A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....07-22-03....A Few MORE of FR's Finest

Billie

[Billie]

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

Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   Over 100,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic, and 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....Every Day was introduced on June 24, 2002. It's only a small room in JimRob's house where we can get to know one another a little better; salute and support our military and our leaders; pray for those in need; and congratulate those deserving. We strive to keep our threads entertaining, fun, and pleasing to look at, and often have guest writers contribute an essay, or a profile of another FReeper.

On Mondays please visit us to see photos of A FEW OF FR'S VETERANS AND ACTIVE MILITARY

If you have a suggestion, or an idea, or if there's a FReeper you would like to see featured, please drop one of us a note in FR mail.

We're having fun and hope you are!
~ Billie, Mama_Bear, dansangel, dutchess, Aquamarine ~

Please join me as we salute Group 12 of a Few of FR's Finest Military. Some are serving now, some are veterans, some are no longer with us, but all are deserving of our thanks and appreciation.

Top: Mo1's dad; BuffyT's Uncle (right, w/ her dad & grandmother); Armymarinemom's 3 sons.
Middle: ru4Liberty's dad; SheLion's husband, MaineRebel; wirestripper.
Bottom: fivetoes; bigghurtt; hurricane; ladtx' dad; Pippin's brother.

Mo1's dad never liked to talk about his time in the war, but she does know he served with the Army in the 69th Infantry Division in WW II.

BuffyT's uncle, Richard H. Thoos, is still MIA from WWII; his B-17 was shot down over France. The photo below is the crew in front of their flying fortress. Uncle Richard is in the second row, second from left. Another B-17 was nearby when his was shot down. They saw the crew parachuting to safety, but Richard was never found, either dead or alive.

Armymarinemom has much to be proud of, with three sons actively serving in the U.S. Army and U.S.M.C. The photo above with two of her sons is about six years old, and several ranks behind. She is hoping they will all be home for Christmas, so she can have a new formal photo of all three.

Ru4Liberty's father was in the U.S. Army in WWII. The photo was taken at Ft. Crockett in Galveston, Texas.

SheLion's husband, FReeper MaineRebel, passed away last year. He was Active Duty Military for a total of 26 years. He was in the U.S. Army from 1964 - 1968, serving in VietNam from June '66 until July '67 (6BN 27th Artillary). He received two Purple Hearts for injuries sustained while serving in Viet Nam. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1970 and retired in 1992.

Wirestripper enlisted in the Army in November, 1969, on a 3-year commitment. After extensive training in Ft. Belvoir Virginia regarding a new mobile assault bridge that the Army developed for armored units, he landed in West Germany in the fall of 1970. He remained there until his enlistment was up in the fall of 1972. Wirestripper was a proficient marksman, and spent about a year and a half on the 3rd Armored Division Marksmanship team, shooting in National Match Competitions throughout Europe.

Fivetoes joined the US Marine Corps a week after graduation from high school in 1970. He left active duty as a sargeant in 1973, In his words.."One thing that I do not remember is being debriefed when I left the active service of the United States Marine Corps. I took an oath upon entering the service to defend the Constitution from all enemies foreign and domestic. I believe that anyone who has taken that oath still has an obligation to live up to it."

Bigghurtt has been in the U.S. Army for the last 5 years, and will soon enter the special forces...he is currently stationed at Ft. Detrick, MD, and has served at Ft. Knox, Ft. Gordon, and in the Republic of Korea.

Hurricane enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1951. He advanced from E-1 to E-7 and then was commissioned in the Warrant Officer Program, where he rose through the ranks to CWO 4 in the Navy Civil Engineer Corps (Seabees). He stayed in the Reserve and retired in 1986. Hurricane's photo is circa 1982.

LadTX' father was in the U.S. Navy, WWII. A military family, Ladtx served in Vietnam, and two of his sons are currently Active Duty.

Pippin's brother served in the U.S.M.C. Pippin is one of our frequent guest writers, and we know how proud she is of her brother.

Today we salute you, one more group of FR's Finest! On Monday, your group will be added to our regular Military Monday tributes. Thank you for serving!

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 07-21-03 Military Monday

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

[Mama_Bear]

I love this pledge graphic! And, I just noticed that it is a photo by our Finest "Flyer". Very nice!

[Billie]

Thanks for that link to the picture of your mom and aunts, Meekie. They're pretty ladies, all!

You're gonna HAVE to get yourself a photo editing program, so they don't take up so much space on your server - and also so that people with an 800 x 600 screen can see them without scrolling side to side. :)

[Billie]

Billie, ya done good. :)

Why, thank you, stranger!

[Billie]

YIKES! How awful! Is everything okay where 'you' are?

[Diver Dave]

Great lookin graphic you created with "The Oath," MB.

Agreeing with Fivetoes... The Oath has no expiration date.

[MeekOneGOP]

Yes, one day I'll get a photo software. I'll be glad when I do, too !

[WVNan]

I'll have a digital camera full when I come home, and I'm sure that Maggie will have some too. The "boys" are going to be kept busy taking pictures. We have already decided that we will never get our talking done in one evening and half a day. We have already kept the e-mail lines hot with jabber over the past two years. We know each other very well, but we just want to feel a hug from our Sistah.

[WVNan]

Dere Sistah, I was counting today, which I have to also get through. Tues, Wed, Thurs, FRIDAY. FRIDAY FRIDAY FRIDAY FRIDAY.

[dutchess]

wirestripper. Thank you for your service to our country. So glad to have you added to our military tribute.

[dutchess]

Hi Pippin. Hope your computer problems get fixed soon. We miss your smiling face (AND your rants) around here! (so nice to see your brother pictured today)

[Billie]

In otherwords, they aren't getting thier way here, so they're running away!

What gives?

I hope they'll be happy there. :)

[dutchess]

Over here we got a heatwave (still). My brains are frying out.

Hi knighthawk. We're finally getting a little relief from the heat here...BUT lots of rain and flooding. Stay cool!

[dutchess]

Hi Dave...a big SALUTE to you and all our veterans!

[WVNan]

Hi dutchess. We also have to start thinking about getting that picnic together. The fall is a good time because it's not so hot (and I'm not so busy). I'll finally settle down after the county fair in August.

[dutchess]

How exciting that you two will finally get together. Can't wait to read the "after action report" :o)

[LadyX]

Still have family things going on today and tomorrow, so will sign off for a while.

Yesterday my grandson did major hard work on the hedges for me, hauling all the clippings across the road for pickup, and mowed, and we adore his girlfriend.
Kyle will be a Senior in High School this year and recruiters are already after him for beyond that.
He had a year of JRROTC (AF) at Dutch Fork High and one here - now has moved back to Columbia and Dutch Fork, and they sent him this summer for a week of Leadership School at Ft. Jackson.

The year here, he was on both armed and unarmed Drill Teams, and Barnwell does 'series' competition around the state, and he took that and ran with it.

Excelled in Leadership School and in the Evaluations, and they have made him a Flight Commander AND Commander of the Drill Team for the upcoming year !!
It has been so remarkable to see the difference in him in the last year.
(Helped to have taken him to Parris Island with me to see the ultimate..:))

He has to strive to fill his grandfather's AND grandmother's shoes boots!!
LOL

[Billie]

Thanks for reposting the link, Maggie. It is as you said - a powerful and beautiful presentation. Did not see it Saturday.

[knighthawk]

Flooding is worse. Stay safe!

[LadyX]

And 71 hours from right now is HOW MANY DAYS, SISTAH??!!

LOL

[WVNan]

You are getting a lot more rain than we are dutchess. It seems to rain out before it gets to the river. We have had a very pleasant summer so far. No temps over 92. Mostly 70s and 80s. Our camp meeting week was just perfect, with no rain and pleasant breezes. Maybe we can take some of this good weather to S.C. with us. I'm sooooooo excited, just like I was when I met you guys in Columbus, except Maggie and I have a long history.