my $cmd = "$ping $_ 2> /dev/null";
    print "Debug:  command is '$cmd'\n";
    my $ping_out = `$cmd`;

##</code><code>##

Debug:  command is '/bin/ping myserver02 2> /dev/null'

##</code><code>##

    my $ping_out = `$cmd`;
    chomp ($ping_out);
    print "Debug:  ping results => '$ping_out'\n";