FReeper Canteen ~ Remembering Our Troops! ~ 18 March 2021

Serving The Best Troops and Veterans In The World !! | The Canteen Crew and FRiend

[Kathy in Alaska]

~ The FReeper Canteen Presents ~

~ Remembering Our Troops!! ~

Canine Command

Army Cpl. Dustin Borchardt gives military working dog Pearl a command during a canine cross-training event in Kosovo. Army Staff Sgt. Tawny Schmit

Canteen Mission Statement

Showing support and boosting the morale of
our military and our allies' military
and family members of the above.
Honoring those who have served before.

Eye Exam

Army Capt. Kelly McCormick conducts an eye exam on a military working dog in Miesau, Germany,

Doggy Dip

A Marine participates in helocasting and amphibious familiarization training exercises to prepare a multi-purpose canine for future operations at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif.,

Welcome Home

Illinois Air National Guard Senior Master Sgt. Bryan Schoenecke greets his wife and children at Lambert International Airport in St. Louis, Jan. 23, 2021, upon returning from a deployment to Africa. Photo By: Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brian Ellison

Shake It Off

Marine Corps Sgt. Suzette Scott, a chief trainer with the military working dog section of the Marine Corps Base Camp Butler Provost Marshal’s Office, grooms Shiva at Camp Hansen in Okinawa, Japan, Marine Corps Cpl. Karis Mattingly

Smoky Mission

Air Force Staff Sgt. Jessica Poteet and a military working dog participate in a training exercise at Hurlburt Field, Fla. Photo By: Air Force Airman 1st Class Amanda Flower

Partner Practice

Air Force Staff Sgt. Tara C. Cummins trains with military working dog Hugo at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., Photo By: Air Force Airman 1st Class Ireland Summers

Please remember that The Canteen is here to support
and entertain our troops and veterans and their families,
and is family friendly.

[Kathy in Alaska]

HAPPY ST PADDY'S DAY!!

[ConorMacNessa]

REQUEST PERMISSION TO COME ABOARD



CHARLESTOWN, Mass. (Jan. 14, 2008) The first major snowfall of the New Year blankets the USS Constitution. Despite the weather "Old Ironsides" remained open for free public tours. At 210 years-old, USS Constitution is the oldest commissioned warship afloat in the world, manned by 67 active-duty United States Sailors and visited by nearly half a million visitors annually. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Eric Brown (Released)

GOD BLESS AND PROTECT OUR TROOPS AND OUR BELOVED NATION!!!





Boston, Oct. 21, 2009 - Boatswains Mate 2nd Class Philip Gagnon pipes as USS Constitution performs an underway demonstration in honor of the three-masted wooden frigate's 212th birthday. (U.S. Navy photo by Airman Mark Alexander/Released).



USS Constitution's 1812 Marine Guard fire vintage Springfield flintlock muskets during the ship's underway. "Old Ironsides" was underway for the "Constitution Day Cruise," which is conducted to thank the family and supporters of Constitution. U.S. Navy photo by Airman Nick Lyman (Released)

OUR TROOPS ROCK!!!!!!!

[The Mayor]

Freep mail me to be on or off the Daily Bread ping list

March 18

Small Yet Mighty

Bible in a Year:

• Deuteronomy 32–34
• Mark 15:26–47

We are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works.

Ephesians 2:10

There are times late at night in North America’s harsh Sonoran Desert where one can hear a faint, high-pitched howl. But you probably wouldn’t suspect the source of the sound—the small yet mighty grasshopper mouse, howling at the moon to establish its territory.

This unique rodent (dubbed the “werewolf mouse”) is also carnivorous. In fact, it preys on creatures few would dare mess with, such as the scorpion. But the werewolf mouse is uniquely equipped for that particular battle. It not only has a resistance to scorpion venom but can even convert the toxins into a painkiller!

There’s something inspiring about the way this resilient little mouse seems custom-made to survive and even thrive in its harsh environment. As Paul explains in Ephesians 2:10, that kind of marvelous craftsmanship characterizes God’s designs for His people as well. Each of us is “God’s handiwork” in Jesus, uniquely equipped to contribute to His kingdom. No matter how God has gifted you, you have much to offer. As you embrace with confidence who He’s made you to be, you’ll be a living witness to the hope and joy of life in Him.

So as you face whatever feels most menacing in your own life, take courage. You may feel small, but through the gifting and empowerment of the Spirit, God can use you to do mighty things.

Reflect & Pray

Is it easy or difficult for you to see yourself as God’s marvelous handiwork? Why? In what areas of your life might remembering this truth give you renewed confidence and courage?

God, thank You for the incredible way You’ve designed me to live with joy and purpose. Help me to believe, and find courage in, the truth of who I am in You.

[left that other site]

Hi Everybody!

(((HUGS)))

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, ML...((HUGS))...hope you and Penny are finally getting some spring weather.

I had to have another dump truck load of snow hauled off today. They say more is coming.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, Mac...*HUGS*...hope you are all well. Keeping busy?

[PROCON]

WOO-HOO, thanks for remembering and honoring our Troops, Kathy!

[left that other site]

Well, we are supposed to get snow again this Friday.

Just in time for the Worship Team’s Appreciation Dinner Party.

Which I have been looking forward to.

[Kathy in Alaska]

~ Remembering Our Troops! ~

FR CANTEEN MISSION STATEMENT

Showing support and boosting the morale of
our military and our allies' military
and the family members of the above.
Honoring those who have served before.

CLICK HERE TO FIND LATEST THREADS

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To every service man or woman reading this thread.
Thank You for your service to our country.
No matter where you are stationed,
No matter what your job description
Know that we are are proud of each and everyone of you.
To our military readers, we remain steadfast
in keeping the Canteen doors open.

The FR Canteen is Free Republic's longest running daily thread
specifically designed to provide entertainment and moral support for the military.
The doors have been open since Oct 7 2001,
the day of the start of the war in Afghanistan.

We are indebted to you for your sacrifices for our Freedom.

NOTE: CANTEEN MUSIC
Posted daily and on the Music Thread
for the enjoyment of our troops and visitors.

[ConorMacNessa]

Doing well here, thanks! I'm afraid this will be a one night stand - I start a new project tomorrow that is expected to go three months. How are things going with you?

"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."

[ConorMacNessa]

PRAYERS ASCENDING ON HIGH FOR OUR TROOPS AND OUR BELOVED NATION!

Oorah And Godspeed To Our Troops Who Run To The Sound Of The Guns!



American Troops Charging At St. Mihiel, France, 1918



Soldiers of the 8th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division
Move Out Over The Seawall On "Utah" Beach, 6 June 1944



Marines Move Out Under Sniper Fire En Route To Seoul
Inchon, Korea, 17 September 1950



Troops Of The 9th Infantry Division, U.S Army,
Advancing Through The Rice Paddies
Vietnam.



U.S. Marines On The Move In Afghanistan
4 October 2009

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, Mayor, and thank you for today’s sustenance for body and soul.

We made it!! I thought hump day would never be over. Hope your week is going well, and you are practicing good rest.

[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!!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Oh dear...hope it doesn’t mess up your plans.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Going pretty well. LOTS of snow. I had to have a second load of snow hauled away because the guy who plows my driveway has no place to put any more. And they say more is coming.

I hope you are still working from home and not having to go into the guarded city.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Hello Veterans, wherever you are!!

[ConorMacNessa]

I'm going to have to rework all my graphics. When they changed the servers they made it so that the graphics are much longer on the page. I have solved the problem for a few of them by recomposing them in Adobe Photoshop and saving the entire graphic as an image file. Lots of work.

"Dia shábháil ar fad anseo!"

"God save all here!"

[Kathy in Alaska]

In first....Mac!!

[Kathy in Alaska]

In second....The Mayor!!

[Kathy in Alaska]

In third....ML!!