USO Canteen FReeper Style....Thursday....April 25,2002

Graphics and Layout by Billie and Written by Snow Bunny and a Thank you to Mama_Bear Today!

[whoever]

..when I say fall out in dress whites, I don't mean khakis!"..

SAM, that was really funny....good one!

[The Thin Man]

T Mam! Is Dat Chu? Posting News Photos? Who stole your password? This is a test.........do you know who this is?

Billie, after spending several minutes deciphering your post, I can assure you this is me. :-)

BTW, don't call me T Mam again! :-)

[Taxman]

Why, you are quite welcome, ma'am.

Thank you (and a big hug backtoya!) for all you are doing with the USO Canteen FReeper Style.

[blackie]

U.S. Navy...Bump !!

[archy]

In several of the American Southern states, today is Confederate Memorial Day [as in most things Southron dealing with the Confederacy, the various states picked different days upon which to commerate those of that war. The Australians and New Zealanders have it a bit more standardized...]

ANZAC Day is the 25th of April. It is the day set aside in both New Zealand and Australia to think about and honour those who have fought for our freedom. ANZAC stands for the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. ANZAC Day is a public holiday.

ANZAC day is strongly linked to the landing of the ANZAC forces at Gallipoli in the Dardanelles in 1915. ANZAC Day was first celebrated in 1916 with memorial services, commemorating the lives lost in the 8 month period spent by ANZAC forces on the Gallipoli Peninsula. Pressure was brought to bear by returned soldiers and their organisations, and the day became a public holiday in the early 1920s. Although the term "ANZAC" only officially referred to those who fought in WWI it was later decided that the day should also officially remember those who served in WWII. These days it also incorporates the men and women who served in later wars such as Vietnam and Korea; and those who have served in actions such as "Desert Storm", and peace keeping operations such as those in Bosnia and Bougainville.

Most communities in New Zealand have at their heart a memorial commemorating the war dead of the area, and around these wreath laying ceremonies are held each ANZAC Day. For a while it was feared that ANZAC Day would become less important as the remaining WWI veterans leave us one by one, but the crowds at the main ANZAC Day parades (where the veterans and other service organisations march) have been swelling again in the past few years to the point where some people have suggested that ANZAC Day should be made our National Day. It has been particularly good to note that many of those attending services are young people and families, which bodes well for the future. On ANZAC Day 1996 there were still three NZ Gallipoli veterans alive. Since then the last two still residing in NZ have died. The last, Alfred Douglas Dibley, (Doug), died Dec 18th 1997 and was posthumously awarded the QSO for public services in the 1998 New Years Honours list.

Although red poppies are a symbol of Remembrance Day (Nov 11th) in New Zealand they are more closely associated with ANZAC Day. They grew wild on the European battlefields of WWI. One story has it that the soldiers were able to look out from their battle trenches across these fields of poppies and imagine that each represented a fallen soldier; another which appears more credible is that poppies grew more easily in the churned up soil of the battlefields making the blood red flowers a potent symbol of the war. In New Zealand poppy buttonholes are sold by volunteers on the weekday prior to ANZAC Day which is known as Poppy Day and the proceeds go towards helping veterans, and their families. This tradition started back in 1922.

In human terms the cost of WWI to New Zealand was horrendous. Between 1914-1918 out of a population of 1 million nearly 17 000 men - 1 in 65 of the population did not return from the war. The total NZ casualties in the war represented one in 17 of the population. The casualties at Gallipoli were 33 000, including 8000 New Zealanders and 7000 Australians. Out of 10 000 Kiwis who fought at Gallipoli 3000 lost their lives and 5000 were wounded. If those figures were put in context with the USA population today, [1996], it would be like the US sending away 2.5 million men and 2 million of them being killed or wounded.

Diggers, kindly chip in with your own comments regarding the day as celebrated in Oz. May God keep the ANZACs close to his heart.

[Click the bugler for mp3 sound file]

[SAMWolf]

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The terrorists came to America

[SassyMom]

Hi there! WHEW! It's been a busy day! I hope everyone here is having a great day!

[whoever]

I posted this late last evening. Please allow me to post it again today following SAM's post.

In the words of our mentor, President Ronald Reagan: "You and I know and do not believe that life is so dear and peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery. [I]s it worth dying for...? Should Moses have told the children of Israel to live in slavery under the pharaohs? Should Christ have refused the cross? Should the patriots of Concord Bridge have thrown down their guns and refused to fire the shot heard round the world? The martyrs of history were not fools...."

It is fitting that this week, family members of those who died on UAL 93 on 9/11 had their requests to hear the cockpit voice recordings fulfilled.

There were martyrs aboard that flight, but they were not the Islamic terrorists who commandeered the plane. The martyrs were the first brave combatants of our war against Jihadistan -- those unarmed passengers who, knowing the fate of the other three hijacked aircraft, rallied to Todd Beamer's charge "Let's roll," and launched an assault on the terrorists to prevent UAL 93 from being used as a weapon against more innocents on the ground.

It is certain that those who joined Mr. Beamer -- Thomas Burnett, Mark Bingham, Jeremy Glick, Joseph Deluca, Linda Gronlund and perhaps others -- knew the price they would pay for their actions. Indeed, the last Arabic words of the Jihadis in the cockpit were translated,

"They're coming...."

Let all Jihadi terrorists hear and know, many of us stand ready to follow the lead of the Patriot heroes of Flight 93. "We're coming...."

In this generation, no less than among the first American revolutionaries, Federalist Patriots stand by the bridge, ready to defend American liberty at all cost.

[SAMWolf]

So we took America to the terrorists courtesy of the U.S. Navy.
91,300 tons of Sovereign American Territory





CVAN-70 USS CARL VINSON

[shaggy eel]

,,, many thanx for your post #185. A great tribute.

[MistyCA]

Yes! That's great, Meek! And I agree about the AirForce since my husband was an Air Policeman in Vietnam. I guess they don't call them that anymore.

[MedProf]

Thank you very much -- (((((hug)))) back.

[MistyCA]

Hi Bunny! I am in and out again today....doing some work that needs to get done....bummer! LOL. Thanks for the compliment, however, I have got to say that the recent threads you and Billie have created are, imo, the best ever! Thanks for all your hard work. :)

[MistyCA]

I think the canteen deserves more than one fly-over!

[MistyCA]

Hey, Sassy! I love your new outfit! :) How you doing today?

[archy]

So we took America to the terrorists courtesy of the U.S. Navy...

Let's Roll:

^Land your mouse on the carrier for a tune that seems fitting...

[Billie]

Billie, after spending several minutes deciphering your post, I can assure you this is me. :-)

BTW, don't call me T Mam again! :-)

LOL! I didn't realize I called you Mam!!! You don't look like a "Mam" to me. I think I forgot how to spell. (either that or where the "home" keys are on the keyboard!) Don't think you're the first one I've spelled things funny to today - I was talking about a "piglet" to Louie earlier, and I typed pigleg instead. :)

[Billie]

Hi, Sailor girl - I'm pretty sure I outrank you, but I'm not sure by how much. LOL (Talking about my "hat" I posted earlier)

[Billie]

Thanks so much, msit!

[MistyCA]

super post!!!! thanks! :)