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FReeper Canteen ~ Road Trip: Fort William Henry Harrison, Montana ~ 21 MAR 2017
Serving The Best Troops And Veterans In The World!! | The Canteen Crew

Posted on 03/20/2017 5:57:07 PM PDT by laurenmarlowe

 
 

~The FReeper Canteen Presents~

Road Trip: Fort William Henry Harrison, Montana

Fort William Henry Harrison is the Montana National Guard training facility. It is also home to the Fort Harrison VA Medical Center and Montana State Veterans Cemetery, located adjacent to the military installation. Fort Harrison is located in Helena, Montana.

Fort William Henry Harrison (1895–1913) was authorized by a Congressional act of 12 May 1892 which was intended to establish, as a part of a greater consolidation program, concentrations of troops in a few larger installations so that smaller installations could be abandoned. The post was first named Fort Harrison after the sitting President of the United States, Benjamin Harrison, on 13 Dec 1892.

Some years later on 16 Feb 1906, the name was changed to Fort William Henry Harrison because it was discovered that there had already been an Army fort named for Benjamin Harrison in Indianapolis, Indiana. Fort William Henry Harrison was first garrisoned with troops from Fort Assinniboine near Havre, Montana 23 Sep 1895.

The National Guard is a unique and essential element of the U.S. military. Founded in 1636 as a citizen force organized to protect families and towns from hostile attacks, today’s National Guard Soldiers hold civilian jobs or attend college while maintaining their military training part time, always ready to defend the American way of life in the event of an emergency.

Learn More About The Montana National Guard HERE!!

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. 

Please remember: The Canteen is a place to honor and entertain our troops. The Canteen is family friendly. Let's have fun!

We pray for your continued strength, to be strong in the face of adversity.

We pray for your safety, that you will return to your families and friends soon.

We pray that your hope, courage, and dignity remain unbroken, so that you may show others the way.

God Bless You All ~ Today, Tomorrow and Always

 

 



TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Free Republic
KEYWORDS: 1ssf; canteen; devilsbrigade; ftwillie; ftwilmhenryharrison; troopsupport
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To: Kathy in Alaska; laurenmarlowe; BIGLOOK; alfa6; EsmeraldaA; SandRat; mylife; TMSuchman; AbnSarge; ..




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!!



21 posted on 03/20/2017 6:34:51 PM PDT by ConorMacNessa (<center> <table background=" http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i25/Conormacnessa/FReep/gold_solid.jp)
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To: The Mayor

Good evening, Mayor, and thank you for today’s sustenance for body and soul.

Did you make it safely through Monday?

We are starting to have flooding everywhere....drains have not been thawed.

Melting temps all day and single digit at night...not good.


22 posted on 03/20/2017 6:38:02 PM PDT by Kathy in Alaska ((~RIP Brian...the Coast Guard lost a good one.~))
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To: Kathy in Alaska

Headed home...lots of intersections closed due to flooding.


23 posted on 03/20/2017 6:40:06 PM PDT by Kathy in Alaska ((~RIP Brian...the Coast Guard lost a good one.~))
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To: laurenmarlowe
If you're in the area, don't miss the post museum.

And don't overlook the old WWII barracks. They were built by the soldiers who lived in them, and they were some very special soldiers.


24 posted on 03/20/2017 6:43:44 PM PDT by archy (Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Except bears, they'll kill you a little, and eat you.)
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To: laurenmarlowe

Hi, Lauren!
Always up for a road trip...and Montana is close to where the kids are! :)

25 posted on 03/20/2017 6:48:40 PM PDT by luvie (Be still and know that I Am GOD.....Psalm 46:10)
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To: laurenmarlowe

Hi Everybody!

((((HUGS)))))


26 posted on 03/20/2017 6:54:13 PM PDT by left that other site (You shall know the Truth, and The Truth Shall Set You Free.)
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To: ConorMacNessa

...till they all come home....

27 posted on 03/20/2017 6:59:57 PM PDT by luvie (Be still and know that I Am GOD.....Psalm 46:10)
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To: LUV W
Until they all come home!

Good evening, Luv!

*HUGS*

I hope your A/C is working - 92 degrees in March?

"I am an American fighting man. I serve in the forces guarding our country and our way of life.
I am prepared to give my life in their defense."

28 posted on 03/20/2017 7:04:11 PM PDT by ConorMacNessa (<center> <table background=" http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i25/Conormacnessa/FReep/gold_solid.jp)
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To: laurenmarlowe; Kathy in Alaska; LUV W; HiJinx; AZamericonnie; Jet Jaguar; Soaring Feather; ...

Greetings to all at the Canteen!

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


29 posted on 03/20/2017 7:07:11 PM PDT by radu (May God watch over our troops and keep them safe)
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To: ConorMacNessa

Oh, yeah. It’s been on nearly all day! The old electricity bill will be flying high pretty soon!


30 posted on 03/20/2017 7:14:39 PM PDT by luvie (Be still and know that I Am GOD.....Psalm 46:10)
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To: PROCON

Howdy, PRO.

How was your first day of Spring?
We enjoyed upper 70s with some filtered sunshine and just had some thunderstorms rumble through. THAT’S typical Spring weather for TN. LOL


31 posted on 03/20/2017 7:36:34 PM PDT by radu (May God watch over our troops and keep them safe)
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To: ConorMacNessa

Howdy do, Conor. *HUGZ*

How was your day? Have some nice weather to enjoy?


32 posted on 03/20/2017 7:41:15 PM PDT by radu (May God watch over our troops and keep them safe)
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To: Kathy in Alaska

Howdy, Kathy.

Hope you make it home with little trouble. Bummer y’all have flooding to deal with. They need to get those drains thawed!


33 posted on 03/20/2017 7:43:03 PM PDT by radu (May God watch over our troops and keep them safe)
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To: LUV W

Howdy, LUV.

Still feeling like summer down there, huh? UGH!
We had a perfect Spring day and wish every day could be so nice.


34 posted on 03/20/2017 7:46:04 PM PDT by radu (May God watch over our troops and keep them safe)
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To: radu
Hi radu!

Well, after a nice last day of Winter yesterday, our first day of Spring was c-cold and blustery. Looking forward to a real Spring day like you have, LOL.

Well, did you take all the kittehs for a Spring walk?

35 posted on 03/20/2017 7:57:56 PM PDT by PROCON (Defending the Border isn't a Political Option, it's a Constitutional Obligation ~ Rick Perry)
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To: y'all; radu; Kathy in Alaska; laurenmarlowe; ConorMacNessa; PROCON; spel_grammer_an_punct_polise; ..
Oh, my heavens, yes! it's still 83. I can hardly WAIT to see what July will be like! NOT!!

Hope you had a good day. Sounds like Spring is finally there!

Got this picture of Peaches this morning. He's such a camera hog!


36 posted on 03/20/2017 8:01:54 PM PDT by luvie (Be still and know that I Am GOD.....Psalm 46:10)
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To: PROCON

Well dang! Cold weather on the first day of Spring really sucks! Not fair at all! I guess getting no snow today was a plus. Gotta look for that silver lining. LOL!

I did put the harness and leash on Buckwheat this afternoon and we spent some time outside. He’s the one who was attacked by dogs a couple of years ago and he isn’t very active. Outside, he walks more than he does inside and he needs the exercise. We walked around the front yard a bit, then we sat on the porch for a while enjoying the sunshine and breeze.


37 posted on 03/20/2017 8:10:56 PM PDT by radu (May God watch over our troops and keep them safe)
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To: LUV W

UGH! Too hot for this time of year. At least it’ll cool off a little later in the week. Hope the wind doesn’t kick up a lot of dust. Y’all need some rain to tamp that stuff down.

Peaches is such a handsome feller. Looks like he was enjoying the fragrance of the daffies.


38 posted on 03/20/2017 8:16:20 PM PDT by radu (May God watch over our troops and keep them safe)
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To: radu

He must have known I was taking pictures. He never smells flowers. LOL! He’s a guy, ya know! LOL!

No rain in the forecast. I don’t even want to THINK of sandstorms. That totally ruins spring.


39 posted on 03/20/2017 8:21:45 PM PDT by luvie (Be still and know that I Am GOD.....Psalm 46:10)
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To: LUV W

Some kittehs are hams when they know the camera is aimed their way. Sounds like Peaches is one of those. LOL

Maybe some rain with pop up unexpectedly. Ya never know. The storms that just came through weren’t expected today. I spent some time outside watching the “light show” but it wasn’t real impressive. Still nice to watch though. Then a cool breeze kicked up and I knew it was time to head back to the house. Just as I reached the back porch, it started raining. Cut it close!


40 posted on 03/20/2017 8:29:43 PM PDT by radu (May God watch over our troops and keep them safe)
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