A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....03-06-06....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 -02-3-4-5-06... T.G.I.F. at the Finest

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

[DollyCali]

amen! well said. HTML is a great tool for all those things. Leaving shortly for most of day.. ya'll play nice now or Billie will put you .. *you know where*

[LadyX]

"well, just trying to keep ya'll feminine & lady like, donchaknow"

LOL - we still are that, and I was equally at home behind an apron
and a day out hunting with a 30.06 ..:)

My husband once taught me how to field strip a .45 with my eyes shut.
There was a psycho prowler terrorizing the women in my neighborhood in South Dakota for weeks.
I FULLY was capable of pulling the trigger and hitting a quite vital spot if he dared enter my humble abode...I had 2 little boys (7 & 8) to protect, and was about to deliver my daughter.

He tried to pry off MY bedroom window screen one night, and thereafter I was not only on guard full time (backed up by my 2 dogs, who usually barked when he was nearby) but also "stood by" ready to fire when my young neighbor gal - a waitress living alone with her mother - came home across the alley after work.

The police held a neighborhood meeting after my daughter was born, and asked if I would "bait" him - I agreed, but moved soon after to Fairbanks, Alaska.

The Perp, however, was caught when he made the mistake of trying to climb in the bathroom window of my dear friend next door - Susie was also a military wife - and her Collie took hold of his leg and held him until the police got there!

He was an Indian, gettng his thrills at our expense...with his skills, he once entered the entry screened porch of a gal behind me, whose alternator he had removed the night before so she could not flee him.

She had a POLICEMAN with K-9 dog inside!
He cut the screen and slightly opened the locked kitchen door to prove his superiority - and then faded away - without the K-9 alerting!!

All those months, the police had patrol cars in the immediate city area, in case...and he had always eluded them in the hilly area by us.

[Majie Purple]

I'm wondering if The Mod could please yank my oversized hearts graphic please...It's so large it messes with allignment in browser. My sentiments remain but the graphic doesn't have to be there...At least not so huge. I didn't realize t'wold show up so wide. If you yank it at my request I can resubmit in a smaller size later. Thank you!

[freema]

I'd like bigger cheese and a longer maze, please.




; )

[MEG33]

Hit abuse on the post/graphic you wish deleted and tell them to remove it..check the box that says your name is signed.That's easiest. That way they know it's your graphic and the exact post to delete.

[LadyX]

"I'd like bigger cheese and a longer maze, please."

Yep - we love those B-I-G-G-E-R challenges to make the effort worthwhile..:)

[freema]

; )

[El Gato]

If you don't understand this, you have never met a marine.

It's perfect! Definitely the Marine way. I'm sure the Lady Marines are just as direct, if perhaps a mite less physically forceful. At least when unarmed.

[jwfiv]

Thanks, Mayor ... always a fine way to begin our week.

Uncleshag ... that pic of the soldier kneeling in prayer is just too powerful for words ... thank you.

God bless America, land that I love.

[uncleshag]

Thank you for sharing. God Bless America.

[Dubya]

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 6, 2006 - Cpl. Jordan S. Pierson, 22, is an unquestionably loyal and determined Marine. Despite the loss of his left leg due to combat injuries sustained in Iraq Dec. 7, Pierson is set upon returning to active duty.

"I just re-enlisted on Jan. 7. I'm ready to get back to the fleet and start working," Pierson told American Forces Press Service during a recent National Guard Youth Foundation-sponsored dinner here.

Pierson has served three tours of duty in Iraq. During his most recent deployment there, his convoy was returning from an operation near Ramadi when it was attacked with two roadside bombs. The second explosion mangled both of Pierson's legs, killed a comrade and severely wounded several other Marines.

Pierson's left leg was so damaged it had to be amputated in Iraq. His Iraq tour with the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, had ended. The stricken Marine was sent stateside -- first to the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., for about a month and then to Walter Reed Army Medical Center here -- to heal.

President Bush and first lady Laura Bush visited Pierson during his stay at Bethesda shortly before Christmas. The president presented the Marine with the Purple Heart Medal, as Pierson's mother, Candace, and his fiancee, Kirstin, watched.

Pierson first served in Iraq during the invasion in March 2003 and departed in September of that year. He returned in February 2004 for another tour of duty that ended in September 2004. He returned to Iraq in September 2005 for his most recent tour.

Some might think that experiencing three dangerous tours in Iraq and the loss of a leg would be enough to put a person into a permanent funk. Not Pierson, who these days gets about on a prosthetic leg. "I'm moving around -- with a cane right now, but I'm moving around," the Sturgis, Mich., native said.

"He's coming around really fast, a lot faster than they'd expected," said Pierson's mother, Candace, who attended the National Guard dinner with her son.

Candace, who lives in Florida, couldn't help beaming every time she looked at her son in his crisp Marine dress uniform. "I don't even have words to say how proud I am of him," she said.

Army Lt. Gen. H Steven Blum, chief of the National Guard Bureau, Pierson's escort and a guest speaker at the dinner, also had good things to say about Pierson, who joined Youth Challenge, a National Guard youth achievement program, to get his general equivalency diploma before he enlisted in the Marines shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States.

"I think he's a national treasure," Blum said of Pierson. "You talk about the 'greatest generation' and you usually think of World War II. I'm not so sure you're not looking at the greatest generation in Jordan Pierson."

Pierson plans to teach Marines about his hard-earned combat lessons gained during his deployments to Iraq.

"I got three tours' (worth of) experience," Pierson said, "I can prepare other Marines to get them ready to go back. That's what I'm going to do.

"If I get to one person, I may be able to save their life," he said.

[LadyX]

""I got three tours' (worth of) experience," Pierson said, "I can prepare other Marines to get them ready to go back. That's what I'm going to do."
"If I get to one person, I may be able to save their life," he said."

Know that old saying, "There Ain't Nothing Like A Dame?"
Forget it:

The Ultimate Anywhere, Anytime
is U.S. Marine Esprit de Corps!!!

The links in the very long chain are intact...

[MEG33]

Just awesome..God Bless Cpl. Jordan S. Pierson.

[MEG33]

Indeed!

[MEG33]

Marines with Company I, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment cross a bridge to an island in Alus, Iraq, during Operation Minotaur Feb. 26, 2006. The Marines searched for weapons caches, spoke with locals and searched for insurgents. The operation was aimed at clearing more than nine kilometers of riverbank and several small villages south of Haqlaniyah – a town along the Euphrates River in Al Anbar Province. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Adam C. Schnell

[Majie Purple]

"Hit abuse on the post/graphic you wish deleted and tell them to remove it..check the box that says your name is signed.That's easiest. That way they know it's your graphic and the exact post to delete."

Thanks Meg! Done and done! Mine was way too wide...Hopefully doing this will restore browser allignment of posts...

[The Mayor]

Thank God your Son is home safe, I can imagine the relief you feel especially when hearing of one of our Heroes getting killed.

[The Mayor]

My Marine wife would use me to push through those walls.. LOL!!

[MEG33]

Mine wasn't affected..Now you can repost the newly sized one..you can do 700 if it makes you feel more comfortable..but I think it's cute at 800.

[The Mayor]

My Pleasure!