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

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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.
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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

[ST.LOUIE1]

That cat is a strange looking but beautiful animal.

Your 'Fred' is a very handsome fur critter. : )

[republican4ever]

OMG! I wish we could post this so everyone in the US could see it!!!! Thanks a lot!

[dutchess]

The "kids" are doing fine. They like lounging on the deck soaking up the sun.

Glad to hear they're fine. FredtheCat is always finding the "sun spots" in the house. They do have rough lives don't they????

[ST.LOUIE1]

Georgio W. Bush loved it too!

My, my, Georgio is one beautiful cat! Gets better lookin' every day. : )

Hi, (((((cutie)))) : )

[dutchess]

Hi back at you! (((((((PIPPIN)))))))

[ST.LOUIE1]

Awwwww.....how sweet! I can always count on *you* for a wonderful hug. : )

[Serb5150]

That is so sweet! What a great story and a happy ending for a beautiful kitty.

[ST.LOUIE1]

Great post! LOL

[MeekOneGOP]

Hey, Pippin !

[iceskater]

LOL....I should have so rough a life.

[MeekOneGOP]

Billie, Meek is late today.

hehe!

The dog ate my paper. :^)

[The Raven]

I got this from the Federalist Society today

---

From a Marine officer on the Iraqi warfront with Jihadistan...

(This is an open letter to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, "Islamic Response," and the rest of the so-called al-Qa'ida "insurgents" in Iraq and elsewhere. We don't have an e-mail address for these swine -- though we are closing in on their snail-mail address, but we are forwarding this letter to Federalist Patriots around the world in the hope you good people will forward it to as many other Patriots as possible to rally prayer and support for our fellow Marine, Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun. Should these al-Qa'ida pigs spill his blood, we want them to rest assured that the contents of this letter will eventually be nailed to their foreheads. Thank you for your assistance.)


To al-Qa'ida terrorists in Iraq:

I see that you have captured a U.S. Marine, and that you plan to cut off his head if your demands are not met. Big mistake. Before you carry out your threat I suggest you read up on Marine Corps history. The Japanese tried the same thing on Makin Island and in a few other places during World War Two, and came to regret it. Go ahead and read about what then happened to the mighty Imperial Army on Tarawa, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. They paid full price for what they did, and you will too.

You look at America and you see a soft target, and to a large extent you are right. Our country is filled with a lot of spoiled children who drive BMWs, sip decaf lattes and watch ridiculous reality TV shows. They are for the most part decent, hard working citizens, but they are soft. When you cut off Nick Berg's head those people gasped, and you got the media coverage you sought, and then those people went back to their lives. This time it is different. We also have a warrior culture in this country, and they are called Marines. It is a brotherhood forged in the fire of many wars, and the bond between us is stronger than blood. While it is true that this country has produced nitwits like John Kerry, Michael Moore, Howard Dean and Jane Fonda who can be easily manipulated by your gruesome tactics, we have also produced men like Jason Dunham, Brian Chontosh and Joseph Perez. If you don't recognize those names you should. They are all Marines who distinguished themselves fighting to liberate Iraq, and there will be many more just like them coming for you.

Before the current politically correct climate enveloped our culture one of the recruiting slogans of our band of brothers was "The Marine Corps Builds Men." You will soon find out just how true that is. You, on the other hand, are nothing but a bunch of women. If you were men you would show your faces, and take us on in a fair fight. Instead, you are cowards who hide behind masks and decapitate helpless victims. If you truly represented the interest of the Iraqi people you would not be ambushing those who come to your country to repair your power plants, or sabotage the oil pipelines which fuel the Iraqi economy. Your agenda is hate, plain and simple.

When you raise that sword over your head I want you to remember one thing. Corporal Wassef Ali Hassoun is not alone as he kneels before you. Every Marine who has ever worn the uniform is there with him, and when you strike him you are striking all of us. If you think the Marines were tough on you when they were cleaning out Fallujah a few weeks ago you haven't seen anything yet. If you want to know what it feels like to have the Wrath of God called down upon you then go ahead and do it. We are not Turkish truck drivers, or Pakistani laborers, or independent contractors hoping to find work in your country. We are the United States Marines, and we will be coming for you.


(Circulation of this message is being sponsored by The Federalist Patriot, the most widely read conservative e-journal on the Internet. If you have not already joined the ranks of Patriots receiving The Federalist Patriot, we encourage you to do so. This highly acclaimed conservative digest of news, policy and opinion will be delivered FREE by e-mail to your inbox each week.

[Aquamarine]

Very touching Pet story today Dutchess. Happy to see Fred back at work. :)

I've been out of town today and was in a different town yesterday so it's nice to be home and back at FreeRepublic. Need to get to work on John's essay which is another winner.

[dutchess]

Hi Aqua. Was wondering what happened to you. Need any help with pics????? Just let me know. Love ya sistah!

[dutchess]

Thanks for your post. God bless our Marines (my dad a WWII vet) and all our military men and women.

[dutchess]

Serb...Glad you liked this story..jw....thanks for pinging serb5150 who obviously is a cat lover... MEOW

[MeekOneGOP]

Kerry's coalition of the Wild-eyed LOL

LOL! Isn't that great ? Use the 'RATS rage against them in a Bush ad ? hahahaha !

I get the DNC's Spam too thanks to some online Freep thing I participated in.
My delete button works great ! haha !

[Aquamarine]

Need any help with pics?????

Not this time, (trying not to give too much away here) ;).

Love you too!

[lonestar]

Hi, Giz and Fred!

Good story--almost al good as I could do--IF lonestar would get on the computer.

I've had to spend my day getting things organized and making up new dances. I want to be prepared for Uncle W's next 4 years in the WH.

I have a letter from Aunt Laura about Schnitzel reading "Millie's Book."

One of these days I might slow down to write a book. If I want to.

I know so much about so many things it will be hard to pick a topic.

I could write a book about purple gorillas!

I loved seeing you again, Giz. Fred--you're a cat!

Weinie

[The Mayor]

Very interesting poll results. !

quite a star studded line up for the Republicans !
Bunch of losers for the dems, please kennedy ?
can't they do better than liver spot ted.. ?


Let's see who is behind the ? door

Could it be