A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....02-23-04....Military Monday

Billie, The Mayor

[GailA]

I've got this sticker on the back of my van.

[dutchess]

Hi Gail. How was camping this weekend???

[dutchess]

Thanks for posting Military Monday Rus. And also the review the The Passion. This definately is a must see.

[dutchess]

Hi Nan. What a powerful letter. Hope the mainstream media picks it up (right)... Atleast we can pass it on.

[dutchess]

Hi dixie. Are you FINALLY better????

[dutchess]

Hi Molly...prayers for your young friend Ian. Ohio....also prayers that Eric and his unit arrive home safely. I know you must be on pins and needles now that they are almost home.

[dutchess]

jw....I totally agree about the media. It's FOX or nothing (plus my daily dose of Rush LOL!)

[dutchess]

uh oh...he's back...and I'm doing tomorrows thread....beginning to quiver already :o)

[dutchess]

Ladtx...thank you for keeping the memories of your fallen comrads alive. God bless their souls and their families.

P.S. How are the grandbabies...we're about due for a picture update!

[ohioWfan]

I am FAR more tense now than I have been since he was first deployed.

This is just plain awful, dutchess! I just want him to be HOME!

[dutchess]

Hi Billie and lovely sistahs...Hope your enjoying your Monday. It's a beautiful springlike day here. Everyone I run into is smiling.

Need to get working on tomorrows thread. Maybe I'll bump into some of you later.

[GailA]

It was great, Rock is recuperating from all the walks we took looking for firewood.

[ladtx]

Leila and Ashley are doing great, Ashley has learned to say "Hey Da-Da" to her daddy already. We should have new pictures in our email at home tonight.

[Billie]

I love those stamps - they are beautiful, aren't they?!

[The Mayor]

yes they are..

Hi, I just walked in..

[Billie]

Thank you for remembering and honoring your fallen Vietnam comrades each week - a particularly sad date in 1970 and 1971, with 4 and 5 killed on that date. God Bless them all.

[Billie]

Below are names of some of our FReepers' loved ones who are serving our country. If you have someone you would like to add, please address a post to Billie; Mama_Bear; Dansangel; Dutchess; Aquamarine; and/or deadhead, and we will add their name to this list. As we pray for them, we pray also for all our nation’s leaders, and military personnel, and their families and friends. May God hold them close to His heart.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

OhioWfan........................son mystery-ak..........son, husband Gogrammy................grandson Inspectorette...................son Blessed American..........nephew Slip18..........................nephew anniegetyourgun...........nephew Diver Dave.......niece, nephew Pippin....niece,nephew,loved one Doug from Upland......son-in-law weldgophardline.....brotherinlaw Future Snake Eater..........cousin WaterDragon..son-in-law,grandson BeforeISleep...................son katykelly............................son The Mayor........................niece LadyX.........................grandson fawn796.......................nephew Dubya............................nephew StarCMC......................brother kimmie7.....................brother ValerieUSA..................2 sons TexKat................son, step-son Spruce.....................daughter Warrior Nurse...........active duty SK1 Thurman...........active duty David Osborne.........active duty fc2tomschermuly......active duty bkwells..................active duty LongCut..................active duty Trish.......................active duty ODC-GIRL.................active duty thumperusn.............active duty

Maigrey................cousin ladtx....................2 sons Mama_Bear.........2 nephews gator girl............husband severa.......husband, brother Hostel..................cousin MozartLover......son, nephew LBGA........................son cookcounty..............son SpookBrat...........nephew Himyar.....................son boxerblues............2 sons the piper...................son sheeza...............husband kemathen7...........husband Tiffee4Bob.......boyfriend deadhead................cousin JimRobinson.....2 nephews Armymarinemom.....3 sons Rose in RoseBear.cousin's hubby Consort..2 daughters,son-in-law Darheel..................niece Donaeus...............nephew dixie sass.............nephew BeAllYouCanBe.........son AgThorn...............2 sons homeschoolmama.......nephew kneezles.................son Atomic Conspiracy..half-brother Atomic Conspiracy...nephew Atomic Conspiracy...niece Sunflowergal.......grandson visualops..cousin,adopted Marine

[deadhead]

God Bless Our Military

[Dubya]

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Feb. 23, 2004 - A team of 50 Marines have departed the United
States to beef up security for the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, U.S.
Southern Command confirmed today.

The Marines are part of the Fleet Anti-terrorism Security Team out of Naval
Base Norfolk, Va. The team is under the operational control of U.S. Southern
Command based in Miami.

The team will assist the Marine security detachment at the embassy. In
addition, a Southern Command assessment team continues its work in Haiti,
Pentagon officials said.

U.S. Ambassador to Haiti James B. Foley requested the assessment team last
week.

Rebel groups opposed to Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide have taken the
country's second largest city, Cap Haitien, according to news reports. The
groups, many formerly allied with Aristide, blew up the police station and
ransacked the airport, the news reports said.

The four-man assessment team is in the country to check on the security of the
embassy and its staff. Pentagon officials said the team and the FAST deployment
is not a prelude to a noncombatant evacuation order, but is a prudent course,
given the situation in the Caribbean nation.

A State Department travel advisory "strongly urged" all American citizens to
leave Haiti while commercial flights are still available. About 20,000
Americans live in the nation.

The State Department has also ordered the departure of all family members and
nonessential personnel from the embassy in Port-au-Prince. Some international
aid organizations have already left the country, State Department officials
said, and others are closing their operations now.

State Department officials said pro-government and anti-government groups are
fighting in the northern part of the country. Americans could become caught
between the groups, and the ability of U.S. embassy officials to intervene is
very limited, State Department officials said.

The United States, European Union and Caribbean nations are involved with
negotiations to end to the unrest in Haiti.

Haiti is acknowledged as the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. The
United States led a U.N.-sponsored multinational force to the country in 1994.
The mission was to get Haiti's military dictatorship to step down and restore
to power Haiti's constitutionally elected government - led by President Jean-
Bertrand Aristide.

On Sept. 19, 1994, with U.S. troops already airborne, Haitian military dictator
Gen. Raul Cedras and other top leaders agreed to step down. The intervening
force, became an overseeing force and more than 21,000 service members from a
number of countries helped with the restoration of the constitutional
government. Aristide and other elected officials in exile returned to Haiti
Oct. 15.

[Billie]

Good evening to all the Finest and thank you to our mighty military!