USO Canteen FReeper Style....Monday Mail Call ....... July 22,2002

FRiends of the USO Canteen FReeper Style and Snow Bunny

[Snow Bunny]

.

.

If you know a Veteran, someone in your family,
friend of the family, neighbor, who served their
country, take a brief moment of your day to thank them.
Thank them for the sacrifice they made
for the better good of their country.

We at Free Republic, and the USO Canteen FReeper Style,
are thankful for every service member
in our military, who has served our great nation.

So, to the men and women who answered the call,
in both times of war and peace, thank you.

.

.

Message from Snow Bunny to all those who visit the Canteen.

This is how I think of the USO Canteen Freeper Style.
It is like a cottage down a road,
a place where a weary veteran can spend the night.

Since it opened, it is magical how so many
Freepers who post here, feel it too.
It has been so dear how the Freepers
kept making it a cottage - a home-type of place
that had a huge living room
for them to visit in and a dance floor, a library, etc.

Many Veterans have written to me,
saying that the Canteen is like home
to them for the first time since they served.

This is your Canteen -
a respite from our busy
and sometimes troubling world.
Make yourself at home...............................................................................................................................................................................

Our troops need our support and encouragement. They are away from home, some for the first time, and usually lonely or discouraged. It is important for us to reach out and help them in the same way we would want someone to reach out to our loved ones if and when they are in the same position.

They answered their call and we are answering theirs offering them the USO Canteen FReeper Style each day and thanking them for serving.

This is IN Coming Mail from some of those serving now.

We at the USO Canteen FReeper Style, a running thread at Free Republic, are proud to support our Military. The mail comes in from contacting some of our Military Bases, Marine Corps Leagues , and friends and family of those serving now. Also from responses at the wonderful P.O.Box that 68-69TonkinGulfYatchClub has made so easily available to each of us here at Free Republic.

They are writing to those that frequent the FReeper USO Canteen to thank you for your support.

ALL the mail posted on Monday Mail Call is Recent Mail from the prior week.

Snow Bunny,
Thank you for your support system for us.
The USO Canteen you Freepers have is
something I have never seen before.
As I wrote to you before we are being
sent to another place and this time the
support of the Canteen means even more.
When I heard from you and you sent me
the schedule for the Canteen that was great.
Freeper Friday is my favorite day there, so I
worked it out so I can check it out as often as
possible.

I liked reading about g’nad and Larry Johnson.
Those are the two I got to see so far.Thank you
G’nad and Larry for your service to our Nation.
Also I want to thank all the Canteeners for the
support you give us. It really makes a difference.

Your friend,
Randy
USMC

Bunny,
What an introduction I had to the Canteen.My
cousin is serving right now in the Navy, and he
sent me an email about the Freeper USO Canteen.
I guess everyone has their favorites and I am nuts
about Souris, SpookBrat and Coteblanche and that
SassyMom. And please tell AntiJen she can fly with
with me anytime ! What a group of ladies there with
hearts on fire for America and really supportive of us.

Bunny, thanks for answering my last email. You sure
know our feelings out here.I know you said how it is
from everyone and I can see that too. But you are the
catalyst and your respect for everyone there shows.

I would like a special thank you to be given to LindaSOG.
Man was that great to see the day about the US Fighter
Planes. That was near to my heart as you know and I sent
it back home so my sister could save it for me.Thanks
LindaSOG!

Please know all of you there that what you are doing is
appreciated . The hours you spend and letting those of
us that can look in makes a difference.

God bless all of you.
Joey
USAF

Dear Snow Bunny
I want to thank you for what you did that day about
Veterans not forgotten. That was very powerful
and I am glad you didn’t tip toe around the graphic
part of it. The poems you showed and the letter from
from the Mom about her son in Nam reminded me of
how it must have been for my Granny when my Dad did
not make it home. I was a baby then and only know about
my Dad from pictures my mom has. She went to live with
my Dad’s family when he went to Nam and I was born
while he was there.

You know she never married again and is sort of just
waiting to meet up with him again in Heaven.I think a lot
about my Dad and sometimes talk to him when I get lonely
over here.

The Canteen and the Canteeners must be getting input from
my Dad. You see I never saw such an outpouring of support
and it feels sometimes like you must be getting your words
from those in Heaven that have served. The Canteeners are
the best people on this earth!!!

I love music and it always helps me to feel better. So would
you please share my email with the Canteen gang and let
Victoria Delsoul know how much her music means to me.
Several of the Canteeneers share music there and it is all
Great ! I wish all of them would put their pictures at their
Private pages. It is fun to go to the various names and see
what they share about themselves. Old photos or new ones,
it is always a special thing to see a little about each person.

Victoria, I have a crush on you, hope it is OK.Thank you for
your special support, I look forward to it every chance I get
to be online.

Thank you Canteeners and Bunny for the care you take in
letting all of us know you are for us.

Love and respect
Scotty
USMC

Dear Snow and Mr. Jim Robinson,
What a great time you and the Canteeen people give to
all of us. I heard about it and thought I was dreaming
after I got there to the Freeper USO Canteen. I bet this
is the only place like this online.I mean FR is a great
place and since the Founder is a Navy Veteran it is
perfect to have a Freeper USO Canteen right there too.

Thank you Jim Robinson ! Thank you Snow Bunny!

You should see the big smile on my face when I see
One of my favorites show up. Her name is MistyCA and
man she lights my fire. She is a hot one and her love of
all of us serving shows through. That 666 thing you have
going has me laughing so hard . I tell you I look forward to
see you has it next. ( But I kind of hope it is Misty, if you
know what I mean).Samwolf is right, GREAT LEGS !

Being a guy I have others I think I am in love with too. LOL
Coteblanche, Souris, SassyMom ( she is taken I can tell with
that Bad Boy Kneezles).

The tribute you did to Chesty Puller really got to me. Snow
you have a knack for digging right into my heart with your
words. Thank you for being there for each of us.

I am a fan of Themeless Thursday. The way it starts off kind of
wild and fun and then each time it has a life of its own.
Samwolf, thank you for your work on that . I wrote Snow
and she told me I could read about you on a Freeper Friday.
I did and thanks for telling about yourself like that.It meant
a lot to me.

A buddy has to get online now so I better close.

Don’t worry back there,over here we are dedicated to our mission.
Your support means everything!
Kisses to Misty and girls.

Jeff
USMC

Hi ya Snow Bunny<
Thank you for the Aviation Ordnance day at the
Canteen. I am an Ordie and that was a great day
for me.

It was also neat to see Ordie’s (I guess you call it
posting), posting to me.

Thank you EVERYONE !

I feel like we are all one big team. We are doing our
part and you Canteeners are back there supporting us.
Together we are a mighty and unbeatable force.

All of you and your support is awesome.
You Canteeners are such Patriots and I thank you all.

God bless you!
Ross
Ordie and fan of the Canteen

Show Bunny<
I have been reading the Canteen since it started.
I want to thank you and all the Freepers at the
the Canteen for your loving and fun support.

It gets better all the time ! I like the new way you
have it now. It was great before too, but the
changes I can tell have brought everyone together
even more.Snow Bunny, thanks and please put this
on your Monday Mail Call day.

Mr_Magoo and Tomkow6, I sent your jokes to
my brother back home. Your “joke off” was
the best! I even got more computer time when
I showed them around to my buddies here.LOL

My favorite days at the Canteen are Freeper Friday
and liberty. I am from New York and that was wild
that day. What a time I had with all of you. The beach
party was a big hit here. I was at the controls and had
about 5 others peering over my shoulder cheering you
all on. I agree, ALL the ladies won and looked like
winners! Glad I did not have to choose, that would have
been impossible.

You have it all there, the Bad Boys that make US feel like
we have brothers there that understand our needs. The beautiful
girls and those wild dolls that make our day. Never stop!

The things you all say that get right to our guts in how much
you care. The best graphics , we didn’t know that stuff was
out there and we love it !

God bless you all and your families!

Sincerely,.
Peter
USNavy

Hey Bunny girl,
WINNER ! You all Rock!

What a wild, crazy, supportive place ! Thank you!

My parents are both Freepers, but Mom doesn’t get
to post much and Dad lurks. They registered after
the last election.

I am in the Navy and want to thank each of you for
the efforts you do each day of the week. Your right
it is 24 hours a day and that is great too.

The way you have it like a cottage that a person comes
to is just how it feels. When I am there it is how my Dad
has said in his email. He wrote me that when he was in Nam
and Desert Storm he would have loved the Canteen to be
there. Now that it is ,and how I might like it too. Dad is right
it hits the spot, it digs in and cures the ails of the day.And that
is due to each one of you!

Dad is one of those lurker types, aren’t you Dad. LOL

Anyway, please never think you are not appreciated or your
being there is not making the life of a soldier better . It is in more
ways then I could even list.

I can’t thank you enough for what you all have done for me,
and for my family too.

God bless you Canteeners and everyone at FR.

Son of a professional FR lurker.LOL
Ed
USARMY

Snow Bunny
OK, so after writing to you now for a couple of
months I want you to share this one with everyone
there. Here it goes and I hope my wording can let
you all know what you mean to me.

I enlisted after 911 and while I was in bootcamp a tragedy
happened. My kid sister was killed by a drunk driver.She
was only 7 years old and had her whole life ahead of her.
It about killed me and my parents are having a ruff time too.
She was riding with them and so there are many things to
deal with on all kinds of levels.

I want to be the best I can be and am spending a lot of time
with our Chaplain to help handle what happened.But as I told
him and you in our emails, the biggest thing that has made a
help for the hurt has been the Freeper USO Canteen.

The Chaplain saw how it helped me too. He said to tell you he
prays for you all too and thanks you.

I can see in the way you share how you care for each other and for
those of us in service. You get me to smile and laugh and it feels
good !

Please add in each of your names in this, everyone of you. Because
you have done this.

God bless the Freeper USO Canteen and all the Canteeners !

Your friend,
Kevin
USMC

Jim Robinson and Snow Bunny
Now I have to write to you, how on earth did you come
up with this. OH I know I read how the Canteen started and
all ,but the way it works is short of a miracle. The way you all
care so much for each other, the fun you have and the sharing
that goes on. The many topics discussed and jokes told, the
the kidding around that has me roaring with laughter. Darn the
the Canteen is a part of my life. I am one of those addicted that antiJen
wrote about. That girl has a fan here, HI Jen! And a BIG hug to you
and don’t worry I am a guy so a hug is OK. ROTFL

I wish I could post how I feel about some things, as you know Buns,
FR is a happening place.The BIG guy in charge is a Hero of mine
Thanks for the tribute to him and well deserved. You did it in such a
beautiful way Buns and that Tonkin and his help too. Hey Tonkin, I
don’t care how you spell Yatch/Yacht, you are a man to be respected .
Thanks too Tonkin for the P.O.Box. Now listen up Freepers, that Box
does make a difference too. I hope the rest of the Freepers use it, I am sure
the Canteeners are good about it. They are the best there is ! Being in
the service we can tell the ones that care and the ones that just say they
do and believe me the FReeper USO Canteen is an answer to
prayer.

Jim Robinson you are brilliant and thank you for FR and the Freeper USO
Canteen.

Now the other thing I want to mention is this. When I saw the
Canadian posts and saw a few Canadian Freepers there. I want to
thank you for the people you are too. We all feel a friendship with
Canada.It has been good to see you there at the Canteen. You are
’ a good people and to get the support and generosity from our friends
the Canadians makes us even stronger.

There is no place like what you have there and the care you all take
shows in every aspect of what you do. Thanks for the laughter and fun,
thanks for the tears and hugs. Thanks for those wild dolls that also make
a guys day. Yes, they are dolls but hey even guys like to see drawings
of girls. LOL The humor in so many of them is hilarious and the upside
down, sideways, you name it gets a smile on our faces.

No matter how long this takes, we will never give up. To know you will
all be there supporting , like I have never seen from anywhere else,THAT is
the WHY of our drive as much as fighting for all of our country’s freedom.

A fan of the Freeper USO Canteen and FR,
Chad
USMC

Dear Snow Bunny,
So show this to the Bad Boys. LOL You carry on an important
tradition and I am proud of you. Thanks for being there for us.

Your mission if you accept it is to keep on keeping on.You are
an important part of this war . The eyes are watching your every
move and it is noted. Names have been taken and your mission is
to carry on as you have been doing.

Don’t let those charms of the Canteen girlz change the bad boy
image. Sweet and cute is not in our image, but they do try and
get to us don’t they. Got to Love em all. What would we do
without the ladies. It would be a dull world.But don’t let them
know it or our life will be , fill it in yourselves.

Job well done Bad Boys !

This email will destruct once you have read it. Can you tell I am a
fan of Themeless Thursdays? LOL

This is for all the ladies
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

And a special hug for Victoria, Coteblanche, SpookBrat, SassyMom,
MistyCA and that high flyer Jen , and that Souris that has me wrapped
around her finger.
I wish I could be faithful to just one of you
but you all are very much a part of why I feel better each time I visit
the Canteen.

Jimmy
USNavy

Hello Snow Bunny
I am one of the lurkers at FR and this email is especially
to Kathy in Alaska. Kathy, you are a wonderful addition
to the Freeper USO Canteen. I simply wanted to let you
know a big thank you is here for your posting and the joy
you bring to the Canteen.
When Themeless Thursday talked about lurkers I sat here
and wondered if any would show up. Yes I know Samwolf
did it in a general way and it had me laughing too.When I
saw Kathy post from that it was nice to see.

There are a few reasons I only lurk but you can know that
I am addicted to FR and now to the USO Canteen FReeper
Style. I read many of the threads every day and always the
Canteen thread.

Now I want to thank ALL OF YOU TOO !

For me, I was a pilot in Vietnam and to see the people
at FR coming to the Canteen everyday. Man what a place and
what a first class group of Freepers. Snow Bunny you’re love
is contagious, did anyone ever tell you that?

I want to also thank Leadpenny, exnavy, Joe Brower,MeeknMing,
Race Bannon,LadyX, COB1,Samwolf, 4TheFlag, HiJinx, Aeronaut,
antiJen ( AFVetGal), Mr_Magoo, archy, Larry Johnson, GATOR NAVY,
Northern Yankee, Aomagrat , ALOHA RONNIE, Dubya, Militiaman7, and ALL the fine ladies
for making everyday a day to wake up.

Freeper Friday is a day I look forward too as well. Thank you Militiaman7,
g’nad,Joe Brower, Samwolf, HiJinx everyone of you that
have contributed in that way on Freeper Friday I want to thank you
and salute you all.

Lurker and lover of FR and the Canteen

Thank you Snow Bunny
Some thoughts and a THANK YOU to all at the Freeper USO Canteen
Victoria Delsoul, thank you Victoria for your support. You are beautiful
and your graphics and music are a big hit. My dream girl, now let
that Sam guy bite his nails.ROTFL I saw he is going on vacation so
post this Snow Bunny while good ole Sam is away. LOL

antijen, thank you for serving in the Air Force and now still serving in
this special way. Your Freeper Friday and web site is one of my favorites.
You show the world how a woman can be very pretty
, serve in our military and be a wife too. He sure is one lucky guy!

Souris, no mouse was a cute as you. You are a delight! You have me
laughing so hard so much of the time.

MistyCA, your energy to pack and still come and support us is awesome.
And I also don’t mind one little bit seeing those legs. LOL Can I say I
Love you too.

SassyMom, and I do mean Sassy and not Kneezles, see I don’t have to
worry about signing on under a different screen name. LOL
My guess is that Kneezles is one happy guy married to you. You’re a doll.

Coteblanche, your beauty shines and your poetry place I like that.
I saw the place to click on it and I went there. You know what it felt
like Coteblanche? Like it says at the Canteen, I go down a country road to the
Canteen cottage. Spend some time there and then walk further down
the road to another place and visit poets of Free Republic. A very
unique and pleasant experience each time. You are gracious and kind and
a beauty that should always be appreciated. To know you are in Canada
shows the loving and special person you are. God Bless Canadians and
you Coteblanche.

SpookBrat, you are such a bright shining light. You remind me of a
butterfly. You come to the Canteen and always have me smiling or
laughing right out loud. You fly around and touch this person and that
with something for each one.

Thanks to all the guys for letting me know you are there . Your kind of
support for us is hard to describe . It is a guy thing and you know how it
feels to be away from home and family and friends. Your being at the
Canteen is a tremendous support and has made it a little easier when the
nights are long or the days are not the best to go through.

All of you and the ones I am too forgetful to mention, please know you
and your being Canteeners have me with a lump in my throat many times.

I feel awful knowing I did not mention everyone. That is why I have not
written a letter to put for Monday Mail Call. After many letters to
Snow Bunny she said to just go for it, that Canteeners understand how
much I have on my mind.

If America was made up of everyone like you Canteeners, the force
behind all of us would shake up the entire world. If only I could thank
to the extent you wonderful people deserve it. God Bless you !

Smitty
USMC

[LadyX]

Thank you so much, SB...I'll relay that to him.
His son turned 19 yesterday and plans to go into the Coast Guard in September!

Night, everyone.....

[Snow Bunny]

Yipeee.....Hi Misty!!!! I am so glad to see you.

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

" His son turned 19 yesterday and plans to go into the Coast Guard in September!"

WOO HOO! Go Coast Guard!

[WVNan]

Hi & bye Lady. Sorry we didn't get to talk. I'm still trying to catch up. I had to laugh when I saw that Misty was way back on #90. She never catches up. It's so funny. Good night and rest well.

[MistyCA]

Goodnight, GatorGirl! Sorry I got here so late and haven't had much chance to visit with you! Hope you had a great day! :)

[LadyX]

Night, Nan.
May God watch over you and Jack at all times and keep you safe and well.

Hugs to you, and to you, Tonk...

[MistyCA]

Goodnight, Blues! See you tomorrow! :)))

[Snow Bunny]

How wonderful, Happy Birthday to Med Prof's son. And to go into the Coast Guard that is fabulous too.

Sweet dreams.

[Snow Bunny]

I LOVE this ships you show us so much !!!!

Thank you for the pictures of the USS Manchester.

[Snow Bunny]

Hi bentfeather, so good to see you. I hope you had a wonderful day. Thank you so much for being here my friend.

[Jen]

Vic, I love that Faith Hill/Tim McGraw song! Thank you so much. Keep 'em playing Ms DJ!!! I'm ready to dance with with Lurking servicemen!

[MistyCA]

Hi! The motorhome roof is awesome! I did good if I do say so myself! :))))

BTW, all that sunburn stuff was just a sun allergy because it cleared up real well as soon as I started taking benedryl! The rash is all gone and I am just tanner! :)))))))) More tan, I mean! :)))))) Of course that just means I am not as white anymore! :)))))

[Snow Bunny]

Beautiful graphic my friend. I just love it.

So good to see you, thank you again for serving our country.

[MistyCA]

I have you know I cut to the chase and I am caught up! :)

[Jen]

Good night GG. I've missed seeing you too and I guess I've missed you again tonight since you are in bed already. See you tomorrow, I hope! {{NHH}} Jen

[MistyCA]

Good! I am ready to dance with the lurkers too! YIPPEE!

[Victoria Delsoul]

Great! Let's dance, everybody.

Faith Hill, Let's Go To Vegas

[Jen]

What a cute bear!!! I love it. (It's a boy bear, right???) hehehehehehe

[American Preservative]

Link

(San Francisco Chronicle 7/22/02)

Rolling tribute to Yanks who liberated France Coast-to-coast tour in vintage Citroens to say thanks

San Francisco -- Rounding a corner near San Francisco's Presidio parade grounds, they looked like something out of the past: the first in a convoy of 30 classic Citroen sedans, with horns blaring and French flags fluttering.

With their antique, rolling lines and stuffed-to-the-gills luggage racks, the automobiles -- ranging in vintage from 1934 to 1957 -- seemed as if they belonged in a French countryside scene from a Jean Renoir film.

They were met by a contingent of local Citroen owners and surviving U.S. veterans who fought to liberate France in World War II. There was French accordion music, Edith Piaf tunes, and wine.

Thirty Citroen driving teams from France and other European nations are participating in the "Tracbar Yankee 2002 Thank You America" rally, a 4,500- mile trip from Los Angeles to New York.

"What we're trying to do is very simple and humble," rally organizer Eric Massiet said. "We're not selling anything. We have no sponsors, unfortunately. We just want to meet these guys and say, 'Thank you.' We just want to say publicly that we will never forget what they did for us. I am 40. Perhaps I would not be here today if they had not done what they did in the war."

Massiet is driving a 1938 Citroen that, he said, was used by a member of the French resistance to rescue five pilots who were shot down in occupied territory.

The Citroen teams are also here for adventure. Most are family members, some with children.

On Friday, the convoy headed up the rugged California coast on Highway 1 -- marveling at places with names such as Malibu.

On Sunday, the group traveled from Santa Cruz to San Francisco. They plan to spend two days in the Bay Area, drive through Sequoia National Park and then on to Death Valley. They will follow Route 66 across the Midwest, stopping in Chicago and smaller cities, visiting New York and attending an international Citroen reunion in Amherst, Mass.

A picnic was held at the Presidio Officers' Club on Sunday afternoon, followed by a ceremony. The visiting families sang the French national anthem in honor of the veterans. Rally organizers presented veterans with honorary medallions and certificates.

Ysidor M. Sanchez, 79, of San Jose was among the veterans there to greet the French families. "They're beautiful people. I love these people," he said.

Sanchez was a 21-year-old Army private when he landed at Omaha Beach with the 30th Infantry Division on June 6, 1944. Soon after, he was wounded in the shoulder by shrapnel from a mortar round. He was later wounded a second time in France when bullet fragments hit him as he rode on a train.

Sanchez has returned to Omaha Beach five times to remember the war dead. Recently, a French schoolgirl read him a letter she had written: "You came over here and lost blood for a country that was not even yours."

Richard Reyes, 79, of Sonoma, was also there to greet the French convoy. Reyes parachuted into a Normandy village on June 5, 1944.

"We didn't know what to expect. There wasn't a soul around," said Reyes, who said he was wounded at a French causeway. "It was a nasty, nasty battle."

But a lot of the talk revolved around the nostalgic cars.

Designed and first built in 1934, Traction Avant (front-wheel drive) Citroens were ahead of their time. Their butterfly hoods, front-end transmission, and three-speed shifters on the dash stayed largely the same until 1957.

Their roomy interiors were used as taxis in some Third World nations. Some models have jump seats. Others served as delivery vans. But they were mainly used as French country cars to drive to work or haul groceries.

"These cars elicit warm, friendly responses from the public," said Ray Brisebois, a member of the San Francisco Region Citroen Club and the owner of a 1956 Citroen. "I think people drive them respectfully. It's not a hot rod. They're more stately."

The rally had its first breakdown when one of the cars blew an engine near Santa Barbara. The car was loaded onto a little truck called Popeye. Mechanics began working on the engine. They put a backup engine in the broken down car and the failed engine is being fiexed for the next breakdown.

On Sunday afternoon, the group drove across the Golden Gate Bridge. Today, they plan to visit the liberty ship Jeremiah O'Brien, which took part in the Normandy landing.

Stephane Coutue and his wife, Veronique, of Switzerland, are driving with their 3-year-old boy, David, in a 1954 Citroen. "It's incredible," he said in English. "Thanks for winning the war."

[Snow Bunny]

LMAO, you are so cute, that is so funny how you said it.

Great outfit and it shows off your tan too.

I am so glad Misty that it all cleared up. That is so wild it was a rash like that.