A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....02-20-06....Military Monday

Billie, The Mayor

[The Mayor]

A Few of FR's Finest
....Every Day

FR is a Treasure Trove of talented, compassionate, patriotic, wonderful people who gather every day to discuss the latest news and issues; salute and support our military and our leaders;  tell a few jokes;  learn a new word;  write poetry;  pray for those in need;  and congratulate those who are deserving. Thank you, Jim Robinson, for giving us the vehicle in which we can express ourselves.

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 November 11, 2001

So many people have written me since my original Veteran's Day Tribute, asking how they, or a loved one, could be included in that tribute. Since I could no longer add the photos to the body of the thread, I had been including them in additional posts as I received enough to make another collage.

Still that didn't seem to be enough. I think there's never been a better nor more appropriate time to keep the faces of our own Veterans and Active Military in front of FReepers--every day! That's why I wanted to do yet another Daily Thread .....ABOUT FReepers .....and FOR FReepers. But not only about our Military FReepers; for all FReepers! Wouldn't it be nice to get to know a few of the other FReepers as well? That's why we've created a place for just that. This is a friendly room in JimRob's house where FReeper FRiends can gather every day and just say hello if that's all they want to do.

There's more of course. We sometimes feature different FReepers, with a little background information on who they are and what makes them who they are, along with a few photos you might not have seen on other threads; sometimes others write an essay for us to post as the feature for the day; sometimes our presentation is a human interest story found elsewhere that you might not have read; sometimes special holiday threads; but whatever the topic of the day, it is always with FR's Finest in mind and that is YOU!

If you would like to be featured, or would like to see someone else featured, please send me a private FR mail.

Every Monday we will post the photos of FR's Military Personnel that I have collected and put into groups; these will be available to view through a link the remainder of the week - every day just a click away. :)   If you would like to add a photo of yourself or a loved one in the military, past or present, please let me know; I will hold it until I have enough for a new group.

Thank you, and please have fun with us...every day! ~ Billie

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank You For Serving Our Country!

TOP: Logos, SwedeGirl's hubby, Neil E Wright, FallGuy, 1John, Sneakypete
MIDDLE:  T'wit, COB1, LadyX, Dick Bachert, 68-69TonkinGulfYatchClub
BOTTOM:  YankeeinSC, Delta21, JoeSixPack1

TOP:  Bosniajmc, AFVetGal, Archy, A Navy Vet
MIDDLE:  4TheFlag, Aeronaut, 68Grunt, Xinga
BOTTOM:  Codger, AAABest, Clinton's A Liar, Duke809, dcwusmc

TOP:  mc5cents, Norb2569, LBGA's son, VanJenerette
MIDDLE:  Jim Robinson, KJenerette, davidosborne, KG9Kid
BOTTOM:  gwmoore, Equality7-2521, SAMWolf

TOP:  porgygirl, Phil V., MudPuppy, NorCoGOP
MIDDLE:  RaceBannon, Neets, rdb3, jwTexian
BOTTOM:  USMC Vet, TheMayor, Vineyard, rhododogma

TOP:  g'nad, AgThorn's son Justin, SLB, AgThorn's son Brett.
MIDDLE:  fish70, razorback-bert, CheneyChick,Leroy S Mort, Mark17.
BOTTOM:  Terry's Take, Taxman, DinkyDau.

TOP:  ValerieUSA's son Grant, SK1Thurman, kd5cts, RangerVetNam,
dansangel and .45man's son-in-law Tony
BOTTOM:  rangerX, Old China Hand, Trish, Howlin's dad, Mustang

TOP: ohioWfan's son, MamaBear's father-in-law, MamaBear's dad, ladtx
MIDDLE:  The Mayor's niece, M.Kehoe, Beach_Babe's son-in-law
BOTTOM:  deadhead's dad, HiJinx, Severa's hubby, viligantcitizen's granddad.

TOP:  spectr17, RightOnline, SERE_Doc, Tet68.
MIDDLE:  FutureSnakeEater, RightOnline's wife, CIApilot, Clamper1797
BOTTOM:  usmcobra, onedoug, DiverDave, Joe6-pack

TOP:  Q6-God, Scan59, Mama Bear and JKPhoto's son, ofMagog.
MIDDLE:  Big'ol_freeper, JustAmy's great uncle, Prodigal Son.
BOTTOM:  JustAmy's husband, JustAmy's brother-in-law, JustAmy's brother.

TOP:  dakine's wife, MeeknMing's dad, Auntbee's nephew, MilitiaMan7, AlasBabylon.
BOTTOM:  Joe Brower, Temple Owl, Temple Owl's wife, dutchess' dad, Aomagrat.

TOP:  ladtx #2 son; DiverDave's twin Don; petuniasevan and husband
poorman; Mustard; ladtx #1 son;
BOTTOM:  AlamoGirl's brother Floyd; AG's dad; AG's brother Jim (inset);
WVNan's husband; ladtx' Aunt Eva.

TOP: Mo1's dad; BuffyT's Uncle (right, w/ her dad & grandmother); Armymarinemom's 3 sons.
MIDDLE: ru4Liberty's dad; SheLion's husband, MaineRebel; wirestripper.
BOTTOM: fivetoes; bigghurtt; hurricane; ladtx' dad; Pippin's brother.

TOP: Repubmommy's brother, Rose in RoseBear's uncle, BoxerBlues' son Chris, BoxerBlues' son Brent.
BOTTOM: Rose in RoseBear's cousin's hubby, Deadhead's stepdad, Dansy's dad, Misty's brother.

LEFT: Little Pig; TOP: hattend, Old Sarge, Aquamarine's dad.
MIDDLE: HuntsvilleTxVeteran.
BOTTOM: Its_me_K.E.T.'s son, Veloxherc, SeeRushToldU_So.




                     

12-28-05 ~ Hall of Fame #14

THE WEEKEND THREAD thru -02-17-18-19-06... T.G.I.F. at the Finest

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' Every Thursday at the Finest The guy's good, folks!

[Dubya]

U.S. Marines 'devastated' after crash
STEVE HARTSOE
Associated Press

JACKSONVILLE, N.C. - Ten U.S. service members died when a pair of Marine Corps helicopters from a unit based in North Carolina crashed off the coast of Africa, U.S. military officials confirmed Sunday.

The two CH-53E choppers, carrying a dozen crew and troops from a U.S. counterterrorism force, went down during a training flight Friday in the Gulf of Aden, near the northern coastal town of Ras Siyyan in Djibouti.

Two crew members who were rescued were taken in stable condition to the U.S. military's Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany.

The aircraft and eight Marines were from Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 464, based at Marine Corps Air Station New River. Two Air Force airmen killed were from bases in Washington state and Virginia.

"We were devastated," said Marine Corps 1st Lt. Paul Tremblay, who is based at Camp Lejeune, the huge post on the Atlantic Ocean that's next to the New River air station. "It hits us very hard as Marines when we lose anyone."

The Pentagon said the Marines killed in the crash were:

_ 1st Lt. Brandon R. Dronet, 33, of Erath, La.

_ Sgt. James F. Fordyce, 22, of Newtown Square, Pa.

_ Lance Cpl. Samuel W. Large, Jr., 21, of Villa Rica, Ga.

_ Sgt. Donnie Leo F. Levens, 25, of Long Beach, Miss.

_ Cpl. Matthieu Marcellus, 31, of Gainesville, Fla.

_ Sgt. Jonathan E. McColley, 23, of Gettysburg, Pa.

_ Lance Cpl. Nicholas J. Sovie, 20, of Ogdensburg, N.Y.

_ Capt. Bryan D. Willard, 33, of Hummelstown, Pa.

Also killed in the crash were Senior Airman Alecia S. Good, 23, of Broadview Heights, Ohio, of the 92nd Communications Squadron at Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash.; and Staff Sgt. Luis M. Melendez Sanchez, 33, of Bayamon, Puerto Rico, of the 1st Communications Squadron, Langley Air Force Base, Va.

"Our deepest sympathy and heartfelt prayers go out to the family members, friends, loved ones and co-workers of our fallen brothers- and sisters-in-arms," said Maj. Gen. Timothy Ghormley, commanding general of the counterterrorism force. "We mourn their loss and honor their memory."

John McColley of Gettysburg, Pa., said his son was less than two months away from being rotated out of Africa and it was difficult to wait for news after the first reports of the crash.

"That news affected every member of the contingent, 40 or 50 families," McColley said. "Every family's heart sank."

Margaret Levens, of Long Beach, Miss., said she was proud that her son, Donnie Levens, had a chance to do what he loved.

"He was there to serve his country and to keep his family and country safe," Margaret Levens said. "It was what he wanted to do. He was there for us ... in fact he had reenlisted for four (more) years."

The remains of the eight Marines and two airmen were sent back to the United States on Sunday, task force spokeswoman Maj. Susan Romano told The Associated Press by telephone from Djibouti.

One of the two crew members who were rescued was Marine pilot Susan Craig, 28, who called her parents, Pat and Lewis Sackett of Fall Creek, Wis.

"She's bruised and swollen, and her arms and legs got hurt, but no broken bones," Pat Sackett said.

She said her daughter was not sure what caused the crash.

Military officials were investigating why the aircraft when down in shallow water. They said there was no indication of hostile fire, and visibility was good with light wind.

The Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa, set up in the former French colony in June 2002, is responsible for fighting terrorism in nine countries in the region: Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Somalia in Africa and Yemen on the southwestern corner of the Arabian Peninsula.

The impoverished region is home to a sizable Muslim population. U.S. officials say it has been used by terrorists as a place to hide, recruit operatives and stage attacks.

The region has suffered four attacks either claimed by or attributed to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network, including bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania; and the 2002 attack on the USS Cole in Yemen.

---

Associated Press writers Rodrique Ngowi in Nairobi, Kenya, and Valerie Bauman in Jackson, Miss., and Bob Lentz in Philadelphia contributed to this report.

[GodBlessUSA]

Good Morning Finest! :)

[DollyCali]

this is much too kewl

find value of any home...type in address(not a joke).. see your neighborhood etc.. Tax value no doubt.

http://www.zillow.com/search/Search.z?mode=browse

[Kate of Spice Island]

Awwww...

They had on the local news about a unit coming home to Phoenix after about a year in Iraq and I thought I was going to cry...

[GodBlessUSA]

Hi Dolly
How are You? :)
Dolly this is cool! You have no idea, I need this information too. Thanks so very much!!

[Kitty Mittens]

Mr. Mayor, Anyone Wanting to Study Up on the Subject of Stem Cells will Find All their Questions Answered, and their Minds Informed to the Max, with this Excellent Data you have Put Together! Our God Bless and Anoint Everything you Do for the Cause of Justice and Righteousness!

Dear Maggie, your Post at #38 Brought Tears to my Eyes, as I Read your Words, "God has healed all the sorrows, forgiveness reached, and I know the child will be waiting for me to be held and loved." Our Lord's Spirit of Love and Grace Within you Touches my Heart So Many Times, and I Praise God for the Inspiration you are to me.

The Lord Bless you from Zion; the Lord Who Made Heaven and Earth! (Ps.134:3)

[luvie]

[click on picture]

Run to the Sounds of the Guns
~~~by Texas Songwriter~~~
aka Jeff Russell

DEDICATED TO OUR AWESOME TROOPS
WHO KEEP US SAFE FROM
TERRORISM AROUND THE WORLD!

[.30Carbine]

It is very beautiful. Thank you for including me in the sharing of that truth and light.

[Victoria Delsoul]

Happy President's Day, everyone.

[Billie]

God Bless Our Military BUMP!!!

[Billie]

Fantastic pledge graphic, Rus! Beautiful!

[Billie]

Great pix, and great post at #15, Maggie!

[Billie]

Hi, Diva, Hi Mojo! Happy Monday to you both, and you're both such great supporters of our men and women in uniform! Thank you!

[Billie]

Thanks for coming by the Finest on Military Monday, Mr. T! Like your screenname. :)

[Billie]

Afternoon, Ya'll! A lovely day to salute the troops!

[Billie]

Hi, Colleen - haven't seen you much lately - have missed you!

[Billie]

Oh, Dolly, that is exquisite! The sweetest little thing - I love the detail, seeing it up close, almost like looking out the window at it!

[Billie]

Hey, there, GeeBee! Neat backgrounds!

[Diver Dave]

From Omaha World Herald's political cartoonist Jeff Koterba...

[anonymoussierra]

Thank you BE STRONG AMERICA!!!!