A Few of FR's Finest

Free Republic | Veteran's Day - November 11, 2001 | By Billie

[Billie]

A Few of FR's Finest
We Salute You
and All Veterans and Active Service Men/Women

When Snow Bunny and I first opened the doors of the Freeper USO Canteen on October 7th, the response from all of you was overwhelming, and one of the suggestions we had came from Freeper, RightOnline. He asked why we didn't call for Freepers to submit their real photos in uniform and picture them at the Canteen. We did just that, and would like to share the photos and information we received since our request. I would like to thank 68-69TonkinGulfYatchClub for his help in publicizing the "vet photo drive", and Snow Bunny for her help in soliciting and collecting information so that I could sort and put together this collection, but most of all I'd like to thank ALL of you who have served or are serving our country. You have given so much to make America a better place. Even though the following information and photographs represent only a portion of Free Republic, my thanks go to those who so graciously responded to our call.

bosniajmc: U.S. Army, active CPT, TF 1-155 IN(M) JMC/IO;   AFVetGal: U.S. Air Force, '75-'95, Public Affairs Ofc - Desert Storm;   Archy: U.S. Army 1966-'70; late '70's-early '80's Dept of Army civilian employee, traded to Navy to work with Marines. 1992 til July, 2001 - U.S. Air Force - Lieutenant; July, 2001 to present Army, assigned with a reserve mobilization/training unit - Battalion Staff Officer.    A Navy Vet: U.S. Navy, '76-'86, USS New Orleans LPH-11 '76-'79 (the New Orleans is to be berthed next to the Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA as a naval museum), USS Barbey FF1088 '83-'86;   4TheFlag: U.S. Army, '71-'74;   Aeronaut: U.S. Navy, '65-'69;   68 Grunt: 1st Marine Div, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, India Company, third platoon '68-'69. In '68 the battalion was known as "The Suicide Battalion".   xinga: photo 1986 B-52/G 1983-88 EWO;    codger: Photo Viet Nam 1966, Major, commanding 2nd Platoon, 48th Assault Helicopter Co - the "Blue Stars";   AAABest: Desert Shield/Storm 3/24 INF;   Clinton's A Liar: U.S.A.R. '91-'99 353rd PSYOP CO (R&A);   Duke809: 314 Tac Airlift Wing '73-'75; 724th TASS, a FAC unit in West Germany '75-'77; 111th TAC Fighter Wing, PA Air Guard '81-'89;   dcwusmc: U.S. Marine Corp. retired.

Logos served in the United States Army from 1962-83.   SwedeGirl's husband was a 1st Lieutenant in the photo above, serving in Viet Nam 1/9 CAV Huey Lift Pilot 1969-70.   Neil E. Wright's photo was taken in 1977 at CTF 72/ComPatWingsWestpac, Kamiseya, JA. He was in the Navy.   FallGuy, Snow Bunny's husband, also served in the Navy on the USS KULA GULF.   1John submitted his photo in uniform and asked us to "guess the year" it was taken; hopefully he will provide that information since no one guessed correctly!   Sneakypete's photo was taken after he returned from a mission in Laos, Viet Nam in 1969.   T'wit's photo in uniform was taken during the famed "Berlin Crisis" of 1960.   COB1 sent his photo from his first liberty out of Boot Camp.   LadyX was a Marine in the Korean Conflict. She was a Classroom Subjects Instructor for women recruits at Parris Island.   Dick Bachert submitted this photo from the U.S.A.F. when he was 24 years old.   68-69TonkinGulfYatchClubU.S. Navy GMG3, '66-69, USS Corry DD817.   YankeeinSC, husband of Commonsense, is a Viet Nam Air Force veteran. His photo was taken on the recent Freeper Cruise.   Delta 21 is currently serving in the U.S. Navy, going on 20 years.   JoeSixPack1 is retired from the U.S.M.C.

mc5cents: Photo was taken in Saigon, 1965;   Norb2569:U.S. Marines '70-'92 Gunnery Sgt.;   LBGA's son, Tyler: Active, Blackhawk Repair Specialist & Crew Chief, Korea; recently accepted to 160th Task Force, training to drop Delta Force units; Van Jenerette: U.S. Army;   Jim Robinson: Photo 1968. U.S. Navy. '65-'66 Higbee (DD806); '66-'68 USS Hull (DD945); '68-'69 Wiltsie (DD716);   K Jenerette: U.S. Army;   davidosborne: active USAR, Balkans; Ft. Bragg NC Airborne '94-2000;  The KG9 Kid:U.S. Marine Corp., photo 1987 at Boot Camp;   gwmoore:U.S. Navy '66-'72, RadioMan 2nd Class, Viet Nam 1970 (Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club), USS America (CVA-66). Currently Search & Rescue Pilot with Civil Air Patrol.   Equality7-2521: U.S. Navy '87-'92 Aviation Electronic Technician 2nd Class assigned to Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron 5, deployed onboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69);   SAMWolf:U.S. Army 1969-'71, Viet Nam/Germany.

porgygirl: Submarine Force 1955-1969;   Phil V.: RA 19849878 SP5 1965-1968;   MudPuppy: U.S.Marine Corp. 1982-'93 Sgt., Presently working as a government contractor on a marine base.   NorCoGOP: U.S. Navy;   RaceBannon: U.S.M.C. '77-'81 MOS7242 Cherry Point '78-'79; Kaneohe Bay '79-'81; deployed off Iran in '80 by Jimmy Carter for the Hostage Rescue Attempt.   OneidaM: U.S. Army 1977-1987;   rdb3: 82nd Airborne @ Ft. Bragg, NC;    JWTexian: U.S. Navy '68-'71, USS Independence (CVA-62) ABE-3;   USMC Vet: U. S. Marine Corp.;   The Mayor: U.S. Army '76-'79. Ft. Devens, MA; Assigned to Military Intelligence School. Photo taken 1976 in Basic training;   Vineyard: U.S. Navy 1974-80. U.S. Navy Reserves 80-present. Captain;   rhododogma:Navy GMG 1, SEAL Team 2, BUD/S class 150, Operation Just Cause, Operation Desert Shield. aka Dave Rogers,currently running as a Republican Candidate for Congress, District 1, Rhode Island.

spectre: Lackland AFB basic training (photo taken in TI's ofc, wearing TI's hat!);   RightOnline: '77 Grad USAF Academy; '78-'84 flew KC-135 air re-fueling tankers for Strategic Air Command (Castle AFB, CA and Dyess AFB, TX. 917th AREFS);   SERE_Doc: U.S. Navy Corpsman - Guatemala SA;  Tet68: RVN VMA-223, VMA-314 '66-'68 - Viet Nam. Plane Captain A-4 Sky Hawk Ground Attach Aircraft; '68 Lance Cpl;   Future Snake Eater: (RightOnline's son) Army National Guard, NC; Bradley Fighting Vehicle drive in a Mobile infantry unit. Army ROTC at NCSU - will receive his commission as an Army officer in about a year and a half. He aims for Special Forces;  RightOnline'sWife: U.S.A.F. 7 years, Staff Sgt.; air traffic controller for AF;   CIApilot: "Dear Talibunnies, Do not underestimate the power of America's 'PMS' patriots." Captain DC3, B-727, B-757. Previously: Air America and Torrejon AFB, Madrid, Spain '66-'69;   clamper1797: U.S. Navy '72-'73, Viet Nam; AME-3 VA-93 CVA41 Member Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club;   usmcobra: U.S.M.C. Photo was taken in 1985;   onedoug: 1/1 CAV, Americal I Corps RVN 1968-69;   Diver Dave: U.S. Navy '63-'67 SFP2 (DV) (Pipefitter 2nd Class Diver) USS Piedmont (AD-17) (Destroyer Tender) Home port: San Diego; WESTPAC Tours: 3 ('64, '65, '67);   Joe 6-pack: U.S. Army 1991-2000.

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I heard from many others who didn't send a photo, but I'd like to include a bit of information they shared with me. An especially poignant note came from Dick Bachert, who wrote: "Just wanted to remember at least one of the guys with whom I served at Belvoir and who would be a Freeper today -- but can't -- because his name graces that Wall in DC.  Andy Shimp from Skokie, Illinois, died in Vietnam toward the end of that miserable travesty. One of the nicest guys I've ever known."

But for the tragic accident that took his life on the night of October 3, 2001, CHIEF negotiator would be among those veteran Marines pictured above. Instead, CHIEF, we know you're looking down from a higher place, and we salute you.


CIApilot sent the picture at left of her uncle and had this to say: "My uncle Harry Kennedy, 2nd from left, standing. 8th AF, 94th Bobm Group, 333rd Sq., B-17 Heavy Bombers 'Jimbo's Circus.' He passed away recently, but would have liked to be included in the Freeper USO Canteen. He loved to fly."

CIA, this one's for your uncle, God rest his soul.

I wonder how many FReepers have served in more than one war. I know one very special Veteran who's been at FR almost from the beginning. Invictus, you were there for us in World War II, and again in Korea, as a Chaplain, when your country needed you. Oh, the stories you can tell. Thank you for serving, and please come back to FR. We miss you.

Mark 17: U.S.A.F. '67-'87 M Sgt. 1877th Communications Squadron, Bien Hoa Air Base RVN 14;  gcraig: U.S. Navy - USS Midway & USS Nimitz - Desert Shield/Desert Storm. Now Air Nat'l Guard, NC 19 yrs service;   91B: NCAR NG;   AlGone2001: U.S.A.F. '83-'84 Lackland AFB, TX basic training; '84-'86 Spangdahlem AB, Germany 2137 ISS; '86-'89 Robins AFB, GA 5th Combat Communications Group; '89-'96 Georgia Air National Guard;   LiteKeeper: '66 2nd LT - Field Artillery. Viet Nam '67-'69 1st Lt & CPT in country. 199th Lt Inf Bde & II FFORV-Artillery. 2 bronze stars for Valor; Purple Heart; 5 Air Medals. 1970 transfer to Military Intelligence CA Army Nat'l Guard (Field Artillery) '72-'85; Active '85-'95 Chaplain (Major);   Pumba: U.S. Army vet - Bosnia. About to go active Navy.   Little Bill: 1965-68 - 2 tours with the 25th. First 6 mo w/ MACV, radio humper;   pcpa: 15B40 (Sgt. Missles) 1st Battalion 68th Field Artillery Schwabish Hall, Germany '68-'70;   HillarysGateCult: U.S.A.F. Lackland AFB, Tx Basic Training. '79-'80 Lowry AFB, Colorado Aircraft Armaments Systems Specialist 4623 OJ FB-111. '80-'82 Plattsburgh AFB, NY, '82-'87 Anderson AFB, Germany; '87-'88 Edwards AFB, Calif; '92-'98 Contractor/instructor - Royal Saudi Air Force;   Don Paul Jones: MP & U.S. Army Airborne School (Class 40-86);   SurferDoc: U.S. Army and Nat'l Guard '64-'70;  connectthedots: U.S. Army '75-'79 Ft. Lewis, WA;   rangerx: U.S.M.A. '78; 82nd Abn Div '79-'80; 1/75th Ranger Bn '80-'82; 24th Infantry Div '82-'84; 11th Armored Cav '86-'88; JFK Special Warfare Center SERE Instructor '88-'90; XVIII Airborne Corp Arty '90-'92;   Taxman: U.S. Navy/ U.S.N.R. '63-'91 Naval Aviator, Tailhooker;   brityank: U.S.N.R. '61-'63. FT 'A' School, Great Lakes, Ill '63; U.S. Navy '63-'67 USS Mt. McKinley (AGC-7) Portsmouth, VA Drydock to Gitmoto San Dieto '63-'64; USS Princeton (LPH-5), Long Beach, CA to WestPac '64-'67;   dakine: U.S.A.F. 19 years - still active;   g'nad: active duty, U.S.M.C.;   cmotormac44: 1944 Veteran;   JohnD9207: Sgt. U.S. Army (retired);   SC Swamp Fox: U.S. Navy '83-'93 USS Saratoga (CV-60)   razorback-bert: U.S. Army '68-'69;   HEFFERNAN 2: U.S.M.C. - Viet Nam;   Vermonter: FTG2, 1968-69 USS Robert H. McCard DD822;   fnord: U.S.M.C. 1975-1979.   Mustang: U.S. Navy LCDR;  Vets_Husband_and_Wife: Both served during Viet Nam. I linked their profile page and urge to to read it.

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Finally, I asked Snow Bunny to join me in this tribute. There is no FReeper who loves our men and women of the military more than she does, nor does more for them than she does, and without her, there would be no FReeper USO Canteen.

*****************************************
Veterans' Day
11th Hour, 11th Day, 11th Month

Please take a few moments from your busy day to pause, reflect, and thank those who have served our country. Please show respect and honor to those who answered the call to serve their country. Tell your children about Veterans. Pass on a legacy of trust, integrity, honor, faith, and determination. Patriotism lives on!

We remember all those who have died for flag and country, duty and honor, truth and justice. For those left behind, we have not forgotten you.

On this Veteran's Day, from the bottom of our hearts and the depth of our soul, Thank you Veteran, welcome home, job well done, we are so very proud of you!
~~~Snow Bunny

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In closing, I offer this link to a thread I found on the forum. It was posted on January 22nd of this year: Thank you, Veterans.....May I Salute You?
~~~Billie

[GussiedUp]

Will do - now I have to FIND one....LOL

[Mustang]

Happy New Year Billie and Snow Bunny!

All the best to you and yours in 2002!

Get those photos rolling in. Just give me a "warning" when you post mine..hehehe!

Again, thanks for the work you and Chrissie are doing.

Mega hugs from Florida's first coast...Mustang sends.

[ATOMIC_PUNK]

Who won that game of risk?

I love that game

[themadmax]

It has been about 2 ½ years since I posted last, and though I have
lurked occasionally on this great forum, I have not been here nearly
enough. After I left Cambridge, MA (Hey NE Freepers!) I got married
and my Air Force training started in earnest, both of which conspired
to keep me from having the luxury of Freeping on a regular basis. Anyway,
just wanted to let you all know that it feels great to see that though the
news may be about the Olympics and Enron, some folks haven’t forgotten us.

On Nov 11 I flew my 19th combat sortie over Afghanistan.

Currently I am deployed to location in the Middle East that still
does not exist because of political sensitivities. I flew yet another
sortie last night over Afghanistan, and as we orbited, I wondered
if anyone cared that we were still doing this. Then I logged on
today. Though we have limited access and even more limited
bandwidth, it was worth it. Friends, it did my heart good to see
that some at home still remember, and still know that this will
be a long hard fight, if we are to preserve what so many in the
past have given their all to save and secure. Now it is our turn.

God Bless America!

[herewego]

We need to think about all that TONK has done. God Bless and a HUGE BUMP to one that deserves it.

[Taxman]

Thanks, Bille.

And a special thanks to those who served.

We must understand that we all are working, each in our own way, to "preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic."

God Blessed America with Founding Fathers and Patriots through the years who clearly understood that evil would triumph unless a few good men did something.

It is up to us to ensure that their work and sacrifices were not in vain.

We have our work cut out for us.

[M Kehoe]

Mail call!

5.56mm

[Billie]

I just realized that when I posted this group a couple of MONTHS ago at the Canteen, I forgot to add it to this thread. My apologies to all of you; you deserved to be recognized here as well as the Canteen.

I am SO sorry that I've lost the file I had with additional information about your individual service. I had it saved on a floppy, and the disk is corrupted and I can't retrieve it. I can't find the date I posted it at the Canteen, and the Search for the Canteen has been changed so that it doesn't cover ALL the previous threads as it used to.

[Billie]

Yoo Hoo! Here is your "warning" - I would be very happy for you to add some information to the photo I posted a few minutes ago, as I have lost the date I posted it at the Canteen, as well as the floppy I had saved the information to. :)

[ValerieUSA]

Wow! There's Grant!! Thanks! He'll be 20 yrs old on the 13th of this month.

[ArneFufkin]

Bump for the FR Vets

Thanks!

[TennTuxedo]

My deepest heart-felt thanks and appreciation goes out to the brave men who fought for and served this country to the best of their abilities. Without you, this country would not exist nor would the freedoms we enjoy. My thanks and prayers are with you. God Bless.

[piasa]

God bless you... keep up the good work. Folks back here- and I'm not just talking about Freepers- have definitely not forgotten ya'all and we are very thankful for everything you folks are doing over there, and all that you are going to be doing over there. Even if we don't know what in the heck you all are doing, we hope that the big Guy Upstairs will keep you safe and sound May He bless you and keep you in all your endeavors.

[Billie]

Thank you your service.

Eric, ohioWfan's son:  US Army recruit, June 02, Ft.Knox, KY;   Mama_Bear's father:  US Navy, yeoman for 20 years. Photo taken in '52 or '53 in Guam;  Mama_Bear's father-in-law (JKPhoto's dad):  Retired Commander, US Navy;  ladtx:   US Army, 1969-1988, Retired Chief Warrant Officer, 336th Assault Helicopter Companh,13th Combat Aviation Battalion, 164th Group, 1st Aviation Brigade, Soc Trang AAF, Republic of South Viet Nam '69 - '70. TAC Office and Huey Instructor Pilot. (Final assignment priot to retirement - Flight Operations Officer and CH-47C & D PIC);   Cassandra, The Mayor's niece:  US Army, just completed Basic Training;  M Kehoe:   US Army, BCT at Ft. Knox, Delta Co., photo taken in 1975;  Sam, Beach_Babe's son-in-law:  US Navy; completed basic training, still attending school and has not been assigned to a ship yet;   deadhead's father:  US Navy, LST 568, WWII veteran; participated in the initial invasion of Leyte, Phillipine Islands;   HiJinx:  US Army, 1976-1996 SFC, Retired. Served at Ft. Meade, Ft. Riley, tours in Berlin and Augsburg, retired at Ft. Huachuca in Sierra Vista;  Severa's husband:   US Army, active service. STS3(SS) Boot Camp 03-2000. USS Hyman G. Rickover (SSN 709);  ViligantCitizen's grandfather:  US Army Medic, WWII, KIA near Northern Germany, buried in the US Military Cemetary in Margraten, Holland.

[Mama_Bear]

Thank you so much for including my two dad's in FR's Finest. I am so proud of them, they both served their country with honor and raised their children to love their country and respect the flag and all that it stands for. I know they would be proud to be included on this page. They would have loved FreeRepublic. :-)

Thank you ((((hugs)))).

[Billie]

Thank you, Lori - I just noticed that I made a couple of errors - that aggravates me! And it was on your information. :( I reversed the order of your father and your father-in-law in the detailed part - plus I didn't get your father's name capitalized. :(

ALSO left out the 'for' in the heading! Egads! (Thank you FOR your service!)

[HiJinx]

What a great-looking addition to FR's finest, if I'm may say so!
Thanks for all you do, Billie...

[Mama_Bear]

I just noticed that I made a couple of errors - that aggravates me! And it was on your information. :( I reversed the order of your father and your father-in-law in the detailed part.

Honest, I didn't even notice. In fact, I had to go back and re-read it a couple times before I saw what you were talking about. It's not a problem. They are both my "dads", no matter how it is worded. :-)

I owe you mail, I haven't forgotten - somehow I have gotten very far behind. I will get to it eventually, I promise. :-)

[Billie]

Thank you, J - and thanks also for catching yet another error. I don't know if it was my head or my fingers that weren't connecting when I posted that!

Severa, I am so sorry - I know your husband IS in the US Navy - I typed US Army for some reason - guess I was still on HiJinx' service. :(

Additionally, the STS3 stands for Sonar Technician Submarines Third Class

[deadhead]

Oh Billie, what a wonderful surprise to come home to. Thank You from my heart for including my Dear Dad in FR's Finest. It means the world to me! You can be sure that all my family will see this. I am so Proud of my Dad. He was the greatest. Thanks for putting this big smile on my face :-)
Your FReeper FRiend, Colleen

GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS AND VETERANS