USO Canteen FReeper Style - "Thank You Troops and Veterans" - Oct. 2, 2002

Snow Bunny and friends of the USO Canteen FReeper Style

[Jen]

Part of our mission at the USO Canteen FReeper Style every day is to show our gratitude and respect for members of our military and veterans who have honorably served our country.

An experience by Tomkow6 sparked the idea for the Canteen members and lurkers to have an official "Thank Our Troops and Veterans" program. Several months ago on his way to work, Tomkow6 met a young Marine in uniform in a convenience store. Tomkow6 extended his hand to the Marine and thanked him for wearing the Marine uniform and for serving our country. The Marine seemed shocked that someone would thank him and want to shake his hand.

"This was a small thing that I did," Tom said, "and I hope I made that young Marine feel a little prouder about that uniform he had on, and what he was doing in it. I know I felt proud, just seeing him in uniform, serving his and OUR country, and knowing that he and others like him are out there, in the "all volunteer" US Forces, protecting our nation; to let them know that THEY are NOT forgotten; that there are citizens of the US that are very proud of them and what they are doing; that they are prayed for daily; that they WILL NOT have to suffer the shame that was heaped on my brothers and sisters returning from Vietnam; that they are our HEROES!"

So today the Canteen is kicking off an official program and a challenge to all Canteeners and lurkers to personally thank a service member or veteran when you see him or her. To make that a little easier and to help publicize the Canteen, we've created a business card that can be handed out after you greet the person and thank him for serving.

Snow Bunny wrote Free Republic's founder and owner Jim Robinson about our plan and desire to use the FR web address on it and got his approval on June 18.

When you see a member of the US Forces, go out of your way to shake his or her hand and say "Thanks for being there and putting on that uniform, and serving our country" or something similar, then hand out a Canteen business card and invite them to visit. That's all there is to it.

It's a simple thing that can have huge benefits in the lives of our troops and veterans who can never be thanked often enough for the sacrifices they make to defend our country.

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U.S. Coast Guard Boatswain's Mate 3rd Class Michael Walker of Havre de Grace, M.D., U.S. Air Force Technical Sergeant Andrew Amor of Grain Valley, M.D., U.S. Navy Senior Chief Intelligence Specialist Christopher Roades of Eureka, Calif., U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Damian Wright of Idalia, Col., and First Sergeant Curtis O'Neal of Tuskegee, Ala., all have deployed to serve in Operation Enduring Freedom and are participants in the Pentagon Sept. 11 Observance Ceremony.

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The cards could also be placed under the windshield wiper of a car that has a bumper sticker or tag that indicates the driver is a military member or veteran. Or handed out in VA hospitals, VFWs, commissaries, BX/PX, wherever troops or veterans would gather.

Another great group of people to thank for their service and tell about the Canteen are military recruiters as Bluesagewoman has done so recently. Since they come into contact with the men and women who will become our country's newest military members, they are an ideal group to honor and help promote the Canteen.

Below are some business cards which can be copied and pasted into a Word document template for Avery business cards #8371. You can buy the perforated business card sheets and print your own cards, or have them printed at a copy center. You may have to change the font size if the text over-laps on the perforations on the pre-formed business card stock from Avery.

You may also want to take the liberty of "customizing" a little bit by adding your FR screenname, so the person you give the card to will know who to look for when they visit the Canteen.

If you would like to receive a ready-to-print template, send your email address by freepmail to AntiJen and she will email it to you.

Tomkow6 also created a small poster to put up in some of the local stores in his town that have community bulletin boards.

Thank you Tomkow6 for your wonderful idea!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Bless This House hummed along with this morning, twice because I love this song for our USO Canteen, and once again for comfort because I messed up the weather report, and Prayer of Protection said for all who enter the USO Canteen Freeper Style, including our troops, our veterans, their families and our allies. Welcome to all who come to honor our troops, for whom this USO Canteen was created.

A PRAYER OF PROTECTION

The light of God surround you

The love of God enfold you

The power of God protect you

The presence of God watch over you

Wherever you are, God is,

And all is well.

Amen.

[Jen]

I love your songs, Mud! Have a great day.

[Jen]

I love seeing pictures of eagles in flight. What a majestic bird! Thanks so much MM7 for your daily morale booster.

LJ - do you have any new eagle sightings to report?

[JustAmy]

RE: Your freepmail.



Best laugh I had all day. Thanks.

[Jen]

"Old Tom"

Sam! Maybe you should clarify that you were talking about our wild man and Bad Boy Tomkow6 and not Ol' Tom - TomHumble! That is who you were talking about, isn't it???? Eh?

[Jen]

Spookie - check out Mud's song at #66. Looks like your kind of music. ;-)

[tomkow6]

ME?

[Mr_Magoo]

Air Power

NORTH AMERICAN F-86A "SABRE"

The F-86, the USAF's first swept-wing jet fighter, made its initial flight on October 1, 1947. The first production model flew on May 20, 1948, and on September 15, 1948, an F-86A set a new world speed record of 670.9 mph. Originally designed as a high-altitude day-fighter, it was subsequently redesigned into an all-weather interceptor (F-86D) and a fighter-bomber (F-86H).

As a day fighter, the airplane saw service in Korea in three successive series (F-86A, E, and F) where it engaged the Russian-built MiG-15. By the end of hostilities, it had shot down 792 MiGs at a loss of only 76 Sabres, a victory ratio of 10 to 1.

More than 5,500 Sabre day-fighters were built in the U.S. and Canada. The airplane was also used by the air forces of 20 other nations, including West Germany, Japan, Spain, Britain, and Australia.

SPECIFICATIONS
Span: 37 ft. 1 in.
Length: 37 ft. 6 in.
Height: 14 ft. 8 in.
Weight: 13,791 lbs. loaded
Armament: six .50-cal. machine guns and eight 5 in. rockets or 2,000 lbs. of bombs
Engine: General Electric J-47 of 5,200 lbs. thrust
Cost: $178,000

PERFORMANCE
Maximum speed: 685 mph.
Cruising speed: 540 mph.
Range: 1,200 miles
Service Ceiling: 49,000 ft.

[Jen]

Good morning. Since JustAmy mentioned your freepmail to her, I assume you are out there somewhere in "lurk" mode! Come on into the Canteen and try some of my coffee!

[Kathy in Alaska]

to the USO Canteen, where we honor, daily, our troops, veterans, their families, and our allies. There are different themes on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Then we have Themeless Thursday, and on Fridays we honor an active duty person or a veteran. Saturday we go on liberty to one of our great United States. Sundays are a day of prayer for the troops, and then Mail Call Monday, where our hostess, Snow Bunny shares emails that she receives from the troops who visit here at their Canteen.

And thank you, Sir, for your service to our country. Hope to see you often.

[Johnny Gage]

*foot tapping lightly* *hands on hips*

I need my daily ship fix.......
Pllleeeasse II'''mmmm beegggiiing yyyoou...
C'mon man.. I'm hurtin here... I need my fix.

ROFL

We miss you... *grin*

[SevenofNine]

COOL another hockey fan

I have lousy hockey teams here in LA Anahemim Mighty Ducks and LA Kings even Gretsky on the team they still sucks

They have good defenisve player who been known beat up the opporants

[SevenofNine]

Good morning Kathy

Well I think winter is coming to Alaska very soon Kathy remember I told you I spent time in Fairbanks

My uncle email me this morning he said they getting off and on it so cold he said that it probably would turn into snow very soon

Well breaking news off Hareetz wire this morning

IDF troops lay smackdown on building that been known to build explosive in Gaza strip



RACKKKKKKKKKKKK IDF

[Jen]

One Soldier Killed, One Injured in Phillippine Bombing

WASHINGTON, Oct. 2, 2002 – One U.S. soldier was killed and another injured today after a bomb went off outside a Philippine military facility, said a DoD spokesperson.

The bombing occurred about 8:30 p.m. local time at the facility, located about two miles west of Camp Navarro. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the act, the spokesperson noted.

The soldiers were assigned to a 260-member U.S. special operations task force. The task force is preparing to redeploy back to their home stations after providing training and other support to the Philippine military. The drawdown began July 31; at one time the task force numbered more than 1,000 personnel.

Initial reports point to a motorcycle-mounted bomb, the spokesperson added, noting that the incident is under investigation.

[Mr_Magoo]

I need my daily ship fix.......

[Jen]

BRRRRRRRRRRR! It's cold up there! Good morning Kathy!

[Jen]

Oooooooooooooh! Swept wings.

[tomkow6]

...............snicker..............snicker...........He'sss Backkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk!........

A blonde was terribly overweight, so her doctor put her on a diet. "I want
you to eat regularly for 2 days, then skip a day, and repeat this procedure
for 2 weeks. The next time I see you, you'll have lost at least 5 pounds."

When the blonde returned, she shocked the doctor by losing nearly 20 pounds.

"Why, that's amazing!" the doctor said, "Did you follow my instructions?"

The blonde nodded. "I'll tell you though, I thought I was going to drop dead
that 3rd day."

"From hunger, you mean?"

"No, from skipping.

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

Please say a prayer for the safety of souris, her family and friends.
She lives in an area near Hurricane Lili.

[zip]

Love the business card idea.(A tangible thank you)

I'll add my THANK YOU TO OUR MILITARY PERSONNEL, PAST AND PRESENT, AND THEIR FAMILIES.

Mid Missouri Patriots love and appreciate our military!!