FReeper Canteen ~ Sunday Chapel ~ The Gift of The Magi...per Rod Serling ~ 18 December 2011

Serving The Best Troops and Veterans In the World !! | The Canteen Crew

[Kathy in Alaska]

 

 

 

 

THE GIFT OF THE MAGI

Those of you who are more "mature" Marines & Sailors will remember one of the pre-eminent TV series of the '50's, Rod Sterling's Twilight Zone. Many of these programs were quite scary, but they usually had a good moral and made the point in a rather unforgettable manner.

On one episode, an astronaut is readying for his blast off on a fifty-year mission to outer space. He is to be placed in a state of suspended animation and will not age one day by the time he returns to Earth. As fate has it, he meets a lovely woman the evening before launch, and it is love at first sight for both of them. They agonize over the love and marriage they will be unable to share because of the space voyage. The next morning his space flight begins. The woman is visibly shaken by the cruel plot fate played on the two of them.

In the final scene, fifty years hence, NASA brings the rocket back to Earth. The capsule is opened and an aged man emerges from inside. He pulled the plug on the cryogenic machine before the launch. The face of his fiancée is then shown. She is still young and vibrant; she had herself placed in suspended animation on the day of the launch! One engineer then reflects: I feel blessed to have met two people who truly knew the meaning of love! End of program.

These two people, motivated by real love, were prepared to make an unusual sacrifice for each other. Sometimes we forget that keeping love strong in marriage requires a commitment to LOVE...and like any commitment that means dedication, work, sacrifice. Too many people give up on relationships when the going gets rough because they don't understand how much effort and sacrifice for one another is necessary to sustain a marriage. May we all realize the true meaning of love and marriage...and what is required to sustain this wonderful gift from above!

Rod Serling's version

 

[HopeandGlory]

Good morning Troops, Veterans and Canteeners.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Our Flag Flying Proudly One Nation Under God

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Lord, Please Bless Our Troops, They're fighting for our Freedom.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

God Bless Our Republic

I pledge allegiance to the Flag
of the United States of America,
and to the Republic, for which it stands;
one nation UNDER GOD,
indivisible,
with liberty and justice for all.

Prayers going up

[ConorMacNessa]

Good evening, Kathy!

*HUGS*

A Blessed Lord's Day to you!

Etiam non princeps sed usque ad genua, Principis Pacis!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Please join us for Sunday Chapel: THE GIFT OF THE MAGI, and Liberty

Please stop in and say a prayer of protection for the military.
Prayers from all denominations are needed.

           


Sunday Liberty starts after the Guest Military Chaplain's Service!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Hello Veterans, wherever you are!!

Good Lord's Day and Shavua Tov to you!

[DTogo]

Typo police: that would be Rod Serling.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Honoring Our Heroes

1LT Carol USA, Nurse Corp (Vineyard)
2LT Rebecca USA (Daughter of U S Army EOD)
3 sons (armymarinemom and amdad)
86th Fighter Weapons Squadron "Combat Hammer" (saminfl)
AbnSarge USA
Adam USAF (Grumpybutt)
Allegra
Anoreth USCG (daughter of Tax-chick)
aviator USAF
BIGLOOK USN
Brett USN (CindyDawg)
Brother and Son-in-Law (kalee)
Cannoneer No. 4
CAPT Bryan USA (Diver Dave)
CAPT Future Snake Eater USA (RightOnline)
CAPT Jason Clendenin (friend of Frou)
Chris USA (amom)
Chuck USA (RightOnline)
COL Mike (gpapa)
CMS USA
ConorMacNessa USN USMC
David USAF (LUV W)
Defender2
Deven USA (Shimmer)
Diver Dave USN
Drumbo USN
Ethan USMC (georgiabelle)
forgotenknight13 USA (grandson of Monkey Face)
Fred (DocRock)
GulfWar1Vet USA
HiJinx USA
IS2 Brianne USN (My Hearts in London - Everett)
IS2 Heather USN (My Hearts in London - Everett)
Jade Falcon USN
James USA (Grumpybutt)
JemiansTerror USA (Jemian)
Jet Jaguar USAF
Joel (NEMDF)
Jonathan USMC (AZbushgal)
Josh USN (doug from upland)
Karen USA (fatima's granddaughter)
Kenneth (Sweetbaby/LadyPilgrim)
Kevin USMC (skimask)
Kevin and David USA (vigilante2)
KJD USAF (SuzyQue)
Laurita USA
LCpl Carter USMC
LCpl Joe USMC (Don’tMessWithTexas)
Lindsay (Sweetbaby/LadyPilgrim)
LT David (Coldwater Creek)
LTjg Gerald USN (Vineyard)
M1911A1 USMC (M0sby)
M1Tanker
Major Jennifer USA (Diver Dave)
Major joma89 USAF
MEG33's Navy Grandson
Michael USAR (RightOnline)
Mike1Sg USA (mystery-ak)
Milo828 USA (mystery-ak)
MSgt Eddie USAF ( Son of ThomasPaine2000, CMSgt USAF, Ret)
MSGT Glen Ignasiak USAF (nephew of AirForceMom)
Nate USN (sneakers)
Old Sarge USA
OneLoyalAmerican USCG
PFC Jake USMC (son of Enough_Deceit)
Philetus USA
PROCON USA
Pvt Alex USA (son of Enough_Deceit)
Rick USAF (Doogle)
Robert, Jeremy, Daynnis USA (SoldierDad)
SandRat USA
Sat-Com Chris USA (son of KC Burke)
SGT Chris USA (son of Vineyard)
SGT Ev USA (Mozie)
SGT Gray USA (colorcountry’s son)
SGT Matt USMC (SuzyQue)
SGT Robert USMC (MarineMom613)
SGT Sean Reed (preed)
Son USCG (GodBlessUSA)
SPC Drew USA (brother-in-law Stonewall Jackson)
SPC Mike USA (AbnSarge)
SPC Ted USA (nephew of hoagy62)
SPC William Akin USA (Step-son of BlueLancer)
SPC4 Adam USA (nephew of Repeal The 17th)
SPC4 Dan USA (son of swmobuffalo)
SSG Brian USA (repubmom)
SSG Dustin USA (SIL of U S Army EOD)
SSG Dusty USA (MountainDad)
SSG Mitchel USA (tina07)
SSG Spencer USA (grame)
SSGT Adam USA (Diver Dave)
SSGT Don May Jr USMC (debm29palms)
SSGT John Linde USA (JFoxbear)
SSGT The Black Knight USAF
Stevan USA (Grumpybutt)
Terrence USN (Sweetbaby/LadyPilgrim)
The Sailor
TMSuchman USMC
tongue-tied USN/USA
Tonkin USN/USCG
TSGT Jason M Kibler USAF (son of AirForceMom)
SFC txradioguy USA
USAFSecurityForces (son of visualops & TheStickman)
Valerie USAF (Shimmer)
Victor and Tony D USMC (weldgophardline)
Vineyard USN
William USA (jackv)
WOs Bob and Michelle USA (nephew, and his wife, of BnBlFlag)

 

[Ciexyz]

I remember that show, it was a good one.

[Kathy in Alaska]

A Blessed Lord's Day to you and yours, Nana Hope, and thanks for today's Pledge. Thanks, AfghanMan and Penguin Girl, for your service to America.

Are you having visitors for Christmas or being a visitor?

[Repeal The 17th]

Bless you for your unwavering diligence.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Hello there, Mac...*HUGS*

A Blessed Lord’s Day to you and yours.

A good Saturday? Ready for Christmas?

[Kathy in Alaska]

Shavua Tov.
Wishing all our Jewish troops, veterans, families, allies, friends, and Canteeners
a peaceful and prosperous week.

[tweakDU]

Bless you for supporting our troops.

[Kathy in Alaska]

He Who blessed our forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - may He bless the fighters of the Israel Defense Force, who stand guard over our land and the cities of our G-d from the border of the Lebanon to the desert of Egypt, and from the Great Sea unto the approach of the Aravah, on the land, in the air, and on the sea.

May HASHEM cause the enemies who rise up against us to be struck down before them. May the Holy One, Blessed is He, preserve and rescue our fighting men from every trouble and distress and from every plague and illness, and may He send blessing and success in their every endeavor.

May He lead our enemies under their sway and may He grant them salvation and crown them with victory. And may there be fulfilled for them the verse: For it is Hashem, your G-d, Who goes with you to battle your enemies for you to save you.

G-d bless and keep your children safe, Alouette.

[ConorMacNessa]

Thanks very much, Kathy. A pretty good Saturday, thanks. We're not ready for Christmas yet - still shopping - I've been shopping mostly online.

We put the tree up the other day - have the lights on but don't have the ornaments on yet. Hard to believe it's only one week away.

Etiam non princeps sed usque ad genua, Principis Pacis!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Prayers for our troops, veterans, families, allies, friends, and Canteeners
for a safe and peaceful week ahead.

[left that other site]

Good Evening All!

[ConorMacNessa]

Rod Serling was a Paratrooper in WWII:

From Wikipedia:

Military service:

As editor of his high school newspaper, Serling tried to persuade his fellow students to support the war effort in a variety of ways. He wanted to leave school before graduation to join the fight, but his civics teacher talked him into staying through graduation. "War is a temporary thing," Gus Youngstrom told an eager Serling, "It ends. An education doesn't. Without your degree, where will you be after the war?"[13] Serling enlisted into the U.S. Army the morning after his high school graduation, following brother Robert.[14]

Serling began his military career at Camp Toccoa in 1943, Georgia under General Raymond Swing and Col. Orin D. "Hard Rock" Haugen[15] and served in the 511th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 11th Airborne Division.[4] Over the next year of paratrooper training Serling and others took to boxing as a way to get their aggressions out. Serling competed as a flyweight, and totaled 17 bouts, rising to the second round of division finals before getting knocked out.[16] He was remembered for his berserker style and for "getting his nose broken in his first bout and again in last bout."[17] He tried his hand at the Golden Gloves, but was not overly successful.[11][18]

April 25, 1944, was the day Serling had been looking forward to: the day he received his overseas orders. When he saw that he was headed west, through California, he knew he was headed to fight the Japanese rather than the Germans. He was disappointed; being Jewish, he had hoped to have a hand in combating Hitler.[19] On May 5, the division boarded the USS Sea Pike and headed into the Pacific, ending up in New Guinea, where they would be held in reserve for a few more months.



Men and equipment on Leyte beachhead. October 20, 1944.

It wasn't until November 1944 that these troops would see combat on the Philippine island of Leyte. The 11th Airborne Division would not be used as paratroopers; however, they were sent in as light infantry after the Battle of Leyte Gulf to help mop up after the six divisions that had gone ashore earlier.[20] Their mission seemed simple; go from point A to point B, cleaning out Japanese positions as they went. In reality, the terrain and lack of military intelligence proved to be just as difficult to handle as the unpredictable enemy.

For a variety of reasons Serling was transferred to the 511th's demolition platoon, nicknamed the 'death squad' for its high casualty rate. According to Sergeant Frank Lewis, leader of the demolitions squad, "He screwed up somewhere along the line. Apparently he got on someone's nerves."[21] Lewis also noted that Serling was not cut out to be a field soldier. "...[H]e didn't have the wits or aggressiveness required for combat."[21] At one point Lewis, Serling and others were in a firefight trapped in a foxhole. As time passed and they waited for darkness Lewis noticed that Serling had not reloaded any of his extra magazines. Another example of how Serling was a dreamer in a harsh reality was that he would go off exploring on his own, against orders and then get lost."[21]

Serling's time in Leyte would shape his writing and his political views for the rest of his life. He witnessed death every day while in the Philippines, both at the hands of the enemy and through random events such as those that killed another extroverted Jewish private named Melvin Levy. Levy was in the middle of a comic monologue as the platoon sat resting under a palm tree when a food crate dropped from above, decapitating him as the men watched. Serling led the services for Levy and created a Star of David over his grave.[21] In his future writing career Serling would set several of his scripts in the Philippines and use the unpredictability of death as a source for much of his material.[22]

Serling marched away from the successful mission in Leyte with two wounds including one to his kneecap[23] but neither was enough to keep him from combat when General MacArthur used the paratroopers as they were intended on February 3, 1945. Colonel Haugen led the 511th Parachute Infantry Regiment as it landed on Tagaytay Ridge, met up with the 188th Glider Infantry Regiment and marched into Manila. There was minimal resistance until they reached the city where Vice Admiral Sanji Iwabuchi had barricaded his 17,000 troops behind a maze of traps and guns and ordered them to fight to the death.[24] The next month witnessed Serling's unit involved in a block-by-block battle for control of Manila. As portions of the town were freed from Japanese control the civilians showed their gratitude by throwing parties and hosting banquets. During one of these parties Serling and his comrades were fired upon and many people, both soldiers and civilians, were killed. Serling, still a Private after three years, caught the attention of Sergeant Frank Lewis when he ran into the line of fire to rescue a performer who had been on stage when the artillery started.[25] As the troops continued to move in on Iwabuchi's stronghold Serling's regiment suffered a 50 percent casualty rate, with over 400 men killed. Serling was wounded, and three of the men he was with were killed by shrapnel from rounds fired at his roving demolition team by an anti-aircraft gun.[26] He was sent to New Guinea to recover but soon chose to return to Manila to finish 'cleaning up'. Private Serling's final assignment was as part of the occupation force in Japan.[27] For his service to the U.S. Army he was awarded the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star,[28] and the Philippine Liberation Medal.[4]

Serling's Army combat service affected him deeply and also influenced much of his writing. His wartime combat experiences left Serling with nightmares and flashbacks which would plague him for the rest of his life.[4] He was quoted as saying, "I was bitter about everything and at loose ends when I got out of the service. I think I turned to writing to get it off my chest."[1]

Etiam non princeps sed usque ad genua, Principis Pacis!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Yikes!! Another reason why proofing your own stuff is hazardous. I checked the title at least 3 times. I saw what I wanted to see. At least I got it right in the story. Off to hit abuse. The admin mod will fix it.

Good evening, DTogo, and a Blessed Lord’s Day to you and yours.

[Kathy in Alaska]

AND I only got it right once in the story. *sigh*