A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....06-30-04...FR Pet Day...Pfc Hammer Finds a Home

FredtheCat; dutchess | Linda D. Kozaryn

[dutchess]

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, dutchess, Aquamarine~

FredtheCat here. Giz has been on my case lately telling me I'm not "sharing my load". Okay, okay, I am loving the sweet days of summer, days sleeping in mom and dad's bed under the air conditioning, summer nights, "mousing" at sunset when it cools down..

.BUT...never let it be said that FredtheCat doesn't do his fair share at the Finest....

Okay....Giz did a military dog story...So I have one too!!!! (Ha ha.... I admit, being the inventive...smart...sly feline that I am....borrowed a thread posted by Ragtime Cowboy from April...just in case our finest feline friends missed it)

Licking paws, yawn and a stretch...and a final stare....have no idea why mom and Giz get so stressed out with this stuff!!!!! Like CHILL and ENJOY! The good guys ARE winning! MEOW!

Pfc. Hammer Finds a Home By Linda D. Kozaryn...American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, April 24, 2004 – A tiger-striped Iraqi kitten that wiggled its way into the hearts of a U.S. Army unit has made its way to the United States, thanks to a host of volunteers and two animal welfare groups.

Pfc. Hammer, an Iraq-born cat that befriended soldiers of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, during their deployment in Iraq, arrives in San Francisco, Calif., enroute to his new home in Colorado. Courtesy photo Soldiers with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, dubbed the tiny ball of fur that wandered into their tent early last fall "Pfc. Hammer."

"He was born at the site," said Staff Sgt. Rick Bousfield. "There were two other kittens in the litter, but they ran away. He stayed and kept mice out of our living quarters and out of our dining facility."

Adopted by the troops, the young cat provided warmth and companionship in an otherwise hostile environment. When the unit was attacked by mortar fire, Hammer ran to the bunkers, where the nearest soldier scooped him inside his body armor to wait out the attack.

"He was like our stress therapist over there," Bousfield recalled. "You'd come in off raids where we'd been kicking in doors and guys would be sitting outside by themselves. He'd come over and take their minds off the war."

When Bousfield learned the unit was leaving Iraq to return to Fort Carson, Colo., he sent an e-mail asking for help to Alley Cat Allies, a national nonprofit clearinghouse for information on feral and stray cats, in Washington, D.C. The sergeant said he wanted to ensure his whole unit came home together, and that included Pfc. Hammer.

Hammer "has been quite a morale booster for us, because we consider him one of our troops," Bousfield wrote. "If there was a way that ACA could help get Hammer back to the States, it would be a wonderful boost for the men to see the cat who has won their hearts free – like the Iraqi people."

Bousfield's plea "brought the war home for us," said ACA national director Becky Robinson. "This was a soldier in Iraq writing us. How could we say no to a soldier in Iraq fighting for freedom?"

"His e-mail was so moving we felt like we couldn't say no," she said. "We had never done anything like this, but the moment we finished reading it, it was a given that we were going to figure out how to do this."

Hundreds of people sent e-mails and made donations to help get the cat to the States after ACA posted Hammer's plight on on the organization's web site, said Lynne Cummings, ACA director of gift planning.

"Alley Cat Allies doesn't usually get asked to do things in wartime," she said. "It was a really nice thing for us to be able to do to show our support to Rick and his unit. We didn't really care if we raised any money to help defray the costs."

ACA joined forces with Military Mascots, a grassroots all-volunteer effort dedicated to helping U.S. deployed service members who have befriended a canine mascot on foreign soil. Supporters' donations, combined with money from ACA's Compassion Fund, paid for Hammer's medical and travel expenses, Cummings said.

Working with a veterinary hospital in Kuwait, they arranged an international flight for Hammer. Prior to leaving the region, the cat was neutered and given a clean bill of health.

Bousfield returned from Iraq in early April. It took a week or so longer for Pfc. Hammer.

An ACA volunteer met up with Hammer when he arrived in San Francisco and accompanied the cat on a domestic flight to his new home outside of Denver. Bousfield and his daughter Tiffany, 15, along with another company member, Sgt. Robert Scott, were waiting for Hammer when he arrived at Denver International Airport.

The ACA volunteer who accompanied the cat said he started purring and kneading her arm as soon as he heard Bousfield's voice. The wartime bond formed thousands of miles away had not been forgotten.

Back at Fort Carson, Bousfield reunited Hammer with his former cohorts. "We all met at the same time to sign out on block leave so I took him in on his leash," Bousfield said. "They were happy to see him."

Hammer now lives with Bousfield's family – and five other cats. Bousfield said they all get along now that they've gotten "the pecking order straight."

"We kept him in a room by himself for a week," he said. "Little by little we let him out. He roams around all he wants to now. He runs around. He's fast. The vet says he's an Egyptian Mau."

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 06-28-04...Military Monday 06-29-04...Hall of Fame #8

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

[dutchess]

[dutchess]

Welcome. It's a FRPet Day..Please stop in and meet a special military cat....

[Aeronaut]

Good morning Dutchess.

[The Mayor]

None of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy. —Acts 20:24

The race of life is run by faith and won by grace.

[iceskater]

Thanks for posting the story of Sgt. Hammer. I love that story. And what a handsome cat he is!

[The Mayor]

June 30, 2004

Home Before Dark

Read: Acts 20:17-25

None of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy. —Acts 20:24

Bible In One Year: Job 17-19; Acts 10:1-23

---

Parents often tell their children, "Be home before dark." And in areas not served by electricity, travelers feel a pressing need to reach their destination while light still lingers in the sky. "Home before dark" means a successful journey and a safe arrival.

Robertson McQuilkin used this phrase to express his desire to remain faithful to the Lord throughout his spiritual journey. His prayer ended with the words "Lord, let me get home before dark." He explained this by first saying, "I fear . . . that I should end before I finish, or finish but not well. That I should stain Your honor, shame Your name, grieve Your loving heart. Few, they tell me, finish well."

McQuilkin's words echo the heartfelt longing of the apostle Paul as he faced danger ahead in Jerusalem: "None of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God" (Acts 20:24).

It is God's word of grace (v.32) that encourages us to continue in faith, for it tells us that He is able to strengthen us until the end of our lives. So let's keep walking and trusting as we pray, "By Your grace, Father, I humbly ask You to help me get home before dark." —David McCasland

Immortal words of truth we've read,
So powerfully penned, so filled with grace,
Will follow us through all our days
And spur us on to win life's race. —D. De Haan

The race of life is run by faith and won by grace.

[The Mayor]

Great story, Thanks Dutchess!

[dutchess]

Your welcome...and thanks for the coffee! Have a wonderful day!

[dutchess]

Goodmorning Aeronaut. Thanks for keeping the skies safe :o)

[Texagirl4W]

Good morning, dutchess. Great post and pictures as usual. I'm only here for a while, last work day of the month is very hectic. Will be back later tonight. Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone.

[dutchess]

Hi Ice. Great to see you. How are your "kids"???

[dutchess]

God Bless Our Military
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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; Dutchess or Aquamarine 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.

~~~~~~~~~~   ~~~~~~~~~~

We ask Lord, that You guide the leaders of our great country in their hour of decision. The burden that has been placed on their shoulders is overwhelming. We ask that with Your infinite wisdom You guide them gently to the right decisions.

Please give us the strength, Lord, to get through each difficult and devastating day that faces each of us and our country. Protect and guide our Military that are now being called to duty, strengthen them in their trials and temptations; give them courage to face the perils which beset them; and grant them a sense of your abiding presence wherever they may be; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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

OhioWfan...................son mystery-ak......son, husband Gogrammy.............grandson Inspectorette................son Blessed American........nephew Slip18........................nephew anniegetyourgun...........nephew Diver Dave......niece, nephew ConspiracyGuy.....2 nephews Pippin..........niece, loved one Pippin...nephew & his fiance weldgophardline.....brotherinlaw Future Snake Eater.........cousin WaterDragon............grandson WaterDragon..........son-in-law BeforeISleep.................son kimmie7.....................brother Armymarinemom..........3 sons LadyX.....................grandson fawn796...................nephew Dubya.......................nephew StarCMC...................brother ValerieUSA................2 sons Lakeside....................2 sons Spruce...................daughter Philman_36............2 nephews american_ranger.............son Warrior Nurse........active duty SK1 Thurman...........active duty David Osborne.........active duty fc2tomschermuly.......active duty bkwells..................active duty LongCut..................active duty cjk.......................... active duty Trish.......................active duty ODC-GIRL............active duty AF_Blue..................active duty Notwithstanding......active duty thumperusn.............active duty Q6-God..................active duty Q6-God.................twin brother Veloxherc...............actuve duty

Maigrey.....................cousin WVNan....................friend's son ladtx..........................2 sons Mama_Bear..............2 nephews gator girl..................husband severa.............husband, brother Hostel........................cousin MozartLover............son, nephew LBGA.............................son katykelly......................son cookcounty...................son SpookBrat....nephew, cousin Doug from Upland.....son-in-law Himyar......................son boxerblues............... sons the piper...................son sheeza................husband kemathen7............husband Tiffee4Bob..........boyfriend deadhead..................cousin JimRobinson.......2 nephews TexKat.............son, step-son RoseinRoseBear.cousin's hubby Consort..2 daughters,son-in-law Darheel......................niece Donaeus....................nephew dixiesass..................nephew BeAllYouCanBe............son Repubmommy...............brother AgThorn....................2 sons homeschoolmama.........nephew kneezles.......................son Redhead.........stepdaughter Redhead..step-grdaughter's fiance Atomic Conspiracy..half-brother Atomic Conspiracy...niece Atomic Conspiracy...nephew SunflowerGal..........grandson visualops..................cousin Alouette......................son mrstank......................husband MrsMike31................husband

[dutchess]

Morning texagirl.

I'm only here for a while, last work day of the month is very hectic. Will be back later tonight. Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone.

You took the words right out of my mouth. Back later!

[iceskater]

Hi-
The "kids" are doing fine. They like lounging on the deck soaking up the sun. I wish I had a life like that - lol!

[The Thin Man]

Nice story, Fred. You sure know how to pick 'em. Now go back to sleep.

[MistyCA]

Wonderful thread, Dutchess. Thanks for the ping. :)

[MistyCA]

LOL! What a face! Cute!

[Billie]

Oh, how sweet this story is! I didn't read it before, so thank you for posting it here today, *Fred*! You're so fine!

[jwfiv]

Miss D, you and Fred have shared such a wonderful story with us ... thank you.

Our troops are the greatest.