A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day - Weekend...11-09,10-02

Billie and Mama_Bear

[Mama_Bear]

A Few of FR's Finest.....
......Every Day

FR is a Treasure Trove of talented, compassionate, patriotic, wonderful people who gather every day to discuss the latest news and issues; salute and support our military and our leaders;  tell a few jokes;  learn a new word;  write poetry;  pray for those in need;  and congratulate those who are deserving. Thank you, Jim Robinson, for giving us the vehicle in which we can express ourselves.

Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   I can remember lurking when there were only a few regulars who posted, and now there are over 60,000 who have registered for posting privileges. The forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world.

A Few of FR's Finest November 11, 2001

So many people have written me since my original Veteran's Day Tribute, asking how they, or a loved one, could be included in that tribute. Since I can no longer add the photos to the body of the thread, I've been including them in additional posts as I received enough to make another collage.

Still that doesn't seem to be enough. I think there's never been a better nor more appropriate time to keep the faces of our own Veterans and Active Military in front of FReepers--every day! That's why I wanted to do yet another Daily Thread .....ABOUT FReepers .....and FOR FReepers. But not only about our Military FReepers; for all FReepers! Wouldn't it be nice to get to know a few of the other FReepers as well? That's why, in addition to seeing FR's Finest Military Personnel every day, I thought it might be fun to feature a different FReeper (or FReepers) each day. If you would like to be pictured, or know someone who would, please FReepmail me and we'll turn the spotlight - on YOU - for the day!

And do let me know if you'd like your picture added to the groups of Veterans/Active Military below. I will keep this page updated, and continue to add them to the comment section of the original Veteran's Day thread as well.

TOP:  g'nad, AgThorn's son Justin, SLB, AgThorn's son Brett.
MIDDLE:  fish70, razorback-bert, CheneyChick,Leroy S Mort, Mark17.
BOTTOM:  Terry's Take, Taxman, DinkyDau.

TOP:  ValerieUSA's son Grant, SK1Thurman, kd5cts, RangerVetNam,
dansangel and .45man's son-in-law Tony
BOTTOM:  rangerX, Old China Hand, Trish, Howlin's dad, Mustang

TOP: ladtx #2 son; DiverDave's twin Don; petuniasevan and husband
poorman; Mustard; ladtx #1 son;
BOTTOM: AlamoGirl's brother Floyd; AG's dad; AG's brother Jim (inset);
WVNan's husband; ladtx Aunt Eva.

We now have eleven groups of veterans/active military; we will post each group of three or four twice a week, with thumbnail/links of the remaining seven or eight groups on each thread. Click on any of the thumbnails below to see the group full-size.

         

GROUP 1A: TOP: Logos, SwedeGirl's hubby, Neil E Wright, FallGuy, 1John, Sneakypete MIDDLE:  T'wit, COB1, LadyX, Dick Bachert, 68-69TonkinGulfYatchClub BOTTOM:  YankeeinSC, Delta21, JoeSixPack1

GROUP 2A: TOP:  Bosniajmc, AFVetGal, Archy, A Navy Vet MIDDLE:  4TheFlag, Aeronaut, 68Grunt, Xinga BOTTOM:  Codger, AAABest, Clinton's A Liar, Duke809, dcwusmc

GROUP 3A: TOP:  mc5cents, Norb2569, LBGA's son, VanJenerette MIDDLE:  Jim Robinson, KJenerette, davidosborne, KG9Kid BOTTOM:  gwmoore, Equality7-2521, SAMWolf

GROUP 4A: TOP:  porgygirl, Phil V., MudPuppy, NorCoGOP MIDDLE:  RaceBannon, OneidaM, rdb3, jwTexian BOTTOM:  USMC Vet, TheMayor, Vineyard, rhododogma

         

GROUP 5A: TOP:  spectr17, RightOnline, SERE_Doc, Tet68. MIDDLE:  FutureSnakeEater, RightOnline's wife, CIApilot, Clamper1797. BOTTOM:  usmcobra, onedoug, DiverDave, Joe6-pack.

GROUP 6A: TOP:  g'nad, AgThorn's son Justin, SLB, AgThorn's son Brett. MIDDLE:  fish70, razorback-bert, CheneyChick, Leroy S Mort, Mark17. BOTTOM:  Terry's Take, Taxman, DinkyDau.

GROUP 7A: TOP:  ValerieUSA's son Grant, SK1Thurman, kd5cts, RangerVetNam, dansangel and .45man's son-in-law Tony.BOTTOM:  rangerX, Old China Hand, Trish, Howlin's dad, Mustang.

GROUP 8A: TOP: ohioWfan's son, MamaBear's father-in-law, MamaBear's dad, ladtx. MIDDLE:  The Mayor's niece, M.Kehoe, Beach_Babe's son-in-law. BOTTOM:  deadhead's dad, HiJinx, Severa's hubby, viligantcitizen's granddad.

                     

To Our FReeper FRiends: We hope you've been having as much fun as we have with our spotlight on various FReepers. We thought we'd kick back on the weekends and simply review those who've been featured during the week. If you missed seeing them and want to say hello to them now, feel free to click on the link to that particular thread. If you'd like to drop in and out of this thread today and tomorrow, please feel free to do that also. One of us will always be around to see the welcome mat is still out, and maybe even put fresh flowers on the table. :)

"Getting to Know You"

THIS WEEK'S THREADS


11-04-02 "Surprise" .......................................HELLO-O-O-O?
11-05-02 "Finest Profiles" ......................PROFILE PAGES #6
HairOfTheDog, rdb3, Fiddlestix, BellStar, glock rocks, Terry's Take
11-06-02 "How Sweet It Is" ...............................JULIERNR21
11-07-02 "John's Two Cents" .........................JOHNHUANG2
"What a Night!"
11-08-02 "Bahama Mama" ................................MINUTEGAL










Strangers are just friends waiting to happen

Sunday, November 10, 2002 marks
the 227th anniversary of the founding of the
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS

The few. The proud.

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' The guy's good, folks!

Thanks, Mixer!

     1) Click on the graphic to open the Calendar.
     2) Once there you can click on any month and even click to the right to go into next year. Once you are in the month that you joined FR you will need to click on the number in the calendar and then an add item screen will come up.
     3) In the next box enter your name in the "Calendar Text" field and then click on submit.
     4) If any of the screens fail to load simply click on refresh in your browser and that will usually fix it.
     5) If all else fails or simply if you want me to do this for you send me an FReepmail and I will gladly do it for you. ~ Mixer

[ladtx]

In memory of my fellow Vietnam helicopter pilots who were killed in that war the following were lost on NOV 9 and 10. God bless them all.

NOV 9

1965 CPT Donald R. Clark -- 197 AHC, Age 30, Cleveland, Ohio
1967 CPT Ralph W. Brower -- 37 ARRS, Age 27, Stow, Ohio

In memory CPT Brower: KIA, Laos.

From Ray Dunn a comrade-in-arms:
Ralph was the copilot with Capt Gerry Young who received the Medal of Honor for the mission on which Ralph was killed.

On November 8, 1967, two Air Force "Jolly Greens" (#26 and #29) from the 37th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron were scrambled from DaNang Air Base at 1505 hours for an emergency extraction of five surviving members of a Special Forces reconnaissance team which had suffered heavy casualties while operating deep in a denied area in Laos. The recovery effort was to be recorded by the Squadron as one of the largest and most hazardous on record.

The two Air Force helicopters were advised by forward air control to hold while three Army UH1B gunships softened the area with rockets and machine gun fire. An Air Force C130 gunship, meanwhile, provided flare support for the mission. At 1630Z, Jolly Green 29 picked up the three indigenous personnel before being driven off by hostile fire. Damaged, Jolly Green 29 left and made an emergency landing at Khe Sanh.

20 minutes later, Jolly Green 26, flown by CPT Gerald Young, with flight crew consisting of CPT Ralph Brower, co-pilot; SSGT Eugene Clay, flight engineer; and SGT Larry Maysey, rescue specialist; braved the ground fire to pick up Special Forces SP4 Joseph G. Kusick and MSGT Bruce R. Baxter, both wounded. The helicopter was hit by automatic weapons fire, crashed and burst into flames. By the afternoon of November 9, a recovery team was inserted into the area and reached the crash site of the burned HH3. Because of fading light, it was impossible to inspect the wreckage at that time.

On 10 November, the wreckage was searched and 3 charred remains were found. Two of the remains had identification tags which identified them as members of the crew. The third remains had no tags, but were identified as SP4 Kusick, radio operator of the reconnaissance team, as the long antenna from his PRC-25 radio were found on his body. CPT Young had survived and was rescued 17 hours after the crash of the aircraft. About 34 meters downhill from the wreckage, another set of remains was found which were readily identified as MSgt. Baxter from the facial features. No trace was found of the third crew member.

The remains of the two crewmen and Kusick were removed from the aircraft and placed with MSgt Baxter's remains so they could be hoisted as one lift into a hovering helicopter. The identification tags of the crewmembers were placed with the remains. Weather conditions and enemy action would not permit helicopters to make the extraction either that day or the day following. The remains of the crew and passengers aboard Jolly Green 26 were never recovered. Although the location of the crash is known, the bodies of the crew and recon team who died still lie on foreign soil. The five are among nearly 600 Americans lost in Laos.

NOV 10

1966 CPT Sylvan K. Bradley -- D/1/4 CAV 1 INF, Age 28, Irondale, Missouri
1966 1LT Lloyd S. Smith -- D/1/4 CAV 1 INF, Age 23, Portage, Wisconsin
1967 WO1 Raymond H. Chase Jr. -- 119 AHC, Age 19, Meadville, Pennsylvania
1971 CW2 James P. Delaney -- 334 AHC, Age 21, Lorain, Ohio
1971 WO1 Francis J. Klassen -- 334 AHC, Age 24, North Little Rock, Arkansas

In memory of WO1 Klassen -- From a friend
YOUR FRIENDS HAVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT YOU . WE MISS YOU AND ALWAYS HAVE. THANK YOU FOR PROTECTING OUR COUNTRY. I KNOW YOUR LITTLE GIRL IS ALL GROWN UP AND VERY PROUD OF YOU. OUR LOVE ALWAYS, MARY & SARA.

Mary (Finfrock) Pierce -- Friend

IN THE SHADOW OF THE BLADE

SCOUTS OUT!

[ST.LOUIE1]

Good morning, Finest FRiends!

Happy birthday MARINES! God bless all service men/women of our great country!

[LadyX]

What a great Wake Up Breakfast presentation..:))

Will you personally serve it in bed for us, JL??
LOL

[LadyX]

Thank you {{{HUGS}}}, Mama_Bear!!

[Mama_Bear]

Good morning, Temple Owl. Thanks for stopping by and for the heads up about the Veterans Day parade.

I am looking forward to Billie's post Monday honoring our veterans. Of course, we honor our veterans on this thread everyday, but Monday will be a special day here. And, this weekend we also get to celebrate the birthday of the U.S. Marine Corps too.

[lodwick]

It seems to me that all our country is particularly happy after the election - a new day's dawning in America and we like it a lot! ;-)

[Mixer]

Good morning all. Hope you all have a great Saturday. My wife and I are going to enjoy the fall day and take some awesome pictures (hopefully) of all the colorful leaves.

Happy "FR Anniversary" to meadsjn and PaulJ

[Mama_Bear]

You missed out on all the huggin' yesterday.

I know! And you know how I hate to miss out on any Louie hugging going on. LOL!

Soooo....this hug's for you! : )

Wow! That hug always knocks me off my fuzzy feet. Thank you! :-)

And here is a beary special hug for you...

[RaceBannon]

Semper Fi to all US Marines!!

USMC 1977-1981

[lodwick]

Good morning friends - another beautiful day here, tempered by the sadness of remembering our losses this weekend in history.

As this generation's war begins, may we all give thanks for a Godly president who will continuously seek heavenly, not earthly, guidance as we proceed against our enemies. God bless and guide you President Bush. Amen.

[LadyX]

Not only a gorgeous photograph, but a lovely version of From This Moment On!

Thank you so much. Aqua, for them.
It perfectly suits our 'coming down from the high' of the past several days.

HEY, NAN!!
(feel like I'm calling the Culligan Man..:))

Put down that rake and let the leaves lie and delight the eye for an hour more - we desire your presence here!

[LadyX]

Observing several minutes of remembrance and prayer for our heroes, ladtx.
Thank you for reminding us what we owe so many.

[Mama_Bear]

Thank you, ladtx, for keeping the names of those who paid the ulitimate sacrifice before us.

[Mama_Bear]

A beautiful photo and a lovely midi for this November day. :-)

Have a great weekend!

[lodwick]

MAVERICK director Larry Clark beat up the distributor for his movie "Ken Park" after the jerk declared that America deserved to get attacked on 9/11.

Clark, who helmed "Kids" and "Bully," delivered a brutal beat-down to Hamish McAlpine after the screwy Scotsman started spewing anti-American and anti-Israeli sentiments during dinner at London's posh Charlotte Street Hotel Thursday night.

An enraged Clark, 59, punched McAlpine several times in the face - breaking his nose - choked him, then overturned the dinner table on the bloodied big mouth.

Clark was arrested by London police - and now McAlpine is pulling "Ken Park" from the London Film Festival, where it was supposed to unspool tonight.

"He says he's not going to distribute the film now and he's pulling it from the film festival," Clark told us from London yesterday. "He can be mad at me for punching him in the nose, but don't take it out on 'Ken Park.' "

Clark said he lost it when McAlpine ranted that 9/11 "was the best thing that ever happened to America" and declared that innocent Israelis blown up by Palestnian suicide bombers "deserved to die."

"I was wrong," Clark said. "I shouldn't have punched him. I shouldn't have lost it. But at the same time, I wouldn't have been able to look myself in the mirror the next morning if I hadn't done anything. I'm not gonna let this [bleeping] idiot talk about supporting terrorism and the killing of innocent people. I am an American!

You done good Larry! Thank you!

18 posted on 11/09/2002 10:02 AM CST by BigWaveBetty

[Mama_Bear]

Good morning, Mixer. Sounds like you will be enjoying this weekend. It will be a working weekend for us. We have a big job to shoot this evening. In fact, I need to get going and finish up the backgrounds for the photographs.

[LadyX]

Thank you, Louie.
In light of the happenings of the election and the approval in the United Nations for censure of Iraq for ignoring the resolutions of 11 years, this is surely a moment to stop to pray for all those who are currently in the military, or whose work supports them.

At any moment, they might be in harm's way; as even we are now with enemies who despise us and seek the destruction of America.

God has dealt us a just and winning hand.
It is up to us to play it wisely - with His guidance.

[Mama_Bear]

Thank you for your service, Race, and thanks for coming by and pinging your friends to our thread.

Have a nice weekend.

[Mama_Bear]

It seems to me that all our country is particularly happy after the election - a new day's dawning in America and we like it a lot! ;-)

Yes, indeed!! I am thrilled. A wonderful new day is dawning all across the fruited plain. :-)

[PaulJ]

Thanks for the anniversary wishes. Here in Southern New England it's a beautiful 60+ degree fall day. I like your picture idea, the leave raking can wait.