[Snow Bunny]

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Tribute To HEROES

If there's anything that identifies and personifies all military people, it's the dogtags.
It's one of the first things we get, and sometimes it's the last reminder of who we are. They signify our unity of purpose and our dedication to our country.

COB1

Tribute to Vietnam Veterans

Please click on picture.

The great intangible of America's wars beyond logistics,
beyond strategy, beyond wonder weapons and Generals,
is the spiritual force of its fighting men and women -
and that is the force that the USO so serves.

Free Republic....Click for Donations

For our Troops, and supporters of
those serving now, and our Veterans.

Partners

.... ....

.To Jim Robinson,
Founder of FRee Republic and Navy Veteran

Thank you, from all those
who frequent the FReeper Canteen

[Snow Bunny]

[tomkow6]

Good morning, Snow! Good morning, EVERYBODY!

[tomkow6]

Today's FEEBLE attempt at humor:

Womens Motto

"Men are like fine wine. They all start out
like grapes, and it's our job to stomp on
them and keep them in the dark until
they mature into something with which
you'd like to have dinner with."


Men's Motto

"Women are like fine wine. They all start
out fresh, fruity and intoxicating to the
mind and then turn full-bodied with age
until they go all sour and vinegary and
give you a headache."

[tomkow6]

GOOD MORNING, SASSY!

[GatorGirl]

Hi Snow Bunny!

Thanks again for yet another wonderful thread. Sorry I haven't been around much. The Canteeners and all the Troops and Veterans are always on my mind. God Bless you all! Love, GG

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

Info on items to send in a CARE package to the military.

Military Care Packages Ideas and Tips Specializing in Navy Deployments

Complete listing of ship FPO and APO addresses.
These addresses are on an official navy website.

Check the USO Canteen Post Office for service people you can mail packages to.

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

[Mr_Magoo]

Air Power

DeHAVILLAND DH-98 "MOSQUITO"

The famous British Mosquito--known to many as "Mossie"--was a versatile aircraft used extensively during World War II. Constructed primarily of plywood with a balsa wood core, it had excellent speed, altitude and range. First flown on November 25, 1940, the Mosquito entered production in Mid-1941 and was produced until well after the end of the war. Almost 8,000 Mossies were built in Great Britain, Canada and Australia. Although best known for their service with the Royal Air Force, Mosquitos were also used by several U.S. Army Air Forces units for photo and weather reconnaissance, and as night fighters. During the war, the AAF acquired 40 Canadian Mossies and flew them under the American F-8 (photo reconnaissance) designation. In addition, the British turned over more than 100 Mosquitos to the AAF under Reverse Lend-Lease. These aircraft retained their British designations.

SPECIFICATIONS
Span: 54 ft. 2 in.
Length: 40 ft. 6 in.
Height: 12 ft. 6 in.
Weight: 23,000 lbs. loaded
Armament: 4,000 lbs. of bombs in bomber version
Engines: Two Rolls-Royce Merlins of 1,690 hp. ea.
Crew: Two
Cost: $100,000 (approximately)

PERFORMANCE
Maximum speed: 415 mph
Cruising speed: 276 mph
Range: 1,955 miles
Service Ceiling: 42,000 ft.

[Militiaman7]

Another Thread on CONCURRENT REPEIPT. CONCURRENT RECEIPT

All misspelling and puncuation mistakes are mine.

Transcript of NBC Nightly News broadcast article on Concurrent Receipt.

16 September 2002

_________________________

Broken Promises

Brokaw: Our series “Broken Promises”.

Brokaw: As American Forces are fighting a war against terrorism and planning is underway for another war against Iraq, American veterans wounded in other wars are in their own fight. After their military careers they expected full retirement pay, but they didn’t expect their wounds would be a penalty.

NBC News’ Fred Francis on the latest phase of this continuing battle.

Francis: In the small Alabama town of Ozark, Hank Nix is honored as a hero, yet he and Mrs. Nix will have to move from their home on Hank Nix drive . He says, because of a broken promise. The government reducing his retirement pay.

Nix: I’m about to have to sell this place. I’m not able to keep it up anymore.

Francis: Korea, 52 years ago. Nix took a bullet leading his platoon, earning him the Silver Star.

Nix: Yeah, I got hit in the chest in a fire fight. In fact my platoon leader was killed that day.

Francis: He was captured, spent three years as a Prisoner of War. Watching 1600 GIs die there.

Nix: It’s disease, cold, starvation. You name it.

Francis: Now 100% disabled because of his service injuries he expected to collect both his retirement and disability pay. Or so he thought, but Nix and a half a million disabled veterans learned of a nineteenth century law that reduces their retirement pay by the amount that they get in disability compensation. A quirky law that applies only to disabled soldiers and no other Federal workers.

Nix: If I were a civil servant if I was anything but what I am, retired military, I’d be drawing it.

Francis: You would be drawing disability and retirement.

Nix: disability and retirement. Yes

(Fleecing of America logo on screen with Tom Brokaw ready to speak)

Francis: We told you about this three times in the last year and a half.

Brokaw: (cut in) ...it involved veterans who felt they were fleeced because Congress...

Nix: Now Congress has overwhelmingly voted to change the law. To give disabled veterans both sets of benefits. But the Bush Administration threatens to veto the legislation. Arguing, changing the law would be to costly.

Dr. David Chu, United States Department of Defense: ...a private who’s facing orders to Afghanistan, We cannot do for him or his colleague what we need to do if the monies are diverted by the Congress.

(I am inserting this comment) Militiaman7: David Chu is lying though his teeth.

Francis: Disabled Vietnam Veteran, Brook Outland said: It is those very soldiers he’s worried about, not simply his own generation.

Outland: If they stand and they happen to get injured during this upcoming war. They are going to be in the same boat as we are.

Francis: Back in Alabama Hank Nix remains hopeful.

Nix: I pray for this thing to be settled.

Francis: Praying that a promise he believes that will finally be fulfilled.

Fred Francis, NBC News, Ozark, Alabama

[radu]

Good afternoon, y'all! I have to do a post-and-run today but will try to get back soon. One of those days. I wanted to at least stop in and say 'hello'.
Hello and "Thank You for your service!" to our troops, veterans, and allies. God bless America and watch over the troops!

[MoJo2001]

Good evening everyone!!

I'm so sorry I haven't been on in the past two days. I did get to read mail call yesterday and it was wonderful. Thank you for all of our troops that sent in an email. Your words of encouragement and inspiration are second to none. Sharing a bit of yourselves is very generous and endearing to those of us that wonder if anyone really thinks dysfunctional human beings are a good source of entertainment. (I don't think any of my Fellow Canteeners are dysfunctional..I'm speaking for myself and people equally clueless like myself).

I want to send a big THANK YOU!! to all of our VETERANS!

If you are sitting near a veteran or are related to one, please give them a huge hug from me and I want them to know how much I appreciate them!

Also, if you are a VETERAN: *SMOOCH* to you!! Thank you for your service!!

Also, TOMKOW:

I was ready to play at 3AM Monday morning, but you were NOWHERE to be found. So? Misty, Radu, Kathy In Alaska, and I had to fend for ourselves. How cool was that? Your loss!!LOL! Hope you are doing well!!

Coteblanche, hello sweetness!! I'll be sending you a Freepmail after I get bubblegum out of my little one's hair. I don't know how little kids manage to drive big people nuts, but they are EXPERTS! UGH!

With that, I will see you all shortly!

[SpookBrat]

I just wanted to pop in and say hello to all my friends and the troops. I miss you all terribly.

I'm so tired, I feel sick. I think it's time to O.D. on vitamins or something. I'm going to bed early tonight. See you all hopefully tomorrow.

Much love and hooches and smugs.

[Radix]

Dear Snow,
The other night SAM and Tonk referred to me as brother. I thought about that a bit. I was thinking about them and their service. I began to think about my time in the Army. I then started thinking about the people who are in the Military today, and all veterans. I have been learning a lot from your little Canteen.
This morning (Tuesday) I woke up and I was thinking about something that happened to me when I was in the Army. I hope that you do not mind if I share.
In 1979 perhaps 1980 I was assigned a trip to Bremerhaven. I had been to B`haven before, but this time I was going solo. It was a 400 mile trip each way. When I got there I had to RON. I knew absolutely nobody there. I was assigned a bed and then I went off to the recreation facility that was there. It was pretty much alive there. Lots of GIs doing what GIs do when they are off duty.
I sat around and after a while I noticed a bookshelf. This shelf had big books. Each book had the name of 1 of the 50 States on its binding. I picked one of them up and perused it. It was a book that was made with blank pages. Only the pages were not blank. People had been writing in the books. I was totally enthralled. I quickly retrieved the book with the name of my state on it (Massachusetts).
Once upon a time Bremerhaven had been the point of departure for Military people who were returning to The USA. Many times people had to wait there for days even for their ship. These books were full of writings by different people who had been waiting there, for their ship. I think that I read almost the entire book. People were from all over the state and were writing to the next people to come along.
I saw writings from people who lived very close to where I was from. Some just rambled; some wrote stories, and even poems. Most however just wrote about their neighborhoods and their families and friends. I think that by the time they were there at that Port they were very anxious to get home.
The one thing that really astonished me however was how old the posts were. I was in my twenties and to me stuff written in the 1950`s was amazingly old. I mean some of the posts were more than 2 decades old.
I wrote in my post “I cannot believe how old some of these messages are!” It really seemed to me that there was a great chasm in time between those other posters and myself. At the time I had not seen America for a couple of years. I sure hope that those books are still there. I hope that some day some one gets to read them all.
My real point in all of this is this. That experience was more than two decades ago! I am now as far removed from our Military Overseas as those earlier posters were to me back then. Thinking about SAM and Tonk`s words really made me think. We are brothers. We have a connection.
Thanks again for the Canteen Snow

[Sir Gawain]

Hi Bunny, thanks for the pings. You're a princess. ;-)

[Jen]

Beautiful thread today Bunny and full of great info about VFW. Thanks so much for all the hard work you do for the Canteen, the troops and veterans. I love ya - in a non-homo way!