A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....04-01-03....Courage

Ladtx; Billie | "Courage" written by ladtx

[Billie]

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: 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.

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

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 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.

                     

"Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires some of the same courage that a soldier needs. Peace has its victories, but it takes brave men and women to win them."

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Courage by ladtx

Winston Churchill said that: "Courage is rightly deemed the first of human qualities...because it is the quality that guarantees all others."

Click to read some courageous profiles

Where does courage come from? What makes a regiment cross an open field in the face of withering rifle fire only to be cut to pieces? What pushes another regiment to follow in their brother’s footsteps and be likewise cut down, as portrayed in the recent movie GODS
AND GENERALS?

"True Courage is not the ABSENCE of fear, but the MASTERY of fear." ~ Mark Twain

Courage is a quality that is elusive and difficult to understand. Even the person who has displayed courage in the face of danger has difficulty explaining why they were courageous. The hero generally assumes an embarrassed look and kicks imaginary rocks at his feet and mumbles something about doing his job. But there is more to it than that. Most acts of courage on the battlefield are products of training and repetition, combined with leaders who have built trust and teamwork.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength while loving someone deeply gives you courage."
~ Lao Tso

That was to be my beginning of my essay on courage. After researching courage, as evidenced by my Churchill quote, it only took a short flash on the television screen to set my concept of courage reeling. A young military wife and mother with a beautiful child in her arms was being interviewed on TV and there went all my high-flown theories from Clausewitz and the U.S. Army Field Manual 100-5.


The embodiment of courage was being interviewed by a pushy television journalist for the evening news and never wavered in the backing of her deployed husband and her country.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She now has had to pay the bills, mow the lawn, shovel the snow, go to PTA and attend all Cub Scout Pack meetings alone. She must endure thunderstorms, snowstorms, and icestorms and still get the kids to school on time.

She has to get the car repaired, change the oil and repair the lawn mower, alone. There will be weddings, funerals and birthday parties to attend. Yet she will do it all. There may be some tears of loneliness but she will endure. She will tell her parents and in-laws that she is fine and, no, she won’t come home, she’s at home.

She is the military wife of a United States fighting man at war. She is courage embodied. I’m proud to say she was my wife, she is my daughter-in-law. She is all of the military wives past and present throughout this country. They never get the recognition they deserve. We are proud of them and are heartened by them all. God bless them. We are a stronger country because of them.

SCOUTS OUT!

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Ladtx flew UH-1's in Vietnam, OH-58's in Germany, and the CH-47 Chinook in Korea and Texas. He served 20 years in the United States Army. He retired as a Chief Warrant Officer (CW4). Click on the calvery horses above to read more about him, and his family. Two of his three sons have recently been deployed: one in the USAF and the other USAR. ~ Billie

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"I am old enough to know that victory is often a thing deferred, and rarely at the summit of courage. What is at the summit of courage, I think, is freedom. The freedom that comes with the knowledge that no earthly thing can break you."
Paula Giddings

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O God, Your judgment probes to the core of our being, and courage comes by your direction. You are God whose anger is kindled by injustice, whose heart is touched by the suffering of a child. We seek the power of your protection for all the men and women fighting for justice in far away places. Give them courage to do battle on behalf of the oppressed. Armed with the breastplate of righteousness, let them never lose heart.

Lord, we pray for those who have the courage to stand and wait. Give them courage to stand firm in the face of tribulation. When they are tossed to and fro by the trials that beset them, give them clear heads and open hearts so that they can hear what you are saying. Lift them up to the heights where they can see a vison of your eternal order and give them a glimpse of your peace. Amen

Thank you, Nan, for the beautiful prayer.

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 03-31-03 A Salute to Our Military

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 a FReepmail and I will gladly do it for you. ~Mixer

[Billie]

[Billie]

'Morning! Please join us today for another excellent essay by ladtx. Sure to warm your heart as he talks about 'courage'. Billie

[Aeronaut]

Good morning Billie.

[JohnHuang2]

Hey, you! The images don't work with users of Windows Internet Explorer this morning! What happened?

Ha! April fool! Got'cha, didn't I? hehe

[JohnHuang2]

G'morning, btw :)

[Temple Owl]

Good morning Billie and All.

[JohnHuang2]

[Lee'sGhost]

Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength while loving someone deeply gives you courage."
~ Lao Tso

Wow! Truer words were never spoken.

Good morning, friend. Each morning I wake and hit the "on" button to FOX News to find out what's REALLY going on. I am so proud of our troops, our country, and our president. God bless America.

[Billie]

Good morning, Aeronaut. Nice to be here 'early' (for me, that is) to start the day. ;)

[g'nad]

'mornin' Billie... great theme...

"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength while loving someone deeply gives you courage."
~ Lao Tso

I've loved that quote for a long time...

[The Mayor]

[Billie]

Hey, you! The images don't work with users of Windows Internet Explorer this morning! What happened?

You did have me going! You rascal! I guess we can expect a lot of that today!

I think you're a rotten writer.

April Fool! LOL

[Billie]

Good morning, Temple. Today's thread should be very meaningful to so many of our FReepers who 'have been there'.

[JohnHuang2]

hehehe! ;)

[The Mayor]

"These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier
and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the
service of his country; but he that stands it now, deserves the
love and thanks of man and woman." --Thomas Paine


"The hour is fast approaching, on which the Honor and Success of this army, and the safety of our bleeding Country depend. Remember officers and Soldiers, that you are Freemen, fighting for the blessings of Liberty -- that slavery will be your portion, and that of your posterity, if you do not acquit yourselves like men." --George Washington

"...[I]t is a common observation here that our cause is the cause of all mankind, and that we are fighting for their liberty in defending our own." --Benjamin Franklin

[Billie]

You guys are the best! Thank you for fixing the link to yesterday's thread above! (Now I need to go there and link TODAY'S)

[JohnHuang2]

G'morning, friend

[Billie]

Good morning, LG. It's so nice to see the Ghost again today. Have missed you - hope that things are going well for you.

[Billie]

"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength while loving someone deeply gives you courage." ~ Lao Tso

I've loved that quote for a long time...

Somehow that doesn't surprise me anymore. Good morning, 'nad, thanks for being here today.

[Billie]

Good morning, Rus - I love my coffee out of that purple china. :)