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

[LadyX]

- - - FINEST FRIENDS - - - !!

[JulieRNR21]

That's darling........thank you for posting this.

I recall seeing this on a cat poster...

Every dog may have his day but the nights belong to cats!

[MeekOneGOP]

Wow! The AOL Propaganda Controller/Editor must have been off that week, huh ? lol !

[Diver Dave]

Cool Story you've presented, FRed.
Our nephew is stationed at Fort Carson.
Wonder if he's had a chance to meet Pfc. Hammer?!?

[iceskater]

That is one relaxed cat!

Very cute.

[LadyX]

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

"All right, already - gotta think about
what to fix for dinner anyway."
"Ummm -- will that be cod, sole and shrimp
- - or tuna with egg??"

(Will return later after my chores..:)

[dutchess]

Hi Maggie. Thanks for "holding down the fort". Busy busy work day today. Glad it's over!

[dutchess]

Our nephew is stationed at Fort Carson. Wonder if he's had a chance to meet Pfc. Hammer?!?

Wouldn't that be cool if he did??? P.S. Thank your nephew for his service!

[dutchess]

Hi Julie. I just LOVE that picture of Georgio!

[dutchess]

Hi Gail. LOVE Kerry's resume. Priceless!

[dutchess]

Kerry's coalition of the Wild-eyed LOL

Way back when I signed onto the DNC site to find a picture for a John essay. (that's dedication) Actually used Cody (variation of my dog's name) We still get regular emails from them and had these alarming ones about this Bush ad this week. Wasn't sure what was up. Now I know LOL!

[JulieRNR21]

So do I....It's a year old but the best one I've ever gotten of him.

He so smart he usually closes his eyes when he sees the red light on the camera start to blink because he knows that means there will be a bright flash.

[dutchess]

Hi Lakeside. I thought this story was so sweet! Glad to know your still lurking around these parts although we miss your sunny disposition :O)

[ST.LOUIE1]

A heartwarming story! Excellent photos too. : )

I've read several articles about canines being brought back but never a cat. Go cats!

Afternoon, (((((dutchess)))))

[dutchess]

Thanks for sharing that polling info. Amazing! I'm almost beginning to feel sorry for the dems...err well...not! :O)

[dutchess]

Glad you liked the story Sistah Billie. Ragtime Cowgirl posted it in April and I saved it for a "rainy day".

Ragtime...in my haste to get this posted this morning I called you Ragtime Cowboy in my header. (I don't do mornings well!) Sorry!

[dutchess]

Afternoon back at you! This was the first I had heard of cats too

((((((WOLFIE)))))))

[dutchess]

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

LOL, Fred was sprawled out on the back of the couch as I posted this this morning...if I had time would have taken a picture for you. He was awfully tired after working so hard on this story :O)

[dutchess]

Glad you liked the story Misty. Thanks for stopping by again today. Great to see you!

[dutchess]

Hi jw. SO....are you ever going to breakdown and get your very own feline critter?????