FReeper Canteen ~ Remembering Our Troops ~ 02 June 2016

Serving The Bestest Troops and Veterans In The World !! | The Canteen Crew

[Kathy in Alaska]

~ The FReeper Canteen Presents ~

~ Remembering Our Troops!! ~

SILENT DRILL

The Marine Corps Silent Drill Team performs during the evening parade at Marine Barracks Washington, DC, July 31, 2015. Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr. hosted the event and Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was the guest of honor. DoD photo by D. Myles Cullen

Canteen Mission Statement

Showing support and boosting the morale of
our military and our allies' military
and family members of the above.
Honoring those who have served before.

EVACUATING THE ELDERLY

An 88-year-old woman is evacuated by a Coast Guard helicopter aircrew in Andrews, SC, Oct. 7, 2015. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Stephen Lehmann

FROG DIAMOND

Members of the U.S. Navy Parachute Team, the Leap Frogs, perform a diamond formation while flying the American flag during a demonstration at the Fargo Air Show in Fargo, ND, July 26, 2015. Based in San Diego, the Leap Frogs perform aerial parachute demonstrations around the nation to support naval special warfare and Navy recruiting.

LIGHTNING FLIGHT

Marine Corps Majs. Colin J. Newbold and Mark A. Noble taxi in an F-35B Lightning II during Weapons and Tactics Instructor Course 1-16 on Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, AZ, Oct. 1, 2015. Newbold and Noble are pilots. The course is a seven-week training event hosted by Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron 1. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Chief Warrant Officer 3 Jorge A. Dimmer

SAND COVER

SEAL candidates for basic underwater demolition cover themselves in sand during surf passage on Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, CA, Sept. 2, 2015. Surf passage is part of the first phase of SEAL training. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Michael Russell

GARUDA SHIELD

U.S. Army Pvt. Tomas Ordonez prepares to fire his M4 carbine rifle during Garuda Shield 2015 in Cibenda in West Java, Indonesia, Aug. 24, 2015. U.S. Army Pacific sponsored the bilateral exercise and the Indonesian army hosted it to promote regional security and cooperation. Ordonez is assigned to the 25th Infantry Division's Company C, 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Brigade. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Michael Sharp

PRACTICE JUMP

U.S. paratroopers descend after jumping from a C-130 Hercules over a drop zone on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Aug. 24, 2015. U.S. and Japanese paratroopers used U.S. and Australian aircraft during the practice jump as part of Pacific Airlift Rally 2015, a biennial tactical exercise. The U.S. paratroopers are assigned to 1st Battalion , 501st Infantry Regiment, and the Hercules is assigned to the 374th Wing from Yokota Air Base, Japan. U.S. Air Force photo by Alejandro Pena

FLOOD RESPONSE

U.S. Army Spc. Joshua Monk helps move and deliver sandbags to county emergency managers during flood response in Chesterfield, SC, Oct. 3, 2015. Monk is a forklift operator with the 1052nd Transportation Company, South Carolina National Guard. State officials projected historic amounts of rainfall for the region after a weather system collided with the outer bands of Hurricane Joaquin off the coast. South Carolina National Guard photo by Sgt. David Erskine

ATLANTIC RAIN

Sailors discuss flight operations on the USS Kearsarge in the Atlantic Ocean, Aug. 4, 2015. The Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group and the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit are preparing for an upcoming deployment.

RIVER DIP

Soldiers share a light moment with Army 1st Lt. Shane Yingling as they toss the executive officer into the Arkansas River during Operation River Assault 2015 on Fort Chaffee, AR, Aug. 4, 2015. The exercise involves Army engineers and other support elements to create a modular floating bridge. The soldiers are assigned to the Army Reserve's 310th Engineer Company.

Please remember that The Canteen is here to support
and entertain our troops and veterans and their families,
and is family friendly.

[ConorMacNessa]

REQUEST PERMISSION TO COME ABOARD



CHARLESTOWN, Mass. (Jan. 14, 2008) The first major snowfall of the New Year blankets the USS Constitution. Despite the weather "Old Ironsides" remained open for free public tours. At 210 years-old, USS Constitution is the oldest commissioned warship afloat in the world, manned by 67 active-duty United States Sailors and visited by nearly half a million visitors annually. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Eric Brown (Released)

GOD BLESS AND PROTECT OUR TROOPS AND OUR BELOVED NATION!!!





Boston, Oct. 21, 2009 - Boatswains Mate 2nd Class Philip Gagnon pipes as USS Constitution performs an underway demonstration in honor of the three-masted wooden frigate's 212th birthday. (U.S. Navy photo by Airman Mark Alexander/Released).
(Click for Bosun's Whistle)



USS Constitution's 1812 Marine Guard fire vintage Springfield flintlock muskets during the ship's underway. "Old Ironsides" was underway for the "Constitution Day Cruise," which is conducted to thank the family and supporters of Constitution. U.S. Navy photo by Airman Nick Lyman (Released)

OUR TROOPS ROCK!!!!!!!

[PROCON]

Hiya Kathy and thanks!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Hello Veterans, wherever you are!!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Permission Granted!

[radu]

Greetings to all at the Canteen!

To all our military men and women, past and present,
THANK YOU
for your service!

[ConorMacNessa]

Thanks very much, Kathy!
***HUGS***



Striding up the gangplank as we speak,
rendering Hand Salutes to our National Colors
and to the Officer of the Deck!
Thank you very much for this evening's
"Remembering Our Troops" thread!

[radu]

Howdy do, Conor. *Hugz*

Hope it was a little cooler so the trains could run up to speed. :-)

[radu]

Howdy, PRO.

Good time at the shooting range today? Silly question, I know. :-)

[left that other site]

Hi Everybody!

((((HUGS))))

[combat_boots]

Sand spiders. Yuck.

[radu]

Howdy, Kathy.

Guess this has been that week you always dread .... the tricky tough one. Hope you haven’t pulled all your hair out! LOL

[Kathy in Alaska]

Sending out prayers for Arrowhead1952 as he recovers from his horrible fall.

~ Remembering Our Troops!! ~

FR CANTEEN MISSION STATEMENT

Showing support and boosting the morale of
our military and our allies’ military
and the family members of the above.
Honoring those who have served before.

CLICK HERE TO FIND LATEST THREADS

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New York, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Anchorage

To every service man or woman reading this thread.
Thank You for your service to our country.
No matter where you are stationed,
No matter what your job description
Know that we are proud of each and every one of you.
To our military readers, we remain steadfast
in keeping the Canteen doors open.

The FR Canteen is Free Republic's longest running daily thread
specifically designed to provide entertainment and moral support for the military.
The doors have been open since Oct 7 2001,
the day of the start of the war in Afghanistan.

We are indebted to you for your sacrifices for our Freedom.

NOTE: CANTEEN MUSIC
Posted daily and on the Music Thread
for the enjoyment of our troops and visitors.

[ConorMacNessa]

Good evening, Radu!

*HUGS*

The trains today were a disaster. My morning train got caught behind a slow-moving freight train and ended up running so late that I drove to Greenbelt and took the Metro in.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, Mac...*HUGS*...your trains running on time? Construction delays?

Clouds all around us, but they say no rain.

[PROCON]

Hi radu!

Yup, any day at the gun range is a good day and it was a good day.

Son and I had a great time and I bought lunch afterwards.

Really hot out our way, maybe 103 by Sunday? YIKES!

How was your Wednesday?

[ConorMacNessa]

GOD BLESS AND PROTECT OUR TROOPS AND OUR BELOVED NATION!



"The Star Spangled Banner"
Verse Four
(Click)

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Please let me know by Freepmail if you would like
to be admitted to or released from my music ping list.

[ConorMacNessa]

Morning was bad - freight traffic. Evening was better - we departed on time and were running up to speed.

[Kathy in Alaska]

United States Marine Corps Band ~ National Anthem

[ConorMacNessa]

Welcome To All Who Enter This Canteen, To Our Serving Military, To Our Veterans, To All Military Families, To Our FRiends and To Our Allies!



Missing Man Setting

"The Empty Chair"

By Captain Carroll "Lex" Lefon, USN (RET), on December 21st, 2004

"In the wardroom onboard the aircraft carrier from which I recently debarked was a small, round table, with single chair. No one ever sat there, and the reasons, both for the table being there, and for the fact that the chair was always empty, will tell the reader a little bit about who we are as a culture. The wardroom, of course, is where the officers will dine; morning, noon and evening. It is not only a place to eat – it is also a kind of oasis from the sometimes dreary, often difficult exigencies of the service. A place of social discourse, of momentary relief from the burdens of the day. The only things explicitly forbidden by inviolable tradition in the wardroom are the wearing of a cover or sword by an officer not actually on watch, or conversation which touches upon politics or religion. But aboard ships which observe the custom, another implicit taboo concerns the empty chair: No matter how crowded the room, no matter who is waiting to be seated, that chair is never moved, never taken.

The table is by the main entrance to the wardroom. You will see it when you enter, and you will see it when you leave. It draws your eyes because it is meant to. And because it draws your eyes it draws your thoughts. And though it will be there every day for as long as you are at sea, you will look at it every time and your eyes will momentarily grow distant as you think for a moment. As you quietly give thanks.

AS YOU REMEMBER.

The small, round table is covered with a gold linen tablecloth. A single place setting rests there, of fine bone china. A wineglass stands upon the table, inverted, empty. On the dinner plate is a pinch of salt. On the bread plate is a slice of lemon. Besides the plate lies a bible. There is a small vase with a single red rose upon the table. Around the vase is wound a yellow ribbon. There is the empty chair.

We will remember because over the course of our careers, we will have had the opportunity to enjoy many a formal evening of dinner and dancing in the fine company of those with whom we have the honor to serve, and their lovely ladies. And as the night wears on, our faces will in time become flushed with pleasure of each other’s company, with the exertions on the dance floor, with the effects of our libations. But while the feast is still at its best, order will be called to the room – we will be asked to raise our glasses to the empty table, and we will be asked to remember:

The table is round to show our everlasting concern for those who are missing. The single setting reminds us that every one of them went to their fates alone, that every life was unique.

The tablecloth is gold symbolizing the purity of their motives when they answered the call to duty.

The single red rose, displayed in a vase, reminds us of the life of each of the missing, and their loved ones who kept the faith.

The yellow ribbon around the vase symbolizes our continued determination to remember them.

The slice of lemon reminds us of the bitterness of their fate.
The salt symbolizes the tears shed by those who loved them.
The bible represents the faith that sustained them.
The glass is inverted — they cannot share in the toast.
The chair is empty — they are not here. They are missing.

And we will remember, and we will raise our glasses to those who went before us, and who gave all that they had for us. And a part of the flush in our faces will pale as we remember that nothing worth having ever came without a cost. We will remember that many of our brothers and sisters have paid that cost in blood. We will remember that the reckoning is not over.

We many of us will settle with our families into our holiday season, our Christmas season for those who celebrate it, content in our fortune and prosperity. We will meet old friends with smiles and laughter. We will meet our members of our family with hugs. We will eat well, and exchange gifts and raise our glasses to the year passed in gratitude, and to the year to come with hope. We will sleep the sleep of the protected, secure in our homes, secure in our homeland.

But for many families, there will be an empty chair at the table this year. A place that is not filled.

WE SHOULD REMEMBER."

Many Thanks To Alfa6 For Finding Capt. Lefon's Chronicle Of "The Empty Chair."

"Träumerei"
Robert Schumann
(Click)

Never Forget The Brave Men And Women Who
Gave Their Lives To Secure Our Freedom!!