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The Purpose of the USO Canteen FReeper Style

Recognizing the cost of Freedom is what the Canteen is all about

I want to take you to a place , the weather is hot, beyond hot and sticky too .It is like wearing a scuba suit and pouring hot caro syrup down inside of it. You give up wiping the sweat off your face and arms because it does not do any good.You learn to own it, the heat and humidity, the stickiness. Own it and become it. Then it is bareable......almost.

A boy really but a man because of the war is laying in a hospital in a bed . Not a hospital like we know, this is make shit . He has his right leg gone, pieces of it left in the jungle. His other leg missing just above the knee. His right hand gone as well. His shoulder a huge chunk gone so even with bandages the deformaity is obvious. His face, he may have been a great looking hearthrob in the past, maybe a girl kissed his tender cheek on a date and his soft lips lingering for just one more kiss at the door. But now it was like mashed potatoes. The only thing noticable ........his eyes. The thousand yard stare was there, but behind them the clear sharp sight of what had happened. And the doubt of what his future held for him if any.

You take his one hand left and sit for hours, just being. Trying to let him know you care. The touch is all the words that need to be said. Then you start to hum a song softly and the hand in yours tightens a little for approval. Then the words of the song , and ever so gently you sing, music from your heart right into his.

He is a Hero just as the soldier at the desk at the base is a hero . All willing to serve their country and keep their land the land of the free.

Maybe both of these heroes, the wounded and the soldier at the desk had a chance to smile today or yesterday or laugh right out loud and for just a moment in time forget they were far from their loved ones, forget they were not watching a ballgame in their home or the comfort of their own bed. Maybe chuckling at the dolls and volcano and the tanks and Sam on Milk Carton,or Misty with the Beverly hillibillies,Magoo and Tomkow and Jinxie with their jokes, the 666 and one of us upside down......maybe that is their last belly laugh, maybe it is what makes the difference for them that moment in time.

Good morning Bunny.

Here's some of the stuff I've been working on recently, in the order it's saved to a floppy ( i.e., no particular order other than it was linked & saved )--

-Activate Yourself! --

-All Terror, All the Time-- FR's links to NBC Warfare, Terror, and More...--

-Answers for Anti-Israeli, anti-Jewish Propaganda --

-IRAQ- some links to terror--

-Jihad Cindy? McKinney won't go quietly... indeed, she may not go away at all...

-The India-Pakistani Conflict... some background information- --

-West Nile Virus- some basic information----

-Bush and Clinton and 911- some facts... --

-Oklahoma City's lost information--

Warning!

-The Clinton Files--

-Recalling the Shah of Iran--

-The OKC Bombing Roundup--

-The Bali Horror- a partial Archive--

-The Atomic Genie- what we know about North Korea's Nuclear program--

-The Vote Fraud Archives--

-Israel's Arrow Anti-Missile Syatem and the THEL...--

Today's classic warship, USS Tennessee (ex-CSS Tennessee)

Columbia class ironclad ram
Displacement. 1,273
Lenght. 209'
Beam. 48'
Draft. 14'
Complement. 133
Armament. 2 7", 4 6.4"

CSS TENNESSEE, a slow-moving ironclad ram, was built at Selma, Ala., where she was commissioned on 16 February 1864, Lt. J. D. Johnston, CSN, in command. BALTIC towed her to Mobile where she fitted out for action.

TENNESSEE was laid down in October 1862, hull and other woodwork turned out by Henry D. Bassett, who launched her the following February, ready for towing to Mobile to be engined and armed. Her steam plant came from ALONZO CHILD (q.v.); only casemate design differed materially from COLUMBIA and TEXAS (#5 inf.) Her iron mail was the same 2" by 10" plate used on HUNTSVILLE and TUSCALOOSA but triple instead of double thickness. A fearsome detail of her armament was a "hot water attachment to her boilers for repelling boarders, throwing one stream from forward of the casemate and one abaft."

The vicissitudes implicit in creating such an ironclad are graphically conveyed by Admiral Franklin Buchanan, writing 20 September 1863 to Secretary Mallory: "The work on the TENNESSEE has progressed for some weeks past, under Mr. Pierce, as fast as the means in his power would permit. There is much delay for want of plate and bolt iron. It was impossible to iron both sponsons at the same time, as the vessel had to be careened several feet to enable them to put the iron on. Even then several of the workmen were waist deep in the water to accomplish it-to careen her, large beams 12 feet square had to be run out of her posts and secured, on which several tons of iron had to be placed, and during the progress of putting on the sponson iron the shield iron could not be put on. The work has been carried on night and day when it could be done advantageously. I visited the NASHVILLE and TENNESSEE frequently and, to secure and control the services of the mechanics, I have had them all conscripted and detailed to work under my orders. Previously, they were very independent and stopped working when they pleased ***" Joseph Pierce referred to was Acting Naval Constructor in the Mobile area.

TENNESSEE became flagship of Adm. F. Buchanan, and served gallantly in action in the Battle of Mobile Bay on 5 August 1864. On that morning TENNESSEE and wooden gunboats CSS GAINES, CSS MORGAN, and CSS SELMA, steamed into combat against Adm. D. G. Farragut's powerful fleet of four ironclad monitors and 14 wooden steamers. Unable to ram the Union ships because of their superior speed, TENNESSEE delivered a vigorous fire on the Federals at close range. The Confederate gunboats were sunk or dispersed. Farragut's fleet steamed up into the bay and anchored. Buchanan might have held TENNESSEE under the fort's protection but bravely steamed after the Federal fleet and engaged despite overwhelming odds. The ram became the target for the entire Union fleet. TENNESSEE was rammed by several ships, and her steering chains were carried away by the heavy gunfire. Unable to maneuver, TENNESSEE was battered repeatedly by heavy solid shot from her adversaries. With two of her men killed, Admiral Buchanan and eight others wounded, and increasingly severe damage being inflicted on her, TENNESSEE was forced to surrender.

TENNESSEE was taken into the US Navy and, with her combat damage quickly repaired, she was employed during operations to capture Fort Morgan later in August. In the autumn of 1864, USS TENNESSEE was sent to New Orleans, Louisiana, for further repairs. She subsequently served with the U.S. Navy's Mississippi Squadron until after the end of the Civil War. Decommissioned in August 1865, USS Tennessee was sold for scrapping in November 1867. She was sold at public auction in New Orleans on 27 November 1867.

Thanks for the ping. The mail call is great.

Thank you to all our troops who are serving. My prayers are with you.

Maybe both of these heroes, the wounded and the soldier at the desk had a chance to smile today or yesterday or laugh right out loud and for just a moment in time forget they were far from their loved ones, forget they were not watching a ballgame in their home or the comfort of their own bed. Maybe chuckling at the dolls and volcano and the tanks and Sam on Milk Carton,or Misty with the Beverly hillibillies,Magoo and Tomkow and Jinxie with their jokes, the 666 and one of us upside down......maybe that is their last belly laugh, maybe it is what makes the difference for them that moment in time.

It is not always easy to be entertaining here. Not easy, but nessessary. Right now there are tens of thousands of young Men and Women wearing BDU's for us. They made a committment that just might require their life. We owe it to them to be here for them. We owe it to them to make this place in cyberspace a welcome hideaway from the harsh realities of war.

And it is a war.

I look at it as this is another front in the War on Terror. A front that WE can fight on. A front that must never fail. We learned a hard lesson from VietNam. We must never allow our Brave Men and Women to be treated as they were during VietNam. They deserve better than that. They deserve our unending/unwavering loyality, respect, and admiration.

The jokes, the community here, the History lessons, even Tom's Burka play an improtant role here. When our Forces are sent out into battle, when they find themselves in a firefight, they reach down deep inside themselves for something - anything - that will give them the strength to go forward. Maybe the connection with home that they find here is that "something". Maybe it is a cartoon Girlz tucked inside a helmut. Maybe it is thoughts of Jen's hot tub. Whatever it is, as long as it gives then that something that drives them forward relentlessly to victory, then we have done our part.

I look forward to the day when the Canteen is not nessessary. I look forward the the day we welcome them Home with open arms and grateful hearts. Until that day, I will do what I can right here.

Support Our Troops !!

Mail Call Monday...Bump !!

The RATS Are In Disarray...Eradicate The Rodents !!

Fire Democrats, Hire Republicans !!

GWB Is The Man !!

Snuff Saddam, NOW !!

Death To all Tyrant's !!

The Second Amendment...
America's Original Homeland Security !!

Freedom Is Worth Fighting For !!

Let's Roll !!

Molon Labe !!

Bump and God bless our guys and gals in uniform.

I know I've said this before, but if you want to see the price of freedom, go to a VA hospital. Or Arlington. Or The Wall.

Sorry for the redundancy.

5.56mm

Chatting With The Troops!!

Dear Johnny,

Thank you so much for writing us at the Canteen. I sure hope your father would have loved the Canteen. Sir, it is an honor to have a person like yourself writing us. Thank you for sharing your father's brave service to America with all of us. I'm honored and your letter brought tears to my monitor for some strange reason. Bad monitor! God Bless you, Sir! May God protect you from our enemies!!

Dear HM1 James K.L,

I sure am glad you work at the Naval Hospital. I just wanted to let you know that I really appreciate the HM's at Portsmouth Naval Hospital. The corpsman are so friendly and most of them are very good with children. Especially those little brats that go to the hospital that scream, scream, and make you want to demand some Prozac for them when you see the doctor. Also, YOU DO NOT GET PAID ENOUGH to draw anyone's blood. UGH!! Thank you, HM1 James. You are doing such an admirable job for America. It's great to have warriors and it's wonderful to have people that can ensure that our troops are fit and rarin to go. God Bless you, sir!! May God keep you out of harms way.

Dear Charney, (What a cool name!!)

Duchess is awesome!!She's a wonderful addition to our Canteen home. We all love her. (Now if she and Ma would just work out the driving arrangements--we'd be set) Linda sure does know how to make you hungry, huh? She should stop that. I will alert the Canteen Food Thought Police that she's teasing you out there. I promise to make her eat TOFU for atleast a week. If not, we're shipping her out to you and you can share some of your "yummy"(Barf) food rations. That would teach her not to tease. Aren't you glad I'm here to right the wrongs. LOL! God Bless you soldier!! May God protect you while you fight on behalf of America.

Dear Joel,

Um, that chicken dance was pretty fun. Did you notice who had their groove on and who should have put the chicken head to cover themselves? LOL! We are thrilled that you wrote us today. After all, we would be so darn bored and we'd have to think of even more ridiculous dances to do. Obviously, you noticed I'm quite inept when it comes to Polka. UGH!! Thank you for your service to America. May God protect you and keep you from danger!

Dear Michael,

Hello sweet soldier! I'd ask how you are, but I'm sure you'd rather be here with me. After all, I'm scrounging in the Canteen Kitchen. (Whispering) Do not tell Snow Bunny and Linda that I ate all the Doritos. I also drank all the Pepsi. I was keeping a promise from last week. (No longer whispering..it's giving me a headache) Anyways, I am glad that you like my Ma. She's divine. As you've already noticed. You are so brillant! Anyways, the Canteen is always honored to have our troops coming in to lounge at all hours of the day. We are here to remind you that your life of bravery made possible this collective group of individuals who are silly, ridiculous at times, but absolutely love our troops. Thank you for writing, Michael. Thank the Z-Tar Posse for bringing you here. I'd give them a *SMOOCH*, but I'll save it for you..*SMOOCH*! God Bless you, Michael! May God protect you while you are protecting our country from imbeciles who want to murder all of us.

Dear Mark,

Thank you for writing us. We are really glad you love Jen's quizzes. She has awesome quizzes, huh? I do really well with quizzes. (Whispering) Especially with the help of tmprincesa. She's a whiz. (Ugh! I am not whispering anymore) I'm so glad that you think we are fun. Where else could you go in the world and learn that chicken dances are cool and the more dysfunctional we are..the better. How about that? Thank you for writing us, Mark. God Bless you for your service to America. May God protect you!

Dear Scully & The Pirates,

That was such a beautiful poem. Thank you very much for sending it. Awesome! Awesome! I could write a book to all of you, but I'll spare you the agony. It is so wonderful to know that you guys just love coming back to see what outrageous and goofy things we have in store for you. Please keep coming back and I'm sure we will have topped whatever outrageous behavior from the day before. I'm so proud of all of you wonderful, Sailors!! God Bless each and every one of you!! May God keep you safe!!

To Our Allies:

God Bless each and every one of you! Thank you for serving alongside America. It has been a really difficult year, but it is made better knowing that we have such honorable, noble, and courageous Allies.

Also, to our Aussie Allies:

We mourn with your beautiful country. The atrocities done to your civilian population was horrendous, unexcusable, and cowardly. We stand shoulder to shoulder with you. We will get those idiots!! We will!!

To Our Israeli Allies:

Our hearts are heavy this night. Another day and night has seen the bloody stains of hatred that was instilled upon the Palestinians from birth. The evildoers are in your backyard, grocery stores, neighbors, or any other place that you venture in Israel. God Bless all of you for your courage to live your lives and not be bogged down by fear. There are many in America that could take that lesson right now. God Bless all of you in Israel.