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FReeper Canteen ~ Road Trip: Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi ~ 07 February 2017
Serving The Best Troops and Veterans In The World !!
| laurenmarlowe
Posted on 02/06/2017 6:01:44 PM PST by Kathy in Alaska
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To: Kathy in Alaska
Still under the weather, Kathy - I'm in the third day of a ten day supply of Amoxicillin. Hopefully this will turn the trick,
"I am an American fighting man. I serve in the forces guarding our country and our way of life. I am prepared to give my life in their defense." |
41
posted on
02/06/2017 7:01:01 PM PST
by
ConorMacNessa
(HM/2 USN - 3/5 Marines RVN 1969 - St. Michael the Archangel defend us in battle!)
To: left that other site
LOL, nothing wrong with celebration; I hope you didn’t forget to let Penny walk and do her thing. :-)
42
posted on
02/06/2017 7:02:18 PM PST
by
PROCON
(Defending the Border isn't a Political Option, it's a Constitutional Obligation ~ Rick Perry)
To: Kathy in Alaska; laurenmarlowe; BIGLOOK; alfa6; EsmeraldaA; SandRat; mylife; TMSuchman; AbnSarge; ..
![](http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i25/Conormacnessa/Flags/938063cd-6fdf-43cd-a9d5-437c72c92ae2_zpsabb600f5.jpg)
![](http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i25/Conormacnessa/Militaria/militarygroup-vi.jpg)
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!
![](http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i25/Conormacnessa/Militaria/missing-man-762922.jpg)
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 others 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."
Many Thanks To Alfa6 For Finding Capt. Lefon's Chronicle Of "The Empty Chair."
"Träumerei" Robert Schumann (Click)
Never Forget The Brave Men And Women Who Gave Their Lives To Secure Our Freedom!!
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43
posted on
02/06/2017 7:02:58 PM PST
by
ConorMacNessa
(HM/2 USN - 3/5 Marines RVN 1969 - St. Michael the Archangel defend us in battle!)
To: left that other site
Good evening, ML...((HUGS))...was Penny into walking today?
Are you ready for pub night?
44
posted on
02/06/2017 7:05:45 PM PST
by
Kathy in Alaska
((~RIP Brian...the Coast Guard lost a good one.~))
To: lightman
WOW, lightman....that is quite the spread. Do you have snow to contend with?
Stay safe if you have to be on the roads.
45
posted on
02/06/2017 7:07:29 PM PST
by
Kathy in Alaska
((~RIP Brian...the Coast Guard lost a good one.~))
To: Kathy in Alaska
I noticed it was foggy there when I checked before going to bed this morning. Bummer you’ll have it to deal with all week. It’ll keep the streets nice and slick for those morning drives to work. Yuck!
I guess all the kitties enjoyed the day except Piper. She had to get a couple of shots and is still not talking to me. LOL!
None are going outside just yet, though it was warm enough. It still gets dark earlier than I can easily get them inside so we’ll wait until the sun sets later. The coyotes come out at dusk and cross the back fields to get to the RR tracks for their nightly hunts. A cat in the fields hunting mice is an easy target and we don’t want to lose any more of them. Lost too many already.
46
posted on
02/06/2017 7:08:14 PM PST
by
radu
(May God watch over our troops and keep them safe)
To: PROCON
Penny was celebrating with us! the 3-year-old twins got her to sit, give paw, give the other paw, and lie down and rewarded her with double treats with each correct response. She was in her glory!
47
posted on
02/06/2017 7:09:07 PM PST
by
left that other site
(You shall know the Truth, and The Truth Shall Set You Free.)
To: Veto!
Welcome, Veto!....thanks for sharing such good memories.
I’ll bet Dad was watching. LOL!
48
posted on
02/06/2017 7:09:27 PM PST
by
Kathy in Alaska
((~RIP Brian...the Coast Guard lost a good one.~))
To: LUV W
Howdy, LUV!
Have a nice lazy, retired-person Monday? LOL!
49
posted on
02/06/2017 7:09:38 PM PST
by
radu
(May God watch over our troops and keep them safe)
To: LUV W; PROCON
50
posted on
02/06/2017 7:10:10 PM PST
by
radu
(May God watch over our troops and keep them safe)
To: Kathy in Alaska
We did two miles today, but strayed into the woods. Penny leaped over a 4-foot barrier, and I think she hurt herself. She is limping a little bit, but there s no evidence of injury. I hope it was just a little thing that will work out, and she will be prancing about again in her own inimitable way.
51
posted on
02/06/2017 7:11:34 PM PST
by
left that other site
(You shall know the Truth, and The Truth Shall Set You Free.)
To: left that other site
Aww, too cute!
Have you posted a pic of Penny? If not, please do.
52
posted on
02/06/2017 7:11:56 PM PST
by
PROCON
(Defending the Border isn't a Political Option, it's a Constitutional Obligation ~ Rick Perry)
To: radu
Jump?
"Jump" doesn't mean anything...
53
posted on
02/06/2017 7:12:36 PM PST
by
PROCON
(Defending the Border isn't a Political Option, it's a Constitutional Obligation ~ Rick Perry)
To: Kathy in Alaska
We had a nasty snow squall one week ago that dumped 2 inches in less than 30 minutes and caused a 50 vehicle pileup on the interstate highway 3 miles from home (one fatality, tragically); but otherwise no measurable snow since the 6th of January.
54
posted on
02/06/2017 7:14:21 PM PST
by
lightman
(Trump = The Twenty-first century's Teddy Roosevelt!)
To: PROCON
I jumped on it, didn’t I? :-)
55
posted on
02/06/2017 7:14:51 PM PST
by
radu
(May God watch over our troops and keep them safe)
To: PROCON; Kathy in Alaska
Kathy...do you have a picture of Penny to share? (I still don’t know how to access the pics)))
56
posted on
02/06/2017 7:15:08 PM PST
by
left that other site
(You shall know the Truth, and The Truth Shall Set You Free.)
To: radu
OK
WOOOOOOOO-HOOOOOOOOOO! :-)
57
posted on
02/06/2017 7:21:34 PM PST
by
PROCON
(Defending the Border isn't a Political Option, it's a Constitutional Obligation ~ Rick Perry)
To: PROCON
Good evening, Pro...still shoveling?
I had to have a truck load of snow removed from my yard so my plow guy would have someplace to shove snow next time he has to plow. It was already WAY up into the yard.
58
posted on
02/06/2017 7:22:30 PM PST
by
Kathy in Alaska
((~RIP Brian...the Coast Guard lost a good one.~))
To: Kathy in Alaska
Yup, still shoveling, but Spring is nigh, thankfully!
59
posted on
02/06/2017 7:25:37 PM PST
by
PROCON
(Defending the Border isn't a Political Option, it's a Constitutional Obligation ~ Rick Perry)
To: PROCON
60
posted on
02/06/2017 7:30:21 PM PST
by
radu
(May God watch over our troops and keep them safe)
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