FReeper Canteen ~ Berlin Airlift, Part 2: Operations ~ December 10, 2012

Serving The Best Troops and Veterans In The World !! | StarCMC

[Kathy in Alaska]

And a close second....Mac snags the silver!!

[ConorMacNessa]

Welcome To All Who Enter This Canteen, To Our Serving Military, To Our Veterans, To All Military Families, To Our FRiends and To Our Allies!



Missing Man Setting

“The Empty Chair”

By Captain Carroll “Lex” Lefon, USN (ret), on December 21st, 2004

“In the wardroom onboard the aircraft carrier from which I recently debarked was a small, round table, with single chair. No one ever sat there, and the reasons, both for the table being there, and for the fact that the chair was always empty, will tell the reader a little bit about who we are as a culture.The wardroom, of course, is where the officers will dine; morning, noon and evening. It is not only a place to eat – it is also a kind of oasis from the sometimes dreary, often difficult exigencies of the service. A place of social discourse, of momentary relief from the burdens of the day. The only things explicitly forbidden by inviolable tradition in the wardroom are the wearing of a cover or sword by an officer not actually on watch, or conversation which touches upon politics or religion. But aboard ships which observe the custom, another implicit taboo concerns the empty chair: No matter how crowded the room, no matter who is waiting to be seated, that chair is never moved, never taken.

The table is by the main entrance to the wardroom. You will see it when you enter, and you will see it when you leave. It draws your eyes because it is meant to. And because it draws your eyes it draws your thoughts. And though it will be there every day for as long as you are at sea, you will look at it every time and your eyes will momentarily grow distant as you think for a moment. As you quietly give thanks.

AS YOU REMEMBER.

The small, round table is covered with a gold linen tablecloth. A single place setting rests there, of fine bone china. A wineglass stands upon the table, inverted, empty. On the dinner plate is a pinch of salt. On the bread plate is a slice of lemon. Besides the plate lies a bible. There is a small vase with a single red rose upon the table. Around the vase is wound a yellow ribbon. There is the empty chair.

We will remember because over the course of our careers, we will have had the opportunity to enjoy many a formal evening of dinner and dancing in the fine company of those with whom we have the honor to serve, and their lovely ladies. And as the night wears on, our faces will in time become flushed with pleasure of each other’s company, with the exertions on the dance floor, with the effects of our libations. But while the feast is still at its best, order will be called to the room – we will be asked to raise our glasses to the empty table, and we will be asked to remember:

The table is round to show our everlasting concern for those who are missing. The single setting reminds us that every one of them went to their fates alone, that every life was unique.

The tablecloth is gold symbolizing the purity of their motives when they answered the call to duty.

The single red rose, displayed in a vase, reminds us of the life of each of the missing, and their loved ones who kept the faith.

The yellow ribbon around the vase symbolizes our continued determination to remember them.

The slice of lemon reminds us of the bitterness of their fate.
The salt symbolizes the tears shed by those who loved them.
The bible represents the faith that sustained them.
The glass is inverted — they cannot share in the toast.
The chair is empty — they are not here. They are missing.

And we will remember, and we will raise our glasses to those who went before us, and who gave all that they had for us. And a part of the flush in our faces will pale as we remember that nothing worth having ever came without a cost. We will remember that many of our brothers and sisters have paid that cost in blood. We will remember that the reckoning is not over.

We many of us will settle with our families into our holiday season, our Christmas season for those who celebrate it, content in our fortune and prosperity. We will meet old friends with smiles and laughter. We will meet our members of our family with hugs. We will eat well, and exchange gifts and raise our glasses to the year passed in gratitude, and to the year to come with hope. We will sleep the sleep of the protected, secure in our homes, secure in our homeland.

But for many families, there will be an empty chair at the table this year. A place that is not filled.

WE SHOULD REMEMBER.”

Thanks To Alfa6 For Finding The Narrative Of “The Empty Chair.”

Robert Schumann – “Traumerei”
(Click)

Never Forget The Brave Men And Women Who Gave Their Lives To Secure Our Freedom!!

Genuflectimus non ad principem sed ad Principem Pacis!

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

[spel_grammer_an_punct_polise]

A sharp, snappy salute to the Berlin Airlift heroes!

[luvie]

...till they all come home....

[ConorMacNessa]

Aloha, BIGLOOK!



Hand Salute To You, My Brother-In-Arms!

Genuflectimus non ad principem sed ad Principem Pacis!

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

[ConorMacNessa]

Good evening, Luv!

***HUGS***



Great to see you this evening!

Genuflectimus non ad principem sed ad Principem Pacis!

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

[luvie]

Howdy, Conor! (((hugs)))

Great to see you....and my beautiful West Texas Sunset....too! Hope you had a restful weekend. Are you staying home from work tomorrow? I kinda hope so. :) Want you well!

[luvie]

Thanks, Galz, for Part II of this wonderful American Christmas story! Thank God we have military heroes with hearts!

[ConorMacNessa]

Not sure about tomorrow yet - depends on how I feel at Reveille. I'll have to hit the hay soon in any event.

I hope you've had a great weekend!



Keep Faith with the Fallen of Benghazi! Let the Obama Regime, for once, tell the Truth!

Fiat Justitia, Ruat Coelum!

Genuflectimus non ad principem sed ad Principem Pacis!

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

[luvie]

It was a good weekend! Prayers that you gain your strength back quickly.

But still...it would be nice to have another day home to rest...right? :)

[BIGLOOK]

Aloha Doc!

On the phone...back later. o

[Kathy in Alaska]

And rounding out the top three....Hawaii!!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, ML...((HUGS))...Happy Chanukah to you and yours.

Tis so true...America always tries to help her former enemies.

The next 2 weeks will have more of The Berlin Airlift Story.

[ConorMacNessa]

With your indulgence, I am disregarding the no-politics rule on this thread to inform everyone that as of 1844 hours this evening, I went online to the Maryland Board of Elections and severed my ties with the Republican Party - changing my party registration from "Republican" to "Conservative."

As I have said recently in other forums, if the pundits' analysis that we have reached the demographic tipping point which marks the effective ascendency of the Democrat Socialist Party, I will soon be a part of a remnant. I choose to be part of a Holy Remnant rather than a remnant composed of flaccid RINO's, appeasers and bootlickers.

There is no accommodation to the benighted portion of the populace who choose free stuff over personal Freedoms; who are the takers rather than the makers, those who will pander to a tyrant rather than those who would hazard all in Freedom's Fight!

That's all I have to say. God Bless The United States of America and Godspeed the gallant men and women of our Armed Forces - They have our backs, they are doing Freedom's work and they are paying the price that all should be willing to pay but are not!



Keep Faith with the Fallen of Benghazi! Let the Obama Regime, for once, tell the Truth!

Fiat Justitia, Ruat Coelum!

Genuflectimus non ad principem sed ad Principem Pacis!

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, spel....glad you are enjoying The Berlin Airlift story. 2 more weeks to come.

[luvie]

Commendable and very brave, Conor! :)

I *salute* you!

[Kathy in Alaska]

You have had a BUSY day. Don’t overdo it. No relapses.

Sounds like a good tree trip.

Congratulations, John Man...Good Job!!

Have fun “dressing” the tree tomorrow.

One of the light strings I have up refuses to stay lit. I need to replace it.

[Nowhere Man]

I enjoy learning about the Berlin Airlift too. It was something where we were helping the people that several years before were fighting against us. This is one of the big moments in history and freedom. One other man, Lt. Gail Halverson needs to be remembered too, he was the “Candy Bomber” who tossed out candy to Berlin’s children and he gave it out also.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Hope all your mainlanders are doing well. And your Giants did just fine. d:o)

[ConorMacNessa]

Thanks very much, Luv! I am no better than the millions who have stepped up to the plate for our Great Nation in the last 200 plus years, thousands of whom are on this forum.

The election of 2012 is lost - now we must prepare for the next step, whatever that may entail, and regardless of how terrible or horrific the consequences. I was in then and I'm in now, old and weak, but still dedicated to the United States of America.

Jim, I addressed this post to you because I thought you might like to take a look at my post #34, for what it's worth.



Keep Faith with the Fallen of Benghazi! Let the Obama Regime, for once, tell the Truth!

Fiat Justitia, Ruat Coelum!

Genuflectimus non ad principem sed ad Principem Pacis!

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)