A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....03-27-03..."Operation Iraqi Freedom: Week 1"

JohnHuang2 and Dutchess and Billie | JohnHuang2

[dutchess]

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

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

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

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

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 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.

      

GROUP 9A: TOP: Q6-God, Scan59, Mama Bear and JKPhoto's son, ofMagog. MIDDLE:  Big'ol_freeper, JustAmy's great uncle, Prodigal Son. BOTTOM:  JustAmy's husband, JustAmy's brother-in-law, JustAmy's brother.

GROUP 10A: TOP: dakine's wife, MeeknMing's dad, Auntbee's nephew, MilitiaMan7, AlasBabylon. BOTTOM:  Joe Brower, Temple Owl, Temple Owl's wife, dutchess' dad, Aomagrat.

GROUP 11A: 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.

                     

Operation Iraqi Freedom: Week 1

by JohnHuang2

"U.S. invasion forces faced tough resistance as they opened an assault on Republican Guards defending the approaches to Baghdad, while the humanitarian situation worsened in southern Iraq," reported Reuters this week.

Coalition forces are in full retreat, says the media, bedeviled by setback after setback, body-blow after body-blow, including "the killing and capture of U.S. soldiers and the loss of [a] helicopter."

"Days after it appeared that the battle had been won in Iraq's south, the shooting -- and the dying -- goes on," writes Associated Press reporter, Doug Mellgren, gleefully.

"At Basra," he adds, "allied forces...came under heavy artillery fire Monday. A British soldier was reported killed in action nearby."

But it gets worse.

"At the southern oil fields, once considered secure, shadowy Iraqi forces apparently ambushed a British unit...civilian workers brought in to fight fires at the wells were forced to withdraw for their own safety."

Outside of Basra, "Iraqi mortar rounds rained down through the day, with tanks and armored fighting vehicles of the Black Watch and the Royal Scots Guards returning fire," says Mellgren.

Coalition setbacks. Losses. Failures. Body-blows. Heavy enemy artillery fire. Coalition forces in full retreat.

And more dying.

Media message to public: America is getting shellacked, our enemies are racking up slam dunks on the battlefield; the Iraqis are sweeping to victory as our boys drown in a bloodbath. Bush not only "failed so miserably at diplomacy," (See Daschle), he's failing on the battlefield, too! Sky is falling! Sky is falling!

"The United States suffered its worst casualties on Sunday," reports the Miami Herald, "with up to nine Marines killed, scores wounded, and the first U.S. troops captured by the Iraqis in the fiercest fighting of the war so far."

"Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld...defended U.S. war plans in Iraq on Tuesday amid criticism from many experts who question the size and punch of the invasion force being used," Will Dunham of Reuters wrote, giddy as can be.

Well, you get the picture.

The media, as I wrote in my previous essay, thinks this war should already be wrapped up. A week is more than enough time to win. What's taking so long? It's been a whole week! War? Mortar rounds? Tomahawk missiles? Heck, Iraq should have already been rebuilt, the landscape thriving with commerce and industry, suburbs teeming with shopping malls, shiny Minivans, Porsches and Chevy Suburbans dotting the highways, Iraqi soccer-moms driving kiddies to the games on Saturdays.

All won with ZERO BATTLEFIELD CASUALTIES.

The press, having failed to thwart military action, now hopes to swing public opinion against the war by portraying the effort as a miserable failure.

The quotes at the top are just the tip of media ice-berg. Flick on CNN, and you'd swear it's Al-Jazeera TV. Judy Woodruff -- Michael Moore with a dress, Saddam's professional spinner. I keep looking for the Baghdad TV logo when Aaron Brown is on. The stuff out of Reuters, AP and UPI sound more like press releases straight from Iraq's Ministry of (Dis)Information than reputable wire copy, only less credible.

After news of a popular uprising in Basra, the faces at MSNBC looked like Iraqi barracks after several B-52 bombing runs. The Fedayeen Saddamites at the nightly newscasts barely held back their tears.

Sure there've been 'setbacks,' mistakes, tragedies. No-one's denying that.

In fact, just to prove I'm 'fair and balanced,' l'll go over some of them.

Saddam's glorious victories? I hardly know where to begin. How about his 'success' in losing control of Umm Qasr, a key port city in southern Iraq? Or his brilliant master-stroke -- losing 17 divisions out of 23 only days into Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Saddam, in his relentless march to victory, by Tuesday had lost control of 70% of Iraqi territory, with 'vanquished' coalition forces, 'crippled and demoralized' (See Reuters), poised at the gates of Baghdad, a popular uprising against the popular Saddam underway in Basra, Iraq's second largest city. On Tuesday, the British 7th Armored Brigade, also crippled and demoralized (See Reuters again), suffered a huge setback by crushing an entire Iraqi armored column, marching out of Basra, to pulp. Another 'setback' for British forces: A dawn raid which netted a senior Ba'athist official. The Brits thereafter destroyed party headquarters, which sparked the Shi'ite uprising against Saddam.

Reaction from Saddam's tender-hearted thugs, whose fealty to human rights is legendary, was to launch mortar fire indiscriminately on protesters. But the horse had already left the barn, as the uprising spreads.

Saddam's triumphant forces also scored big at Najah, just south of Baghdad, its indomitable Medina Republican Guard losing over 500 men in the first head-to-head ground engagement against 'demoralized' (again, see Reuters) coalition forces, who suffered a whopping zero total casualties during the engagement. No doubt Saddam's masterly war planning will go down in history for its skilled ineptitude, unblemished by reason, tactical or strategic.

Yep, I'm impressed.

Saddam's 'grip' on the country was further 'strengthened' tonight, after a cruise missile struck Iraq TV, knocking Saddam off the air.

You know, come to think of it, has anyone seen Saddam?

Saddam? Are you there? Hello? Saddam?

Oh, gee, maybe those bungling, blundering, inept coalition forces took down Saddam the first night.

Anyway, that's...

My two cents..

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 03-24-03 Hall of Fame #3 03-25-03 deadhead 03-26-03 Who is Jimmy Valentine?

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

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[MeekOneGOP]

Well, folks, guess I better turn this machine off and lay me head down for a while. G'night !

[LadyX]

Dubya, this brings to mind the fact for every such story of bravery one hears, there are a hundred more untold and unrecognized.

I was at the VA Medical Center this morning in Augusta, Georgia, the man with whom I was talking having served in Korea and in Nam.
He worked with an engineerig unit in Nam as a First Sergeant, taking a group to near the line with North Vietnam to set up a forward bunker/stronghold.

The enemy apparently got word ahead of time and ambushed them, wounding several and killing four. He himself was severely wounded and is disabled, but working in a position to assist other veterans.

Said like so many things there that were 'surpressed - NEVER HAPPENED,' he not only did not receive a medal for valor for bringing the men back, but was "ordered" to notify the families of the deceased without describing the action that killed their sons.

There is NO RECORD of the event itself, and this was very common.

It is so bad that although they give disability to anyone who ever set foot in Nam with symptoms of Agent Orange or who develop certain medical problems, like Type II Diabetes, (including Navy personnel who simply briefly came ashore in Nam!) - they deny it to men in Laos and Cambodia and Thailand who WERE actually sprayed with it in the jungles and around the bases, or exposed to it after spraying. and "Oh, no - it couldn't POSSIBLY be carried by the winds over man's arbitrary country line!"

They also refuse to give it to the men not in Nam who loaded the drums of defoliants to ship, saying they were 'not exposed!'

There were a lot of these kinds of things that kept me off the board today after my return.

There will not be just treatment for hundreds of thousands of our veterans in their lifetime....

He said it was Clinton's recommendation they close ALL veteran hospitals, not approved; but he saw to it they were reduced in the patient load they handled.

It is a national disgrace.

[jwfiv]

Thanks for the reminder of Ernie Pyle.

If I'd been that General, I would jumped over the podium and slapped that geeky fool for 'meaning no disrespect'.

Our press truly does aid and abet the enemy.

A little too much of that, and the one becomes the other.

[Dubya]

It is a national disgrace.

Yes it is.

[LadyX]

I'm truly sorry for what you and Eve are going through with your dog, Dubya.

Our animals are treasures as companions, bringing us such devotion and happiness, and I've had many go forth to roam the halls of heaven, going now and then to stand by that Rainbow Bridge of which we too often have to speak.

Nice to think they might greet us there one day and we all will frolick with joy....no more sadness...no more pain...and be in the Presence of Our Lord.

As an East Coaster, think I'll prepare to go to bed, and bid you - and all - good night.

[dutchess]

Goodmorning....come on over and visit us HERE

[Dubya]

Thank you