the Ukraine Russia war. I’m not a military chap but the authority and experience of Colonel Lang’s writing was obvious.
RIP Colonel, thank you for sharing your knowledge to make the world a better place.
condolences.
Very sad news. RIP Colonel Lang. William
Although he banned me multiple times, I got to appreciate his patience… and also his fine sense of humor.
I would had really loved to meet him in person, and pass a good time as I passed here in the blog for a while, and I hope it was also his case, which I fear, and I did not tire him way too much…..
I think Antarah has only initiated his last aventure…..I hope it is not being much unbearable for Abla….
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0002r5v
Col. was a great man and teacher. He will be missed.
My condolences to Col Lang’s family.
I last heard from him a few months ago. As a mere inkstained wretch, I felt honored to get a call from a man with such real-world experience. He was the foremost realist when it comes to foreign policy. It’s easy to pursue fantasies, but Pat always noted that at some point reality intrudes.
Like many here, I became aware of Col. Lang as one of the few qualified experts of reason during the terrible aughts of insanity. It certainly must have come with a huge cost to him professionally to be on the _right_ side of history. Whatever else we disagreed upon coming from opposite sides, he followed my father’s motto of sacrifice – due whatever makes the world a better place.
RIP.
Rest in peace dear teacher. May we hear from you again on another plane if there is one. Condolences to his family and all who loved him.
Condolences to the Family. He was a shining example of all that is good in America.
My sympathy to Mrs. Lang and his extended family, friends and colleaugues.
COL (R) Lang seemed like a man who spent his life learning and teaching, not a bad epitaph in itself. He was, to quote Ford’s She Wore a Yellow Ribbon,” … a gallant soldier and a Christian gentleman.”
“Eternal rest Grant unto him O Lord and perpetual light shine upon him.”
I was always afraid that I was going to hear about his death in this way. I can only express my sorrow and send my condolences to Mrs. Lang. Your grief must be immense.
I would point to the Col.’s post upon the death of Ted Kennedy. To paraphrase, ‘we didn’t agree on much but he was sharp and we are poorer for his loss’.
I learned alot from SST, and am grateful for it. He was a voice of reason when most of the country was full of pro-war shit. I got banned in the Trump years, but still came to read because, mostly, this was and is the smartest blog on the net.
My condolences to SWMBO.
Saddened by this, I anticipated somehow (he was dying, it was clear to the intuition we have of death..). Condolences to his intimates. We will not see another like him – sadly the man of that world is gone now with that world. I am grateful for the time we were able to share in that “subtle brutality” of the gentleman warrior. God have mercy on us – darker times ahead, more so without that lucid soul.
I think that this site should continue, but under a new name. It will no longer be run by the Colonel, so a new name is appropriate.
As others have written, I was afraid of this. My condolences to his family and friends. His unique voice will be sadly and greatly missed. At least we have his books. Many thanks to the front pagers who have kept this site going in his absence.
Very sad news indeed. Job well done, Col Lang. You will be greatly missed.
Wow, this is truly saddening and a great loss!
He was one of the best voices out there. I’ve been following him since the beginning of his blog.
May your memory be for a blessing Old Man!
If I may indulge for a moment. Pat and I met while my team and I were in training to go to Iraq. He was one of the subject matter experts brought in to do part of that training. We both hit it off and he, apparently, saw something in me that was worth mentoring. Which he did. He asked me to stay in touch and send updates along of what and how we were doing once we deployed. And he made it clear that if there is anything he could to do help he would. I stayed in touch and when we got back he asked if I’d come to DC and give him an in person back brief of what we did and how we did it. With the approval of my bosses I did so. He then asked me to write for him on the front page of the old site. And he continued to mentor me. I cannot tell you how many times I was working through a problem in my professional work where I’d email, call, or text him and ask for his advice. And he always gave it. In 2015, when he was dealing with an earlier illness, I managed to piss him off over something trivial, but given he was not feeling well had much more import than it should have, and he told me to go. I respected his wishes. My personal and professional life was and is richer for knowing Pat, for his investment in me, and for what he taught me. And it was poorer for losing my mentor before I felt I was ready to move on. I would not be the professional or the person I am without his friendship, his mentorship, and his investment.
May his memory be for a blessing. And my sincerest condolences to his family and friends.
I occasionally disagreed with Col Lang, BUT he was always educational.
R.I.P.
I lost touch some time around when he was posting about the Florida Challenge. I think I was not, at that time, in sympathy with his commenters. I very much appreciated his posts.
My condolences to his loved ones. I have no doubt it will remain the best blog on the Internet, as it has been since its inception.
Requiescat in pace.
My sincere condolences to the family and friends. He was an inspiration at times, and I admire him for his tolerance related to opposing points of view.
A life well lived. RIP Colonel Lang. We shall all join you soon enough.
As a regular reader for years, I am so sad to hear, sending best wishes to Colonel Lang’s wife and family.
My deepest sympathy to Colonel Lang’s family on their loss.
My condolences to his peers and the community, you knew him well, and your loss is greater than my own.
Over the last twenty years of interaction with the Colonel in his wheel house I found him not one to mince his words, yet quick to forgive a civilian trying to make sense of the intelligence community. He will be missed.
God bless you Sir and many thanks for your years of service. My condolences to SWMBO.
What a sad day! Col. Lang was a great patriot and a hero. He will be greatly missed.
I am sorry to read this. My husband and I saw him on the Newshour long ago, and having had some experience of the ME, we found what he had to say interesting. Years later, I searched out this site to see what he might have to say about Ukraine. Always interesting.
TTG; pls dont be bashful if at the end of the line there is money due. There is no reason Pat’s wife (I met her, I think, in 1970… Maureen) should pay a penny. I’ve enjoyed SST/Turcopolier and can help if needed.
Billy Roche,
Don’t worry. We’ll figure it out.
Toutes mes sympathies dans cette pénible épreuve à son épouse et mes sincères condoléances à la communauté pour le deuil qui vient de nous frapper.
Le colonel laisse l’image d’un soldat entièrement dévoué à la cause de son pays et ses concitoyens.
Merci de m’avoir éduquer pendant ces 15 dernières années
I’ve read all his books and respected his points of view. Our opinions about the Ukraine debacle were divergent, but not about anything else preceding. But I also know that his opinions about Ukraine were colored by his isolation due to his stroke and subsequent struggles and also by the fact that he did not really have his hands on the tiller during the last couple of years.
Reading between the lines I knew this day was coming, alas too soon. I’ve followed his blogging consistently since he first started with it and I’ll miss his acute observations.
A. Pols,
Don’t try to color Colonel Lang’s views on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as anything other than his abhorrence of naked aggression for trumped up reasons. He stood against Putin’s invasion for the same reason he stood against Bush’s 2003 invasion of Iraq. He was as clear eyed and consistent in this belief as I. His was not at all isolated and his ill health was in his body not his mind. You disagree with him and I on this. Fine. Pat and I disagreed on many issues, but we also agreed often. As men and comrades in arms, we rose above the disagreements with mutual respect and honesty.
“… know that his opinions about Ukraine were colored by his isolation due to his stroke and subsequent struggles…”
wow – how can anyone possibly know that?
“How can anyone possibly know that?”
Agreed. It was surmise on my part and based on certain realities that mind and body are not separate and sickness does have a way of reducing one’s intensity regarding affairs of the world. Winston Churchill towards the end became detached. No man is immune and there’s no judgment or shame in it.
Open “disagreement with mutual respect and honesty” is a fine way to debate the facts and reach the truth. If only it was always so.
This is very sad news. Rest in peace Sir, my condolences to the family.
Oh no. His knowledge and wisdom was something that I always looked forward to seeing on this blog, and I had enjoyed being enlightened by him for nearly a couple of decades now. His passing isn’t just a loss to his family, but also a loss to humanity in general. My condolences to his loved ones. He was truly an amazing man.
Sad news. RIP.
so, it seems to me, anyway, the blackballing of the Col continues. I see the NYTimes has chosen to not post his obituary. They have the Mets Hobi Landrith’s obit up there, the worse baseball catcher–just about–but a nice man, just the same, up there, but no Col. the borg has a long memory, gotta say that for them.
This has made me very sad. Although I am over a half century younger than the Colonel, I have been posting on here under different handles since the early 2010s, I will always remember the handful of times that we communicated directly with each other in the comments and I owe a great debt for everything I have learned. The passing of Richard Sale and F B Ali also marked me.
I just heard the very sad news. My condolences to his family and to all Pilgrims.
Ishmael Zechariah
Sorry to hear this. RIP and my condolences to his family.
Honoured to have written in his blog.
The point was in his being a gifted creature, and that of all his gifts the one that stood out preeminently, that carried with it a sense of real presence, was his ability to talk, his words – the gift of expression, the bewildering, the illuminating, the most exalted and the most contemptible, the pulsating stream of light… from the heart of an impenetrable darkness. … This was the unbounded power of eloquence of words – of burning noble words. … His words, at least, have not died. … His words will remain…. And his example… – Conrad, Heart of Darkness
Subtle. … but beautifully oscillating. Ah well yes, the savages, long, long, seemingly ages ago.
The time had come for him to set out on his journey westward.
Rest In Peace Col. Lang.
You were a true American patriot and man of character.
I respect you greatly for speaking up for the Palestinian people.
I tried for a long second or two to delay taking in the usual meaning when a name is posted alongside two dates, but it kept staring me in the face until I had to admit it: one of the very few men since my father died that I have ever looked up to, was no more.
There are so many Colonel Lang moments to remember, but one I will keep especially close to me is the time he gently put me in my place, responding to some outburst of mine, by addressing me, in that tone of playfully mocking or unserious seriousness he had mastered, by calling me “a long ago artilleryman”. I was slightly miffed at the time, such a sensitive lad am I, but now I cherish those words.
My sympathy to Colonel Lang’s loved ones. I learned much from him. A man of intelligence, duty and personal honor. His memory will serve us well.
DOL
May it be said well done, be thou at peace.
I remember when first referred to the Colonel’s website. He never disappointed.
May he find rest.
Rest In Peace Colonel Lang…
A Man of Honor, a great patriot, a great American soldier.
Your country will forever remember you,
My condolences to your family.
Respectfully,
Your friend,
Mac
RIP Col Lang.
Like others I first read his work during the Iraq War. The lack of bullshit and clarity of his writing really helped me understand. All condolences to his family and the committee. I hope you all continue the blog in his name.
The Col (R) provided us all a resting pond to reflect upon the times with a gig in the side to wake us through honor, duty, country in a distinguished manner to tell us values of the day for which I’m indebted.
Fair winds and following seas.
Sad news.
My respects to his wife.