USO Canteen FReeper Style ~ Military Valentines Day Project Thread 5 ~ February 12 2003

68-69TonkinGulfYatchClub and FRiends of the Canteen

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

The original idea about organizing a Canteen project to mail packages
to the military belongs to MoJo2001
What started out with a simple FReep mail to several people quickly became a hit.
My 2 cents was to suggest that we get this project underway
in time to get these packages to the military by Valentines Day.
I think there are many different ways to do this.
Our goal is get get packages and/or cards, letters and e-mails to the military
so thay do not feel alone or forgotten on Valentines Day.
If you have not been to the USO Canteen Post Office recently there are new links and info there.
Info on what to include in Care Packages, snail mail postcards, new e-mail links, phone cards, etc.
Several FReepers have obtained snail mail addresses for active duty military.
Some of you have family and friends serving right now.
As you can tell this project can go in many different directions.
Some of you may want to "team" up with others to send one big package.
Others may want to do this by themselves.
Some may just want to e-mail or snail mail Valentines messages.
What is needed now is to post approved snail mail addresses of military bases and/or individuals.
I propose that each Wed between now and Valentines Day the thread be used to update info and ideas.
So to qoute a great patriot of 9/11 "LETS ROLL" and get this project underway!

THREAD ONE

THREAD TWO

THREAD THREE

THREAD FOUR

[Radix]

1964 Beatles 1st NYC concert (Carnegie Hall)

[Kathy in Alaska]

Bunker building

02/12/03 - OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM (AFPN -- Members of the 320th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron carry a 10-foot support wall for a protective bunker being constructed at a deployed location supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Matthew Hannen

OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM (AFPN) -- Senior Airman Kerry Parsons fills the outside wall of a protective bunker with dirt as Staff Sgt. Ken Duplechin guides him in. Both airmen are equipment operators with the 320th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Matthew Hannen)

[Kathy in Alaska]

Tech. Sgt. Paul Posti Sr.'s .38-claliber Smith and Wesson revolver and leather bomber jacket will soon be on display at the Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Cortchie Welch)

Family donates historic revolver to museum

by Staff Sgt. Cortchie Welch
369th Recruiting Squadron Public Affairs

02/12/03 - LOS ANGELES (AFPN) -- A .38-caliber Smith and Wesson service revolver used by a World War II hero to shoot down a German attack plane will soon be on display at the Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.

The family of retired Air Force Tech. Sgt. Paul Posti Sr., who died in December at age 89, donated the weapon to the museum during a tribute to the hero in Santa Monica on Feb. 4. His leather bomber jacket was also donated to the museum.

As a B-17 Flying Fortress tailgunner, Posti shot down a German Messerschmidt ME-109 with his revolver in 1942.

Officials disputed the achievement until a few days later when Capt. Clark Gable presented proof of the kill. Gable, who left his movie career to become an aerial photographer with the U.S. Army Air Force, took Posti into a darkroom and ran off a strip of movie film. The captain had operated a gun camera aboard another bomber during the mission and filmed the German plane in its death dive.

The kill was the only feat of its kind in World War II and has not been repeated since. The achievement helped the Boston native earn a Silver Star, the nation's third-highest decoration for heroism.

Donating the historical items to the museum was a long-time dream for Posti.

Posti "said on many occasions that he wanted the gun and jacket to be donated to the museum for everyone to see after he passed away, instead of being tucked away in the corner of the closet," said his wife, Irene. "In my heart, I know he's celebrating this occasion."

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

Imagine that......... the son of Patty Duke and "Gomez" John Astin....... a patriot!!!!! Woo hoo!

[Soaring Feather]

#119

I think I like this going machine, it has a kind of halo around the tail!

[Kathy in Alaska]

I must say I did a double take! Hollywood? Is this possible? And a young person at that! Woo hoo is right!

Man, I just went Googling and look at what I found:

--Graduated with honors from UCLA; B.A. in History & B.A. in English (American Literature and Culture)
--Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army (since 1995)
--Born in Santa Monica, California February 25, 1971

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Just stopping by to thank the Canteen crew and our troops! Wasn't Fox & Friend's Brian K. proud to be with the troops in Kuwait this morning?! He called them heroes, hooked up one soldier with her husband by phone, participated in morning warm ups, was joking around with the troops who were alternatively ribbing Brian and calling him, "Sir."

Thank you, Brian, for knowing how special our troops are and for letting them know.

[Kathy in Alaska]

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, Ragtime, for posting about some positive media coverage of our troops. And thank you, Brian, for understanding how important our troops are to us.

[Bethbg79]

An older lady gets pulled over for speeding...

Older Woman: Is there a problem, Officer?

Officer: Ma'am, you were speeding.

Older Woman: Oh, I see.

Officer: Can I see your license please?

Older Woman: I'd give it to you but I don't have one.

Officer: Don't have one?

Older Woman: Lost it, 4 years ago for drunk driving.

Officer: I see... Can I see your vehicle registration papers please.

Older Woman: I can't do that.

Officer: Why not?

Older Woman: I stole this car.

Officer: Stole it?

Older Woman: Yes, and I killed and hacked up the owner.

Officer: You what?

Older Woman: His body parts are in plastic bags in the trunk if you want
to
see.

The Officer looks at the woman and slowly backs away to his car and calls
for back up. Within minutes 5 police cars circle the car. A senior officer
slowly approaches the car, clasping his half drawn gun.

Officer 2: Ma'am, could you step out of your vehicle please!

The woman steps out of her vehicle.

Older woman: Is there a problem sir?

Officer 2: One of my officers told me that you have stolen this car and
murdered the owner.

Older Woman: Murdered the owner?

Officer 2: Yes, could you please open the trunk of your car, please.

The woman opens the trunk, revealing nothing but an empty trunk.

Officer 2: Is this your car, ma'am?

Older Woman: Yes, here are the registration papers.

The officer is quite stunned.

Officer 2: One of my officers claims that you do not have a driving
license.

The woman digs into her handbag and pulls out a clutch purse and hands it
to the officer. The officer examines the license. He looks quite puzzled.

Officer 2: Thank you ma'am, one of my officers told me you didn't have a
License, that you stole this car, and that you murdered and hacked up the
owner.

Older Woman: Bet you the lying ba#tard told you I was speeding, too.

[Dubya]

Eagle's Eye view (USCG)

[Kathy in Alaska]

"Older Woman: Bet you the lying ba#tard told you I was speeding, too."

Oh my goodness! What a set up!! Good one, Beth.

[Dubya]

Weds. night Bible Study and Prayer Meeting

JESUS IS LORD Yep! I'm Southern Baptist Church Member.

The Great Impostor

Ephesians 6
The Armor of God
10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.
12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
19Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel,
20for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. --Ephesians 6:11

The arctic polar bear feeds almost entirely on seals. To enjoy such a meal, he sometimes resorts to a cunning bit of trickery. If the hole in the ice through which the seal gets his food is not too far from the edge of open water, the polar bear will take a deep breath, slip underwater, and swim to the seal's fishing hole. He will then imitate a fish by scratching lightly on the underside of the ice. When the seal hears this sound, he dives in for a quick supper, only to find himself suddenly caught in the huge, hungry embrace of his predator.

The devil entices us in a similar way. He baits us with some seemingly harmless pleasure and disguises the ugliness of sin with something that looks or sounds appealing. Then, when we've succumbed to the temptation, he catches us in his trap.

Christians have no excuse for being taken in by the deception of the enemy. We can put on the armor of God, and with the "shield of faith . . . quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one" (Eph. 6:16).

As we meditate on the truths of God's Word and rely on the Holy Spirit, we can know the difference between what is truly satisfying and what only appears to be. Don't let the great impostor fool you!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Please, please, please, President Bush, pull our troops out of Germany, everybody stop using anything French or Belgian. There must be consequences to their actions. Thanks, Seven, for the updates from around the world.

[Dubya]

U.S. eyes cuts at Germany, S. Korea bases

Sometimes when a town near our Marine Base got too many complaints from the town people, the USMC would pay us in $2.00 bills. That way the people in town could see how much us Marines spent in their town. It worked.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Very cool indeed! And what a good idea. This is fixin to get personal here quick. A friend in the Guard is being sent "somewhere" soon. I'll try to get unit and address info when "somewhere" happens. He's already gone and come back from Kuwait. And I've sent "Business Cards" to introduce the Canteen.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Hmmmmmmmmmm.......This is what the Coast Guard is looking at.

The Bell Eagle Eye Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) System utilizes mature tiltrotor technology to provide a runwayless solution for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance missions. Working equally well in land based or sea based environments, the Eagle Eye increases battlefield flexibility by allowing military units a view of enemy territory without risking the lives of soldiers.

[Dubya]

WOW! Great News.

[Dubya]

From now on the USGC will be playing a much greater roll in defending our Country.
Not only do we need to guard our borders, we need to guard our shores.
The USCG budget will go up a bunch IMO.

[Dubya]

Over the years you've possibly read various collections of tidbits gathered
from tombstones. Personally I've done a limited amount of research in this
area over the years, and concluded that truly humorous material is pretty
rare in that setting. There are some areas that challenge the verity of
that statement, however ... Tombstone, Arizona comes to mind.

In any case I'll share a few that are said to have been collected from
actual sources. Impossible to verify, but interesting in their own right.
BTW: The "final thought" is along this same line and does appear in
Franklin's writings, although only part was used on his tombstone.

---

On the grave of Ezekial Aikle in East Dalhousie Cemetery, Nova Scotia:

Here lies
Ezekial Aikle
Age 102
The Good
Die Young.

In a London, England cemetery:

Ann Mann
Here lies Ann Mann,
Who lived an old maid
But died an old Mann.
Dec. 8, 1767

In a Ribbesford, England, cemetery:

Anna Wallace
The children of Israel wanted bread
And the Lord sent them manna,
Old clerk Wallace wanted a wife,
And the Devil sent him Anna.

Playing with names in a Ruidoso, New Mexico, cemetery:

Here lies
Johnny Yeast
Pardon me
For not rising.

Memory of an accident in a Uniontown, Pennsylvania cemetery:

Here lies the body
of Jonathan Blake
Stepped on the gas
Instead of the brake.

In a Silver City, Nevada, cemetery:

Here lays Butch,
We planted him raw.
He was quick on the trigger,
But slow on the draw.

A widow wrote this epitaph in a Vermont cemetery:

Sacred to the memory of
my husband John Barnes
who died January 3, 1803
His comely young widow, aged 23, has
many qualifications of a good wife, and
yearns to be comforted.

A lawyer's epitaph in England:

Sir John Strange
Here lies an honest lawyer,
And that is Strange.

Someone determined to be anonymous in Stowe, Vermont:

I was somebody.
Who, is no business
Of yours.

Lester Moore was a Wells, Fargo Co. station agent for Naco, Arizona in the
cowboy days of the 1880s. He's buried in the Boot Hill
Cemetery in Tombstone, Arizona:

Here lies Lester Moore
Four slugs from a .44
No Les No More.

In a Georgia cemetery:

"I told you I was sick!"

John Penny's epitaph in the Wimborne, England, cemetery:

Reader if cash thou art
In want of any
Dig 4 feet deep
And thou wilt find a Penny.

On Margaret Daniels grave at Hollywood Cemetery Richmond, Virginia:

She always said her feet were killing her
but nobody believed her.

In a cemetery in Hartscombe, England:

On the 22nd of June
- Jonathan Fiddle -
Went out of tune.

Anna Hopewell's grave in Enosburg Falls, Vermont has an epitaph that sounds
like something from a Three Stooges movie:

Here lies the body of our Anna
Done to death by a banana
It wasn't the fruit that laid her low
But the skin of the thing that made her go.

Owen Moore in Battersea, London, England:

Gone away
Owin' more
Than he could pay.

Someone in Winslow, Maine didn't like Mr. Wood:

In Memory of Beza Wood
Departed this life
Nov. 2, 1837
Aged 45 yrs.
Here lies one Wood
Enclosed in wood
One Wood
Within another.
The outer wood
Is very good:
We cannot praise
The other.

On a grave from the 1880's in Nantucket, Massachusetts:

Under the sod and under the trees
Lies the body of Jonathan Pease.
He is not here, there's only the pod:
Pease shelled out and went to God.

The grave of Ellen Shannon in Girard, Pennsylvania:

Who was fatally burned
March 21, 1870
by the explosion of a lamp
filled with "R.E. Danforth's
Non-Explosive Burning Fluid"

Oops! Harry Edsel Smith of Albany, New York:

Born 1903--Died 1942
Looked up the elevator shaft to see if
the car was on the way down. It was.

But does he make house calls?

Dr. Fred Roberts,
Brookland, Arkansas:
Office upstairs

---

A Final Thought ...

"The body
Of
Benjamin Franklin
Printer

(Like the cover of an old book
Its contents torn out
And stripped of its lettering and gilding)
Lies here, food for worms.
But the work shall not be lost
For it will (as he believed) appear once more
In a new and more elegant edition
Revised and corrected
by
The Author.

Benjamin Franklin (1706-90), U.S. statesman, writer. Epitaph on Himself