FReeper Canteen ~ Road Trip: Fort Sill, Oklahoma ~ 07 NOV 2017

Serving The Best Troops And Veterans In The World!! | The Canteen Crew

[radu]

Rest in peace,
SFC Stephen B. Cribben, USA

[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."

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!!

[radu]

Oooooo BRRRR! Y’all are getting an early taste of winter!

Not that cold here and it really isn’t cold at all yet. That’ll change shortly as the cold front scoots through. Thought we might get some rain tonight but it’s moving across just north of us.

It was a good enough day here. Ran a couple of errands, then went to visit Hubby’s aunt for a bit. It was a nice warm day to be out and about.

[MoochPooch]

Evening, Lauren! Kathy!

[simon says what]

I did my basic training and advanced instructional training at Ft. Sill from November of 1991 until May of 1992. I saw the Milky Way for the first time there and I also experienced a whole new level of thunderstorms the rest of the country outside of the region just doesn’t understand.

[radu]

Howdy do, Conor! *HUGZ*

Did the “fun” begin upstairs today?

[luvie]

Hi, there, radu!

It was a good day! Didn't do much and got up earlier than I wanted to because my brain thought it was later. LOL!

Dulcie is getting better every day. I imagine she'll have to make a decision about either going back to her apartment...with oxygen in tow....or come stay with us. Taking one day at a time, as Kathy used to say.

Here is the latest episode with Peaches and Ghost. :)

"Is he gone yet?
I need to go out!"

[ConorMacNessa]

Good evening, Radu!

*HUGS*

Painting is to start tomorrow on the second floor. After all the painting is done we will do the floors.

"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."

[luvie]

Now?

[luvie]

Now?

[radu]

Bummer your brain won’t let go of DST. Falling back has never been a problem for me but that springing forward is another story. LOL
Maybe it’ll settle into regular time quickly so you can get a nice long seep.

Glad to hear Dulcie’s doing well. It sounds like she’ll have to make her decision soon.

LOVE the latest episode with Peaches and Ghost. That’s too funny! LOL! I can’t stop giggling.

[radu]

I didn’t know if they’d get started on painting today or if it would be later in the week.
Won’t it be NICE when all this renovating is finished? :-)

[radu]

Look who was paying attention tonight. LOL!

WOOHOO! The 50 is yours!

[ConorMacNessa]

It will indeed, Radu. We've laid out some bucks for this but we've enhanced the value of our Castle substantially.

Of course, It's much more attractive to live in for us.

"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."

[luvie]

I have to smile every time I look at it. Peaches was standing up with front paws on the glass, but this was funnier. Besides I wasn’t quick enough to catch the other pose. LOL!

If I can begin to stay up later, then I’ll want to sleep later. I was just sooooo tired yesterday morning from having to get up at 7:15am. [that’s WAY early for this night owl!]

Has it started cooling off there yet? I might have to turn on the AC if it doesn’t cool down pretty soon. It’s hot and stuffy in this house!

[radu]

From the pix you’ve posted of the downstairs work that was done, you sure HAVE laid out some bucks. But is it ever beautiful!
And once the upstairs is finished, you’ll be able to kick back and enjoy it for a long time to come.

Are you going to try to get it all done now or will there be a break between the painting and the flooring so there won’t be a mess during the holidays?

[radu]

Oh, this pic is definitely funnier than one of Peaches standing up would have been. The body language speaks volumes in the pic you got. LOL

You did go to bed pretty early last night, understandably. I went to be early Sat. night and woke up early yesterday. But I also got 9 hours sleep so all was good. Went to bed at the usual time this morning.

It hasn’t cooled off much yet. It was a couple of degrees cooler today than yesterday but felt hot because there was no wind. I guess the rain going through TN now is the front and it should start cooling off later tonight. It’s still warm enough to have some windows open and I have a fan blowing in this room.

[luvie]

Finally! LOL!

[luvie]

Peaches was growling the whole time...something that a picture doesn’t pick up on, but he was sure wishing Ghost would go away! LOL!

Are you getting some of the rain now? That would probably feel good and maybe bring a nice breeze along with it!

[2CAVTrooper]

Been there, done that.

E-1/31FA (BT)
E-2/80FA (AIT)
HHB-1/17FA (75th Bde)

If you’re still there, there was a place up in Medicine Park that had excellent food, I can’t remember if it was Riverside Cafe or The Old Plantation