A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....04-12-04....Military Monday

To: Lakeside; The Mayor; GailA

The Mayor and GailA make the best coffee! Gail makes great biscuits and super Grits!

21 posted on 04/12/2004 7:32:43 AM PDT by dixie sass (Purrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, contentment - claws are sharp and ready for use!)

22 posted on 04/12/2004 7:33:17 AM PDT by dixie sass (Purrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, contentment - claws are sharp and ready for use!)

23 posted on 04/12/2004 7:33:33 AM PDT by The Mayor (Death separates us for a time; Christ will reunite us forever.)

24 posted on 04/12/2004 7:36:00 AM PDT by FreeTheHostages (Be a Free Republic monthly donor -- small monthly contribs are painless!)

my whole house is still asleep..

I have to leave soon too.

25 posted on 04/12/2004 7:36:41 AM PDT by The Mayor (Death separates us for a time; Christ will reunite us forever.)

To: FreeTheHostages

cute calender !

Mornin Free !

26 posted on 04/12/2004 7:37:41 AM PDT by The Mayor (Death separates us for a time; Christ will reunite us forever.)

Hey ! Did ya'll hear yet ?? Jean Keri announced his pick for VP !!
Here's the ticket !:

This is LEGIT, too !! haha !

27 posted on 04/12/2004 7:56:13 AM PDT by MeekOneGOP (Become a monthly donor on FR. No amount is too small and monthly giving is the way to go !)

Mornin' Yer Honor.
Coffee and message from God's Word - Perfect way to start the day.
Salute to our Armed Forces - Past and Present.

29 posted on 04/12/2004 7:57:13 AM PDT by Diver Dave

Whoa ! A double post ! I'll have it removed ...

30 posted on 04/12/2004 7:57:13 AM PDT by MeekOneGOP (Become a monthly donor on FR. No amount is too small and monthly giving is the way to go !)

Mornin D.D.

I started reading a new book.

We all should dedicate the next 40 days reading one chapter a day. Great book, great message.

31 posted on 04/12/2004 8:05:31 AM PDT by The Mayor (Death separates us for a time; Christ will reunite us forever.)

32 posted on 04/12/2004 8:20:03 AM PDT by Aeronaut (If we are not 'one nation under God,' what are we?)

To: The Mayor; Billie; Mama_Bear; dansangel; dutchess; Aquamarine; deadhead; ST.LOUIE1; JohnHuang2; ...

Presenting to you and The Finest another Letter from The Front - -

You might be wondering if the 'new' Marines in Iraq are comporting themselves well, keeping alive Corps pride in their reputation of dedication and excellence.

I received it Saturday from an old friend of mine, who was in the Marine Corps from 1949 to 1953...."our" Conflict!

He (retired Sears executive) and his wife live at Emerald Isle, NC, a block from the beach, his wife from Jacksonville originally.
(They met when he was stationed there.)
We have used their beach house twice in the 80's, and visited their permanent one last in 1993.

That, of course, is a stone's throw from Camp Lejeune, and many of the homes around him belong to retired Marine Corps officers, who are friends of his.

One of those Colonels sent this e-mail letter to him from two Marines in Iraq right now. (The mail was originally sent to two of the Marine wives, one of whom passed it on to the retired colonel.)

For obvious reasons, I deleted the name of the two senders....

hope it will give you some idea of how it really is -
and how MARINE CORPS SPIRIT LIVES !!

===========================================================

Dear Ladies, the last two days have been the hardest two days this battalion has faced in over 30 years. Within the blink of an eye the situation went from relatively calm to a raging storm. You've known that since arriving there has been violence; attacks have been sporadic and mostly limited to roadside bombs. Your husbands have become experts at recognizing those threats and neutralizing them before we are injured. Up to this point the war has been the purview of corporals and sergeants, and the squad they lead.

Yesterday the enemy upped the ante.

Early in the morning we exchanged gunfire with a group of insurgents without significant loss. As morning progressed, the enemy fed more men into the fight and we responded with stronger force. Unfortunately, this led to injuries as our Marines and sailors started clearing the city block by block. The enemy did not run; they fought us like soldiers. And we destroyed the enemy like only Marines can. By the end of the evening the local hospital was so full of their dead and wounded that they ran out of space to put them. Your husbands were awesome all night they stayed at the job of securing the streets and nobody challenged them as the hours wore on. They did not surrender an inch nor did flinch from the next potential threat. Previous to yesterday the terrorists thought that we were soft enough to challenge. As of tonight the message is loud and clear that the Marines will not be beaten.

Today the enemy started all over again, although with far fewer numbers, only now the rest of the battalion joined the fight. Without elaborating too much, weapons company and Golf crushed their attackers with the vengeance of the righteous. They filled up the hospitals again and we suffered only a few injuries. Echo company dominated the previous day's battlefield. Fox company patrolled with confidence and authority; nobody challenged them. Even Headquarters Company manned their stations and counted far fewer people openly watching us with disdain. If the enemy is foolish enough to try to take your men again they will not survive contact. We are here to win.

The news looks grim from back in the States. We did take losses that, in our hearts, we will always live with. The men we lost were taken within the very opening minutes of the violence. They could not have foreseen the treachery of the enemy and they did not suffer. We can never replace these Marines and Sailors but they will fight on with us in spirit. We are not feeling sorry for ourselves nor do we fear what tomorrow will bring. The battalion has lived up to its reputation as Magnificent Bastards.

Yesterday made everyone here stronger and wiser; it will be a cold day in Hell before we are taken for granted again.

(Names deleted)

33 posted on 04/12/2004 8:27:35 AM PDT by LadyX (((( To God give praise and honor !! ))))

To: The Mayor; Billie; daisyscarlett; dansangel; dutchess; Mama_Bear; FreeTheHostages; WVNan; LadyX; ...

Hope you all had as happy an Easter as I did. It was a wonderful day.

34 posted on 04/12/2004 8:47:38 AM PDT by Temple Owl

To: All; Finest FRiends; The Mayor; Billie; dansangel; dutchess; FreeTheHostages; Aquamarine; ...

Good morning to our "military Monday" Mayor, and all who grace this Finest place.

I am leaving a poem today that I suspect many of you have seen before, but it is one of my favorites and fits well with our military monday tribute.

May God watch over our troops and bring them home, safe and sound, to their loved ones and a grateful America.

I am a small and precious child, my dad's been sent to fight.
The only place I'll see his face, is in my dreams at night.
He will be gone too many days for my young mind to keep track.
I may be sad, but I am proud…My daddy's got your back.

I am a caring mother. My son has gone to war.
My mind is filled with worries that I have never known before.
Everyday I try to keep my thoughts from turning black.
I may be scared, but I am proud…My son has got your back.

I am a strong and loving wife, with a husband soon to go.
There are times I'm terrified in a way most never know.
I bite my lip, and force a smile as I watch my husband pack.
My heart may break, but I am proud…My husband's got your back..

I am a soldier. Serving Proudly, standing tall.
I fight for freedom, yours and mine by answering this call.
I do my job, while knowing the thanks it sometimes lacks.
Say a prayer that I'll come home…It's me whose got your back.

35 posted on 04/12/2004 8:48:21 AM PDT by Mama_Bear (He is Risen)

To: The Mayor; Billie; Aquamarine; dansangel; dutchess; FreeTheHostages; Mama_Bear; LadyX; WVNan; ...

Thanks for the coffee, Mr. Mayor, and our Military Monday thread.

LadyX...the letter you posted from one of our heroes was grrrrrrrrrreat...really lifted my spirits...thank you.

Good morning to all the Finest on this very fine Monday...)

36 posted on 04/12/2004 9:05:23 AM PDT by jwfiv (Condi rocks and Dubya rules, they're gonna STOMP JFnK and his Band of Fools.)

Thank you for posting this, Maggie.

How proud I am to read this and to be one of the Americans they are fighting for! I am touched with emotion and tears as I imagine what the wives felt upon receiving this letter from the front. I pray that their intense pride in their husband's spirit and courage will somehow make their fear for his safety just a little more bearable. And for those families who made the ultimate sacrifice, my heart breaks for them.

37 posted on 04/12/2004 9:05:45 AM PDT by Mama_Bear

If the enemy is foolish enough to try to take your men again they will not survive contact. We are here to win.

God Bless Them!!

Welcome Home

38 posted on 04/12/2004 9:18:09 AM PDT by The Mayor (Death separates us for a time; Christ will reunite us forever.)

Prayers for our troops,for the wise decisions of their leaders .I also pray for the resolve of our country and the mission remembered in the long days ahead.

May our troops be strengthened by their own prayers and by those who pray for them.

39 posted on 04/12/2004 9:18:56 AM PDT by MEG33 (John Kerry's been AWOL for two decades on issues of National Security!)

40 posted on 04/12/2004 9:19:11 AM PDT by The Mayor (Death separates us for a time; Christ will reunite us forever.)

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