Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) announced on Twitter on Saturday morning that he is undergoing emergency surgery for a detached retina in his remaining “good eye” and that he will be “off the grid for the next few weeks.”
He will be temporarily blind, he said. His office will continue to function in his absence and respond to the needs of constituents, he indicated.
The congressman needs our prayers and good wishes for a successful surgery and sure recovery.
A veteran and former Navy SEAL, the Texas congressman released a heartfelt statement on Saturday morning about his situation, saying, in part, “This is a terrifying prognosis for someone with one eye, and the nature of the injuries that I sustained in Afghanistan. Anyone who knows the history of my injuries knows that I don’t have a ‘good eye,’ but half a good eye. The blast from 2012 a cataract, excessive tissue damage, and extensive damage to my retina.”
See his tweet for the full statement:
Crenshaw, 37, has represented Texas’s second congressional district since 2019. He grew up in Katy, Texas.
The congressman served on SEAL Team 3 during the war in Afghanistan and attained the rank of lieutenant commander.
During his third deployment, he was wounded in action and lost his right eye to an improvised explosive device. He underwent difficult surgeries to save the sight in his remaining eye. He served the Navy for four more years after that—going on to serve fourth and fifth tours of duty (in Bahrain and in South Korea). He was forced to retire from the Navy in 2016.
After that, Crenshaw attended the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and completed his master’s in public administration. That’s when he returned to Houston.
“It was during this time that Hurricane Harvey destroyed the community he knew as home,” according to his official biography. “Dan did what he’s done his entire life and jumped into action to serve others. He volunteered in areas of Katy. He saw firsthand the unimaginable loss that his family, friends and neighbors endured. More importantly, he saw what makes Texans so special: the refusal to give up, the dedication to helping others, the unshakable determination, or Texas grit. With that in mind, that November, Dan and [his wife] Tara decided that they would continue their life of public service and run for office.”
Tara Crenshaw comes from a career Navy family—and actively fundraises “for families of fallen service members and suicide prevention,” her biography notes.
Dan Crenshaw believes fervently that “America is worthy of our love and patriotism.”
He also believes that “free speech is absolute.”
See these tweets for the outpouring of prayers, hope, good wishes, and sincere thoughts for the congressman’s good health.
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Maureen Mackey is a writer, editor, web content strategist, and regular contributor to Christian News Journal.