A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....01-16-04...The Holy Grail of the Marine

Billie

[Billie]

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 need; and congratulate those deserving. We strive to keep our threads entertaining, fun, and pleasing to look at, and often have guest writers contribute an essay, or a profile of another FReeper.

On Mondays please visit us to see photos of A FEW OF FR'S VETERANS AND ACTIVE MILITARY

If you have a suggestion, or an idea, or if there's a FReeper you would like to see featured, please drop one of us a note in FR mail.

We're having fun and hope you are!
~ Billie, Mama_Bear, dansangel, dutchess, Aquamarine, deadhead ~

I first posted this at the Canteen in January 2002, having received it from a FReeper and active U.S. Marine (now retired). Thanks, g'nad, for sharing this with us then, and hope you'll enjoy it with us again today.

---

The young Marine was weary
And he sought a little rest.
With his helmet for a pillow
And his rifle on his chest.
He had seen the gunships fire.
He had heard the cannons roar.
He had seen the Navy's power
As he made his way ashore.
Then he thought about his rifle
And he found it rather small.
With the gunships and the cannons,
It was nothing much at all.
The efforts of a rifleman
Meant little, it would seem.
Then, as he slipped to slumber,
He dreamed himself a dream.

---

The man who stood beside him
Held a musket in his hand,
And close around his neck he wore
A heavy leather band.
"When I was an Old Ironsides"
The apparition said,
"There were cannonballs and cutlasses
Wherever danger led.
There were pistols too, and daggers
At every fighter's side,
When the ships would come together
On the rolling, heaving tide.
But when it came to boarding,
With the battle fury hot,
It was rifles, always rifles
That made the telling shot."

---

When we were in the trenches
The apparition faded
And standing in its place
Beneath a shallow helmet
He saw another face.
"When we were in the trenches
In the Wood they call Marine,
There were mortars, tanks, and cannons,
More than I had ever seen.
But when the final charge was made
To push the Germans back
It was rifles, always rifles
At the point of the attack."

---

Who fought and fell at Wake
The face changed only slightly.
And the helmet stayed the same,
But the island that he spoke of
Had a more familiar name.
"They hit us very early
On the day the war begun.
On the wings of all their bombers
We could see the Rising Sun.
Our pilots and our gunners
Who fought and fell at Wake
Wrote a story full of glory
That time can never shake.
But when the enemy drew near,
To make his final reach,
It was rifles, always rifles
That met him on the beach."

---

In 'Fifty at the Chosin,
There next appeared a shadow
In a swirl of stinging snow,
And it breathed a fierce defiance,
And its eyes were all aglow.
In 'Fifty at the Chosin,
When the big guns couldn't talk,
And the First Marine Divison
Took a fighting, freezing walk,
When all the world, except the Corps
Had counted us as gone,
It was rifles, always rifles,
That let us carry on."

---

At Khe Sahn when they shelled us,
The scene was changed to summer.
And the face was hard and lean,
And the tired eyes were fired
With the light that says "Marine".
"At Khe Sahn when they shelled us,
We were wrapped in rolling smoke,
And the thought of our survival
Was a grim and ghastly joke.
But when the waves came swarming in
To finish the assault,
It was rifles, always rifles
That called the final halt."

---

There next appeared a general
As solid as a tank,
With three stars on his collar
To signify his rank.
His stature and demeanor
Were the military type,
And in his hand he carried
A stubby little pipe.
His jaw was squarely chiseled;
His eyes were clear and keen,
And his bearing left no question..
He was all Marine's Marine.
"The message they're conveying,"
The burly General said,
"Is that through our troubled history,
The rifles always led.
We've had cannons, tanks, and mortars;
We've had weapons by the score;
We've had battleships and fighter planes
To complement the Corps."

---

"We've a most impressive arsenal--
That's obviously true--
But the final thrust for victory
Has always been with you.
It was rifles, always rifles,
When the Corps was sorely pressed,
And the rifle that you carry
Must meet the final test.
So sling that rifle proudly,
For everything we do
With mortars, tanks, and cannons
Is just an aid to you."

The young Marine awakened
And put the dream aside,
Though now he clutched his rifle
With a certain touch of pride.
And then he chanced to notice
That lying near his hand
Was a stubby little pipe
And a heavy leather band.

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 01-12-04 Military Monday 01-13-04 Celebrate Living 01-14-04 Freepercize 2004 01-15-04 JohnHuang2 Essay

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' The guy's good, folks!

Thanks, Mixer!

1) Click on the graphic to open the Calendar.
2) Once there you can click on any month and even click to the right to go into next year. Once you are in the month that you joined FR you will need to click on the number in the calendar and then an add item screen will come up.
3) In the next box enter your name in the "Calendar Text" field and then click on submit.
4) If any of the screens fail to load simply click on refresh in your browser and that will usually fix it.
5) If all else fails or simply if you want me to do this for you send me a FReepmail and I will gladly do it for you. ~Mixer

Click on the photo to view the album. To
submit your photo, please contact dansangel or .45Man
at
danbh59@yahoo.com
and include Freeper Photo Album in subject line.

[Billie]

I guess I just want to be like you and the rest and have a hand injury. It seems all the fad.

I chipped a finger nail...does that count?????

LOL! Absolutely! Why not! Poor Baby - you better get to the Emergency Room. :)

[Billie]

I can hear the Marine Hymn playing in my head - much better than the voices. :)

LOL! You are too cute, Mr. DD! (I can't believe you wrote that about starting a fire though!)

[Billie]

Billie - *love* the hostess graphic!

Thanks, Sistah Dansy! (I've already seen whar T Man had to say about it though - in My Comments) LOL!

Hugs, back, and hope you're feeling all better, over the head cold, and chipper again.

[LadyX]

"(I can't believe you wrote that about starting a fire though!)"

LOL - I can!

You can take the man out of the Navy,
but you can't take the Navy out of a swabble..|:>))

[Billie]

Well, better late with our coffee than not at all. :)

[jwfiv]

Hello Billie Blue...I'm always ready for a Finest rerun, especially one so meaningful...thank you.

Sounds cold in some parts of the neighborhood we all hail from...brrr.

Sunny and warm here...no quiliting injuries, all is well on the Left Coast.

Wishing you and all our Hostesses and ALL the Finest a very good Friday....

Semper fi, God bless the USMC.

[Billie]

The 'excuses' did bring a smile this morning, and we've all known those who find it so easy to lie. There is no reasoning with them - they just prefer to make up their own 'truth'. :(

[Pippin]

HEY EVERYBODY!!!

Teriffic thread!

Thought I kind of teared up reading it, I read it brfore but I found it touching and so true.

GOD BLESS ALL OUR MILIARY!

[LadyX]

Hi, Miss Clara Suzanne..:))
Think you deserve some kind of special Commendation Medal
for enduring living and working in Liberal Land...

{{{(( Hugs }}}}}

[Pippin]

Thanks for the hug, LadyX!

I needed it!

Here's a Hug for (((LADYX))))!

[Billie]

Beautiful layout Billie..

Thanks, Rus - love doing the patriotic posts, and I don't think we ever get tired of the beautiful red, white and blue.

[Billie]

Rained this morning - and it was welcomed!

[Billie]

Oh, that cake looks delicious, Kudsman! So, may I add my wishes, too, cyborg? Happy First Cyborg!

(first what though?) :)

[cyborg]

LOL thanks my first year on FR... honest thought I was here longer than that!

[Dubya]

I served with Gen. Chesty Puller for awhile. What a great guy.

[dansangel]

Not surprising dansy has somehow bullied her way into second-in-command.

It's all in the wrist, dear (((skinny dood)))))

:-)

[LadyX]

"(first what though?) :)"

(shhh, Billie - with the Navy coming out of Dave and Kudzu here to egg him on, dare you ask that question on The Finest?!!

[Mama_Bear]

Billie, I sure don't remember seeing this posted before. Very nice, as is everything you do. A wonderful tribute to our proud and courageous Marines.

Wishing a bluebird kind of day to one and all. Finest hugs all around.

[Pippin]

((((LORI)))!

[LadyX]

"I served with Gen. Chesty Puller for awhile. What a great guy."

I thought perhaps you did. Was it in combat in Korea, Dubya??

If so, you surely know what extermely cold weather is, climbing up and down the spine of that country in winter...