A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....12-21-04....Welcome Home, Allegra!

Billie

[Billie]

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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~ Billie, Mama_Bear, dutchess, dansangel, Aquamarine ~

"I'll Be Home For Christmas"
I'll be home for Christmas;
You can count on me.
Please have snow and mistletoe
And presents on the tree.

There may not be snow in Houston, but bet there are lots of happy faces there this Christmas, and I'm bettin' mistletoe won't even be needed. :)

Allegra, one of our own since February 25, 2001, has been in Iraq for almost a year and is home for her first R & R just in time for Christmas. We love bringing good news to the Finest about our troops and hope you'll join us today to give her a big, rousing, Welcome Home Surprise!

Thank you, Allegra, for your service to our country, and hope you get a chance to eat lots of Mexican food, drink plenty of cold beer, and get lots of lovin' from those kitties before you return to Baghdad next month. May God bless and keep you safe.

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 12-20-04 Military Monday

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' The guy's good, folks!

Thanks, Mixer!

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[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

Welcome Home Allegra!

Welcome back from Iraq!

Your job as a contractor there is appreciated!

Merry Christmas!

Thanks Billie!

[Mudboy Slim]

Welcome Home, Allegra!!

"Got Issues!!"
(To be sung to the Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Got Issues!!")

Got issues, how I wish you saw...
Bombastic Lib'ral know-it-all...
Votes fer lies and RATS' LeftWing Cause...
What's a word like "fair"?!
Why that far-off stare?! Yer just sosh'list fools and...
What's the word on Kerry?! You Big Guv'ment tools...yeah!!

Patriots, we must stand tall...
Whup Left's nutty world...help Big Guv'ment fall!!
Callin' all folks like myself...
To fight fer starts of State-wide wealth 'cuz...
"FRee"'s the word, I care...we're voters, too!!
FReep the World, I swear...Left's broken fools and...
Righteous world is "fair"...you'll know it, too!!

(nice guitar break)

MUD's "cause" is the RAT-whore'd's fall...
Lib-uhh-rulls think they know it all!!
Leftists lies 'bout Viet Nam, but...
Trust the words I share...
Righteous World's quite "fair"!! Dem Leftist goons...
What's the word on Kerry? Left's sosh'list fool!!

Ain't jokin' 'cuz Slick broke the law...
Left ain't Right...RATS gotta fall!!
Oughtta FReep...answer the call...
Yer Nation needs you, too...gonna have a Ball!!
"FRee"'s the word, I care...we're voters, too!!
FReep the World, I swear...Left's broken fools and...
Righteous world is "fair"...you'll know it, too!!

(sweet guitar pickin')

Got issues, how I wish you saw...
Quite spastic Lib'ral know-it-all...
Chi-Com spies and Leftists who pause...
RightWing World ain't scary!!
Righteous World's quite "fair"...US voters knew!!
RightWing world ain't scary!! Sing righteous tunes!!
FReep the World...we care!! US voters knew!!

FReegards...MUD

[weegee]

WELCOME HOME

Houston PING

[Bahbah]

Hah, you made it! Welcome home. I hope you mowed down a few bad guys on the way to the airport. Now we have to bring MikeInIraq home (21 days).

[Diva Betsy Ross]

AWESOME! God bless you Allegra! Welcome home and Merry Christmas!

[Chode]

Allegra... Welcome Home, Merry Christmas and Happy R&R!!!

[armyavonlady]

Welcome home, you! Finally, some good news to offset the bad.

[PetroniDE]

weegee: Thanks for the ping.

Allegra: Welcome home. How long are you staying in the area?

[E.G.C.]

BTTT!!!!!!

[Humidston]

Thanks for the ping, Meek, and all the people who pinged me, and to Billie for this great thread...

And a special, special WELCOME HOME to ALLEGRA!!!

Believe it or not, I just heard on the news that some jihadi detonated an explosion at a food service tent and injured several military and contractor personnel....

I logged on specifically to see if Allegra was safe and I find this awesome news! Allegra, here's hoping you have a wonderful Christmas HOME and SAFE!

HOORAH!!!!

[fatima]

Allegra,So happy to hear you are home for a while.My granddaughter Karen was there and is home now.She sent me this poem in an email a few days ago.Prayers for your friends there,try not to worry.fatima




TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,
HE LIVED ALL ALONE,
IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF
PLASTER AND STONE.

I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY
WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,
AND TO SEE JUST WHO
IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.

I LOOKED ALL ABOUT,
A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,
NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS,
NOT EVEN A TREE.

NO STOCKING BY MANTLE,
JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,
ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES
OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.

WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,
AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,
A SOBER THOUGHT
CAME THROUGH MY MIND.

FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,
IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,
I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER,
ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.

THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING,
SILENT, ALONE,
CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR
IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.

THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE,
THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER,
NOT HOW I PICTURED
A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.

WAS THIS THE HERO
OF WHOM I'D JUST READ?
CURLED UP ON A PONCHO,
THE FLOOR FOR A BED?

I REALIZED THE FAMILIES
THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,
OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS
WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.

SOON ROUND THE WORLD,
THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,
AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE
A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.

THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM
EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,
BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS,
LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.

I COULDN'T HELP WONDER
HOW MANY LAY ALONE,
ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE
IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.

THE VERY THOUGHT
BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE,
I DROPPED TO MY KNEES
AND STARTED TO CRY.

THE SOLDIER AWAKENED
AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,
"SANTA DON'T CRY,
THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;

I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM,
I DON'T ASK FOR MORE,
MY LIFE IS MY GOD,
MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS."

THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER
AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,
I COULDN'T CONTROL IT,
I CONTINUED TO WEEP.

I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS,
SO SILENT AND STILL
AND WE BOTH SHIVERED
FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL.

I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE
ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,
THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR
SO WILLING TO FIGHT.

THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,
WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,
WHISPERED, "CARRY ON SANTA,
IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE."

ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH,
AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.
"MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND,
AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT."




This poem was written by a Marine stationed in
Okinawa Japan.
The following is his request. I think it is
reasonable.....

PLEASE. Would you do me the kind favor of sending
this to as many
people as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and
some credit is due
to our U.S. service men and women for our being able
to celebrate these
festivities.Let's try in this small way to pay a tiny
bit of what we
owe. Make people stop and think of our heroes, living
and dead, who
sacrificed themselves for us. Please, do your small
part to plant this
small seed.

[pelikan]

Thanks Billie for this excellent thread very very nice especially with Christmas just a few days away--appreciate the time taken to do it

[armyavonlady]

I know I must have read that poem a dozen times before and it still chokes me up every time. So much for the rough, tough Army chick I usta be...

[Mama_Bear]

Just stopping by home in between running errands and appointments to post this graphic that I made this morning.

Beautiful job you've done, as always, Billie. :-)

Welcome home hugs to Allegra!

Now I'm heading out again to fight the crowds. Ho! Ho! Ho! See ya'.

[RaceBannon]

Welcome Home!!

Eat all you want!

Sleep late!!

And hire someone to shovel the snow, no matter how much you miss it!

Besides, I am willing to bet you never spent your entire paycheck once while in country, so you must have major bucks to blow on Christmas gifts for the family!

LET people buy your coffee, dont act humble, stick yur chest out, and when people ask you if you been to Iraq, do your best John Wayne voice and say, "Yeahhh..."

[fatima]

armyavonlady,I agree.

[Billie]

i'm headed that way soon. probably within 30 days.

Headed to Iraq? Details please?

[LadyX]

Have been watching the Fairbanks, Alaska Live Web Cam, since this is the shortest day of the year there --

Here is the normal view by the Chena River:

As you can see next, it still is pitch black at 11:20 a.m. !!

Refreshing every now and then, you'll see a little over 3 hours
of murky "light" and then darkness again --- very disconcerting!

[Billie]

I usually save the kitty with Christmas lights for here. It reminds me ot Louie's Christmas Story too.

I thought so! :)

Really pretty "God Bless our Troops" graphic. It just breaks my heart every time I hear the news about another car bomb, etc. attack - will they EVER run out of ammunition? Wish they'd just accidentally blow themselves up in their OWN camps for a change.

[Billie]

Neat boat. :)