[DollyCali]

[stephenjohnbanker]

B U M P !

[stephenjohnbanker]

B U M P !

[DollyCali]

Welcome to a 2 day Tribute to WW2 !!!

Tomorrow will feature more FReeper Vets and a survey of the era: the music, fashion, movies, life.

Please visit & share your stories and pictures of family or friends who served in WW2. And do share this thread with all WW2 vets you know!

[The Mayor]

February 6, 2007

Spiritual Passion

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READ: Revelation 2:1-7

I have this against you, that you have left your first love. —Revelation 2:4

Why does spiritual passion fade so easily? When we first experience God’s love, we spend hours thinking about Him, studying His Word, and telling others how much He means to us. Then it happens. Our busy schedules slowly dampen our passion. Our longing for Jesus and our study of His character become an occasional glance. Surely the object of our affection hasn’t changed!

The church at Ephesus wrestled with maintaining its spiritual passion. Jesus, through John, wanted to help them restore and maintain their love and zeal for Him. Although He commended this church for their work, Jesus saw that they had abandoned their first love—Him (Rev. 2:4).

The Ephesians had lost their spiritual passion for Jesus. It had become a cold and mechanical orthodoxy. I wonder if they had allowed the stealthy culprit of religion and busyness to enter their hearts. Whatever it was, something had stolen the affection they had once reserved for the Lord.

Have you allowed something to steal your passion? If so, it can be restored and maintained when you consistently remember His amazing love demonstrated at Calvary. Repent of your sinful, unloving attitudes, and out of love for Jesus repeat your "first works" (v.5).

What once was filled with wonder
Lies cold within my heart;
Return, O Lord, that wonder,
And may it not depart. —Sper

Devotion to Jesus is the key to spiritual passion.

Bible in One Year:   Exodus 39-40; Matthew 23:23-39

[pissant]

Great post Dolly!!!

[jaycee]

Dolly, what a lovely thread this is and will be. I personally don't know any World War 2 vets but I love and honor them wherever they are. God Bless All of Them. They helped give me the privilege of doing what I am doing at this moment and we will never FORGET!!!!! Thanks, Dolly~~~~

[Aquamarine]

This is an awesome WWII post Dolly. Thank you for your service Wheelbarrow.

My father served in the Naval Air Force, and father in law served in the Navy during WWII. My husbands uncle was also in the Navy and was killed aboard the USS Gilligan, burned alive at his gun after a Kamikaze pilot crashed into the ship.

My FIL is still living but is blind and has Alzheimer's, he's 79 and he told a story about his age when he entered the service at age 16. Said he was at sea in the Pacific for 18 months straight one time, they went into ports for supplies but never left the ship. He also spent some time on the Atlantic ocean and said the Atlantic ocean is much rougher than the Pacific.

[Warrior_Queen]

Thanks for the post Dolly, You're awesome and so is this thread!! Thanks also to our Fearless FReepers who gave me a good life in a Free country. I'm sad to say that my father and uncles served in WWII but I never thanked them. They didn't talk about their service much and I was too young and stupid to ask. They're all gone now, and I found out too late about their suffering and sacrifices.

My father was the youngest son and he enlisted at age 17. Since his brothers, my uncles, all saw combat the Army gave him an assignment as a clerk with the 523 Army Air Corps.


On my mother's side, her oldest brother Pat was a tank driver in Patton's 3rd Army. Her other brother, Uncle Joe, joined up with his best friend Frank on the buddy system and saw heavy fighting together. They were in the Battle of the Bulge, Frank got hit and died in Uncle Joe's arms. Uncle Joe never got over it and always kept a photo of Frank with him. Frank is laid to rest in Luxembourg:
**
Frank J. Chmura

ID: 33432841
Entered the Service From: Pennsylvania
Rank: Private First Class

Service: U.S. Army, 328th Infantry Regiment, 26th Infantry Division

Died: Sunday, December 31, 1944
Buried at: Luxembourg American Cemetery
Location: Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
Plot: B Row: 7 Grave: 54

Awards: Purple Heart
**
Sometime in the 1970s Uncle Joe went back to Europe and had his photo taken at the cemetery holding onto Frank's headstone. My cousin told me this story after Uncle Joe died, and also that she kept her promise to have a Cross of Lorain burried with Uncle Joe. I was awestruck hearing how these men in my family, who always seemed like just regular guys, endured so much pain, sacrificed so much, and then never acted like it was a big deal, left this world and I knew almost nothing of their bravery. It's in their honor that I got involved in HonorFlight.org;
I'm blessed to have the chance to say Thank You and make up in a small way for the chances I missed with my own family.
I strongly encourage people to help out this very worthy organization!!

[Kitty Mittens]

Awesome Thread, Dolly! My Heart is Thankful to Everyone who has Sacrificed So Much for our Country.

[lysie]

Wonderful thread, Dolly. Thanks.

Bev, it's so nice to know more about your Larry.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

070201-N-0336C-005 Atlantic Ocean (Feb. 1, 2007) - Wardroom division officer Ensign Sara McPeek gets an explanation of how things run on the flight deck from one of air department's shooters during flight operations aboard Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). Truman is currently underway conducting flight deck certification in the Atlantic Ocean. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Arturo Chavez (RELEASED)

070204-N-5345W-008 Atlantic Ocean (Feb. 4, 2007) - Four T-45 Goshawk trainers from Training Airwing One and Two perform a formation fly-by for the Sailors of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) after the completion of flight training operations. Truman is currently underway conducting operations in the Atlantic Ocean. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kristopher Wilson (RELEASED)

070204-N-4010S-088 Pacific Ocean (Feb. 4, 2007) - An AV-8B Night Attack Harrier II, assigned to the “Blacksheep” of Marine Attack Squadron Two One Four (VMA-214), prepares to land on the flight deck of amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2) during night flight operations off the coast of Okinawa, Japan. U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Ty Swartz (RELEASED)

[Billie]

Good morning, Dolly. I can see the work and the love you put into this thread, and it's most deservedly a 2 day offering! You do an outstanding job with your research and collages, and I love the personal FReeper WWII vets tribute/stories! Thank you so much for honoring our WWII vets, and to Bevlar's late husband and to wheelbarrow, thank YOU for your service!

[Wheelbarrow]

Notwithstanding I am featured in it, this report is one of the most complete synopsis of WWII I have ever seen. There have been a lot of books and articles written over the years but this tells it all as it was...I know; I was there! The items about us who fought, the background to the War itself and the corollary items on how it affected the civilians back home represent, to me, a monumental effort.
YOU ARE TO BE CONGRATULATED AND APPLAUDED!