USO Canteen FReeper Style FReeper FRiday Salutes Zbigniew~SAMWolfs Dad ....October 11,2002

FRiends of the USO Canteen FReeper Style ~ Snow Bunny and SAMWolf ~

[Snow Bunny]

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The USO Canteen FReeper Style
Delivering a Touch of Home

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A Touch of Home

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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.

Snow Bunny

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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.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields. 

John McCrae 

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The USO Canteen Honors FReepers
who have served, or are now serving their country.

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You may have a loved one who has served in the past.
We at the FReeper USO Canteen would like to honor each and every one.

Thank you for serving Zbigniew !

[SAMWolf]

Yes, I'm lucky to still have both my parents. I've been trying to get them to move to Oregon. My mom loves it here but my dad's a stubborn opld Polack and wan't leave Chicago.

[SAMWolf]

Thanks g'nad. I'm sure my dad will appreciate all the comments. Knowing him he'll be embarressed by them, he'll say he was just doing what needed to be done.

[Mudboy Slim]

"Unless you're Polish...."

Nawww, mostly German, Welsh, and French, with a sprinklin' of Native-American just fer spice.

Please send Munia my heartfelt FReegards...MUD

[MoJo2001]

God Bless Our Troops!!

Click the Graphic

[Valin]

It is on Hugh Hewitts site.

[Valin]

YES!!! but I really need a larger cup.
In fact just put a shunt right in my arm.

[tomkow6]

I read with great interest, & misty eyes, of your Father. I remember, when I was much younger, seeing the Polish Veteran's, marching down Augusta Blvd., here in Chicago, going to Humbolt Park, to commerate Polish Constitution Day. Perhaps, your Father was one of the men marching in the parade. I remember how silent & somber these men were; now, thanks to you, I have a greater insight to these men, of what they indured.

Truly, your Father is a very noble, honorable, brave man! Please give him a very heart-felt "THANK YOU! & GOD BLESS YOU" from me.

Thank you for sharing your Father with us, Sam!

Tom

[MoJo2001]

Good morning, Burka Man!! How are you sweetness??

[Lee'sGhost]

I missed the tribute to you the other day . . .

Just wanted to add my name to your list of admirers. Thank you Ms. Bunnynator.

[tomkow6]

I'm lookin' for some invaders to take care of

If you see any around the Canteen, give me a shout!

[Valin]

The squadron was instrumental in foiling the expedition against Nicaragua underway by American filibusterer, William Walker, who had dreamed of uniting the nations of Central America into a vast military empire led by him self. Through insurrection, he became president of Nicaragua in 1855 only to have Cornelius Vanderbilt-who controlled the country's shipping lifelines-shut off supplies and aid. A revolt toppled Walker from power, and he was trying for a military comeback before he was captured in 1857 by the Home Squadron.


The Saga of William Walker
By Don Fuchik
President of Lower California, Emperor of Nicaragua, doctor, lawyer, writer—these were some of the titles claimed by William Walker, the greatest American filibuster.

In the mid-nineteenth century, adventurers known as filibusters participated in military actions aimed at obtaining control of Latin American nations with the intent of annexing them to the United States—an expression of Manifest Destiny, the idea that the United States was destined to control the continent. Only 5’2” and weighing 120 pounds, Walker was a forceful and convincing speaker and a fearless fighter who commanded the respect of his men in battle.

Born in 1824 in Tennessee, Walker graduated from the University of Nashville at the age of 14 and by 19 had earned a medical degree. He practiced medicine in Philadelphia, studied law in New Orleans, and then became co-owner of a newspaper, the Crescent, where the young poet Walt Whitman worked. When the paper was sold, Walker moved on to California, where he worked as a reporter in San Francisco before setting up a law office in Marysville.

When he was 29, his freebooting nature led him to become the leader of a group plotting to detach parts of northern Mexico. Recruiting a small army, he sailed to Baja California and conquered La Paz, declaring himself president of Lower California. He then decided to extend his little empire to include Sonora, and renamed it “The Republic of Sonora.”

Marching on to the Colorado River, Walker found himself faced with harsh conditions and a high desertion rate, forcing him to retreat to California, where he surrendered to U.S. authorities on charges of violating U.S. neutrality laws.

One result of this incursion was that Mexico sold a part of Sonora to the United States—the transaction we call the Gadsden Purchase. Acquitted of criminal charges, Walker next turned his attention to Central America. Throughout this region, chaos reigned, as forces known as Democrats and Legitimists fought each other. The leader of the Democratic faction in Nicaragua invited Walker to bring an army and join the struggle against the Legitimists. In 1855, with his army of 58 Americans, later called by stateside romantics,

“The Immortals,” he landed in Nicaragua. Within a year, leading “The Immortals” and a native rebel force, he routed the Legitimists and captured Granada, their capital. His success roused concern in the other Central American countries, especially Costa Rica, which sent in a well-armed force to invade Nicaragua. Walker’s army repelled the invasion, but a poorly executed counter attack into Costa Rica failed, and a war of attrition continued, in which disease killed more soldiers on both sides than enemy bullets.

Other enemies plagued Walker. Cornelius Vanderbilt, the shipping magnate, seeking control of the San Juan River-Lake Nicaragua route from the Caribbean to the Pacific, armed Walker’s enemies, while the British navy, attempting to thwart American influences in the region, regularly harassed efforts to supply him. In spite of these factors, Walker had himself elected president of Nicaragua. The United States briefly recognized his government but never sent him aid. Soon the other countries of Central America formed an alliance against him, and in mid 1857 he surrendered once again to a U.S. naval officer and returned to the U.S.

Landing first in New Orleans, he was greeted as a hero. He visited President Buchanan, then went on to New York, all the time seeking support for a return to Nicaragua. But support waned as returning soldiers reported military blunders and poor management.

Nevertheless he succeeded in raising another army, and returned to Nicaragua in late 1857. Again thwarted by the British navy, he abandoned his third Latin American invasion.

Still undaunted and seeking support for yet another venture, Walker wrote a book, The War in Nicaragua. Knowing that his best prospects lay in the South, he assumed a strong pro-slavery stance. This strategy proved successful, and in 1860 he once again sailed south. Unable to land in Nicaragua due to the ever-present British, he landed in Honduras, planning to march overland, but the British soon captured him and turned him over to the Hondurans. Six days later, at the age of 36, he was executed by a firing squad. The Walker saga had ended. This enigmatic man had come close to altering the history of the continent. Had he been successful, he might have brought several Central American countries into the United States as pro-southern states, altering the balance in Congress and postponing The Civil War.

Today Walker is far better known in Central America than in the United States. Costa Ricans honor Juan Santamaria, a young drummer boy who became a national hero by torching a fort in which Walker’s army was encamped, and a national park, Santa Rosa, commemorates the battle where Walker’s soldiers were expelled from Costa Rica.

[MoJo2001]

Strength

<----Click

"Know in your heart, every battle He will fight"--Strength

[MoJo2001]

Here's Saddam!

[Johnny Gage]

What a wonderful read. Thanks for allowing us to get to know youfamily. Your father's service to the Home Army during the Warsaw Uprising sounds quite terrifying.

If they had had a few of these, maybe it would have been different. :)

Of course, if they'd have beat the germans, your folks may not have met and you would not be here.. LOL

Station #51 is open for Tours/Rides
Coffee, Soda and bagels in the kitchen.

Time Out: 08:37
KMG-365

[SAMWolf]

I grew in in the Humboldt Park area. Yes, my dad was in those parades.

[Soaring Feather]

Men in the Military and the Men in the Canteen.

Thank you for the gorgeous flowers. I love the blue background, it compliments the flowers perfectly.

Thank you for your service, stay safe, God Bless you.

[Sabertooth]

So your Dad is the Notorious Z.B.I.G.?

Great story, Sam, thanks for sharing it. What an inspiration he must be to your kids!

[SAMWolf]

LOL! Hey Maybe he can start a career as a Rap Artist! I can see that now! ROTFLMOA!

[Sabertooth]

How about a Rap-Polka, fusion thing?