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“Remembering Edna” (Isaiah 43:1-3a, 25; Psalm 25:6-7; Hebrews 10:12-23; Luke 23:33-34a, 39-46; 24:1-8)It’s funny, sometimes, what we remember--and what we don’t remember. Oftentimes that’s the case with how we remember someone who has just died. Because the events leading up to that person’s death are so recent and so vivid, that may be what we tend to focus on. Or we think about that person only as they were in their last few months or their last couple of years. But really, there’s a whole lifetime of memories of that person we can be thinking about. Take our dear friend...

5/27/2008 - BRIDESBURG, Pa. (AFPN) -- Airmen paraded down the streets of Bridesburg adorned with red, white and blue flags and banners May 26 to kick off not only Air Force Week in Philadelphia but also the city's annual Memorial Day parade Gen. Arthur J. Lichte, the commander of Air Mobility Command, led a contingent of Airmen and equipment in the parade that included a flyby of two KC-10 Extenders from McGuire Air Force Base, N.J., as more than 10,000 spectators from throughout the region watched. With the general leading the way in a Humvee, approximately 75 Airmen from the...

CAMP VICTORY, Iraq, April 4, 2008 – He was a husband, father, soldier and leader, but today Sgt. 1st Class Paul R. Smith, the 3rd Infantry Division’s 51st Medal of Honor recipient was remembered here simply as a hero. Task Force Marne soldiers who organized a remembrance ceremony for U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Paul R. Smith, April 4, 2008, stand in the courtyard where Smith gave his life in defense of others five years ago. For his selfless service, Smith was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in 2005. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Jasmine Chopra  (Click photo for...

WASHINGTON, March 1, 2008 – On what was described as a “fine Navy, Marine Corps day,” in New Orleans, Defense Department officials, servicemembers and distinguished guests gathered today to christen a tangible symbol of America’s mettle. “This is a special day for a magnificent ship that has a special place in the heart of every American,” Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England said during the christening ceremony for USS New York. Everyone in the country, he said, has felt a special connection with New York since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. “On the day the towers fell, all Americans...

2/7/2008 - DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. -- Imagine being surrounded by enemy forces and having orders to retreat through a foreign land, fighting through the mountainous terrain in frigid temperatures for 78 miles, with little or no food, water and supplies. Many Korean War veterans experienced this and more in what has become known as the 'Forgotten War.' The 9th Annual Ruck March held at the Air Mobility Command Museum Feb. 2 here commemorated those veterans. Four-person ruck march teams, comprised of Air Force, Army, Marine and civilian competitors, walked or ran 6.2 miles to finish the race, each...

ARLINGTON, Va., Nov. 11, 2007 – Vice President Richard B. Cheney today remembered millions of veterans at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month at Arlington National Cemetery. Navy veteran Neil Koski, a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars National Honor Guard, pulls on his gloves prior to the Veterans Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery on Nov. 11, 2007. Koski and other members of the honor guard passed out programs prior to the ceremony. Photo by Melinda L. Larson  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. “More than 20 million of our fellow citizens...

9/20/2007 - FORT DIX, N.J. (AFPN) -- Memorial Day was a day when Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia was at its finest. Each gravesite was adorned with American flags. Many also either had wreaths, flowers and even personal memorabilia left behind by visiting families. Even the weather was appropriate with partly cloudy to an overcast sky and balmy spring temperatures. For Staff Sgt. Gary Ritter, a combat arms instructor from the Air Force Expeditionary Center at Fort Dix, coming to Arlington from New Jersey with his wife, Kristina, and daughter, Cheyenne, marked the end of a very long personal journey....

FORT HUACHUCA — Memorial Day is a time dedicated to reflection, Maj. Gen. Barbara Fast said Monday. It is a day when reflections change as each generation of Americans are called upon to preserve freedom, she told more than 600 people gathered in what she called “this serene and historic resting place.” The general was talking about the Post Cemetery, where from the days of America’s westward expansion to today’s GIs have been laid to rest. In the late 1800s the fort’s cemetery was not only a burial ground for those serving in the Army, it also was the final...

He kissed my mother. She loved it. Even though she was on stage with a dozen other “grandmothers,” she waited patiently for her turn to receive a kiss from singer Don Ho. We were at the Cinerama Reef Towers Hotel in Honolulu for the Don Ho show, filled with music, dancing and comedy. Audience participation was a major part of Ho's show, and bringing the grandmas on stage brought shrieks of laughter throughout the room.

The 27th day of Nisan year marks the day when the Warsaw Ghetto uprising began against the Nazis in 1943. The 27th of Nisan was therefore selected as Holocaust Remembrance and Heroism Day in Israel -- the day on which Israel would remember the mass murder of Jews in World War II -- not only as a day of mourning and remorse, but also as a day to remember those who fought back against the Nazis and their allies. The Mufti of Jerusalem and Adolf Hitler

Where oh where have the Ronald Reagans of this world gone? How many times have we heard Americans, especially conservatives, say that over the last few years? As someone who spent his whole adult life intertwined with the last lion of the 20th Century, it is hard for me to imagine another Ronald Reagan. There are a number of lessons we should have learned from him, but it seems some of Reagan’s greatest accomplishments were lost on our leaders today. The opportunity to learn from the legacy of Reagan presents itself to those who want to see America’s greatest days...

ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY, Va., Dec. 14, 2006 -- Morrill Worcester was 12 years old and on his first trip outside of Maine when he first visited this shrine to America’s heroes. A wreath decorates the grave of Spanish-American War casualty Lt. F.W. Sowey at Arlington National Cemetery, Va. Morrill Worcester, a Maine businessman, donated 5,000 wreaths to honor veterans. Photo by Jim Garamone  '(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. He vowed then that he would always honor America’s veterans, and he has kept that promise. Worcester now owns Worcester Wreaths, in Harrington, Maine. He began placing wreaths on graves...

FORT HUACHUCA — James L. Burke sat in his wheelchair. The retired Signal Corps colonel wept, wiping his eyes with a handkerchief held in his right hand. With his left hand he patted the top of the tombstone on which the name of Mary E. Burke had been inscribed. Mary, his wife, died in 2002. Monday, the 87-year-old Burke, who served in combat in World War II and in Vietnam, was at the Fort Huachuca Cemetery visiting the grave of his wife. He met Mary in Hawaii during World War II, when she was an Army nurse, daughter Bridget Burke...

<p>I received a a small FLower.. Which I now hold in my hand. I am weeping at the sight of it.</p> <p>Please bare with me my friends....the tears are becoming public. I want to ...ah crap... I can,t go on!</p>

A memorial illustration for Trooper Steven R. Smith of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Twenty years ago, space shuttle Challenger blew apart into jets of fire and plumes of smoke, a terrifying sight witnessed by the families of the seven astronauts and by those who came to watch the historic launch of the first teacher in space. The disaster shattered NASA's spit-shined image and the belief that spaceflight could become as routine as airplane travel. The investigation into the accident's cause revealed a space agency more concerned with schedules and public relations than safety and sound decision-making. Seventeen years later, seven more astronauts were lost on the shuttle Columbia, leading...

For Immediate ReleaseDecember 24, 2005 President's Radio Address      Audio      THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. On this Christmas Eve, Laura and I send our best wishes to families across America as you gather in your homes to celebrate the holiday. Christmas is a time of joy and peace, and we hope the holiday season brings all of you happy reunions with families and friends, and time to rest and reflect as you look forward to a new year. At Christmas, we give thanks for the gift of the birth of Christ, and for the blessings that surround us every day of...

The Flying Tigers of World War II Americans have not always waited for their country to enter a war formally to fight for causes they supported. The tradition continued during the early days of World War II before the United States officially became a combatant. Some Americans joined the Royal Air Force, forming the Eagle Squadrons and fighting alongside English pilots in the Battle of Britain and other early conflicts. But it was another group of Americans, the American Volunteer Group (AVG) in China, that gained the most fame and notoriety in the early months of the war. On Dec....

In memory of our fallen brothers and sisters, there will be no posting over the Memorial Day Weekend. Postings will resume on Tuesday, May 31st. "“They stand in the unbroken line of patriots who have dared to die that freedom might live, and grow, and increase its blessings. Freedom lives and through it, they live in a way that humbles the understandings of most men.” Franklin Delano Roosevelt

A tribute to fallen HEROES  from the staff and visitors at FreeRepublic.com, FreedomUSA.org and Veterans for Constitutional Restoration (VetsCoR)  During the course of this country's history brave men and women have stepped forward from time to time, answering the country's call to fight against would-be tyrants, dictators and despots,  and to defend the individual freedom that is our birthright.  Many of these brave men and women have paid the ultimate price. It is to these brave men and women of the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marine that we dedicate this page, and to...

HAMM, Luxembourg - A pair of massive iron gates is decorated with gilded laurel wreaths and bronze eagles, the national emblem of the United States. The country is Luxembourg, but the 17-acre cemetery on the other side of the gates is American soil -- a green meadow that holds the graves of 5,076 American soldiers. They died during one of Europe's coldest winters in a battle that began Dec. 16, 1944, and became known as the Battle of the Bulge. Among the graves at the American Military Cemetery in Hamm are 23 pairs of brothers and 101 "Unknowns." There are...

  HAPPY MOTHERS DAY, remembering Mom...Could it have really been 25 years since I kissed my Mom good night? How could that be, it seems like only yesterday?Her memory is still fresh, her wonderful smile is vivid in my mind. I can still feel the tenderness of her kiss on my cheek, and I can recall everything she whispered to me as I held her close...Could it have been so long ago...I still remember you Mom... each and every time I say good night to my kids on a holiday... I kiss them once more..  just for you...I still remember...

I received an e-mail today that I thought was worth sharing with you all.... This huge rock is located on highway 25, and kids use to put obscenities etc on it. However, since the rock was painted like this, it's been left alone check it out at: You need to go to the site to see all sides. Click here: On A Rock In Rural Iowa

I pasted the article into the first comment below so the pictures would show. I watched the NBC evening news tonight. They didn't even mention the Islamists. Feel-gooders out of control.

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   Over 100,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic, and the forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world. A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day was introduced on June 24, 2002. It's only a small room in JimRob's house where we can get to know one another a little better; salute and support our military and our leaders; pray for those in...

MY father's half-inch hand floats on the computer screen in front of me. Not his arm. Just his hand. The right one. For the past hour or so I've been working at merging two photographs, one old, one new -- into a single picture. In January I started taking a semester-long class in Adobe Photoshop, the software program that makes it possible to blend and alter photos in the most amazing ways. It's April now, and I'm finally getting the hang of it. Two pairs of eyes smile back at me. One belongs to my father. In a sepia-toned photo,...

General Order No. 11 Headquarters, Grand Army of the Republic Washington, D.C., May 5, 1868 I. The 30th day of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet churchyard in the land. In this observance no form or ceremony is prescribed, but posts and comrades will in their own way arrange such fitting services and testimonials of respect as circumstances may permit. We are organized, comrades, as...

<p>It was America's first space shuttle, the one that proved it could be done -- that people could blast into space on a rocket and land like an airplane.</p> <p>The shuttle Columbia, known in NASA-speak as Orbiter Vehicle 102, got its name from a Boston-based sailing ship that sailed up the Columbia River in 1792 and later went around the world.</p>