USO Canteen FReeper Style....Childrens Art to our Troops....July 23,2002

FRiends of the USO Canteen FReeper Style and Snow Bunny

[Snow Bunny]

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If you know a Veteran, someone in your family,
friend of the family, neighbor, who served their
country, take a brief moment of your day to thank them.
Thank them for the sacrifice they made
for the better good of their country.

We at Free Republic, and the USO Canteen FReeper Style,
are thankful for every service member
in our military, who has served our great nation.

So, to the men and women who answered the call,
in both times of war and peace, thank you.

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Message from Snow Bunny to all those who visit the Canteen.

This is how I think of the USO Canteen Freeper Style.
It is like a cottage down a road,
a place where a weary veteran can spend the night.

Since it opened, it is magical how so many
Freepers who post here, feel it too.
It has been so dear how the Freepers
kept making it a cottage - a home-type of place
that had a huge living room
for them to visit in and a dance floor, a library, etc.

Many Veterans have written to me,
saying that the Canteen is like home
to them for the first time since they served.

This is your Canteen -
a respite from our busy
and sometimes troubling world.
Make yourself at home.

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Children's Art at the Canteen

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SPRINGFIELD, Va. (AFPN) -- With a pencil, pen and marker, Daniela McCain, third-grade daughter of Tech. Sgt. Christopher and Pamela McCain, from Andrews Air Force Base, Md., drew herself a first-place entry in the Air Force category of the Armed Services YMCA Art Contest 2002

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[Pippin]

Have a great day!

[Pippin]

Good morning, LG!

[Pippin]

You have mail!

[Pippin]

oops! gotta go to work, now! bbl!

[Lee'sGhost]

Good morning my Maryland friend. Hope you are doing well.

[Victoria Delsoul]

Good morning Bunny, and everyone. The children's art and letters are really precious; they deserve a big hug.

Have a wonderful day, all. Cya later.

[Victoria Delsoul]

LOL, I love that milk box. :-)

[Valin]

COFFEE? Didsomeonementioncoffee,I'monmythirdpotofcoffee,
somesayIdrinkwaytoomuchcoffeebutIdon'tthinkthatthere'sanythingtothatatallIcanquitanytimeIwant.

[Victoria Delsoul]

Thanks for the song, Saber. Cya later. ;-)

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[Victoria Delsoul]

Thanks Tonk! Hope you have a wonderful day.

[Victoria Delsoul]

Hope you have a great day as well.

[JustAmy]

These letters are so sweet. Thank you for this thread.

God Bless and Protect Our Military and their families!
God Bless Our Veterans!
God Bless America!!

[SK1 Thurman]

Sure do if SB will share with you.........


SK1 T

[JustAmy]

Good Morning, ClaraSuzanne. Nice to see you so bright and early.
My nephew who is not quite 18 has joined the marines. He will be leaving for basic training in October. I hope he will be able to access FReeRepublic when he gets settled. Knowing what the site offers our military is more than heart warming.

[Jen]

I suppose I am perplexed by just what kind of virtual-edifice complex is going on here.

Hello Greybird. Welcome to the USO Canteen FReeper Style. This part of your post cracks me up! hahahahahaha

The Canteen is not just a daily thread on FR. It's a 'place' that exists in cyberspace where active troops and veterans can come for a brief respite and enjoy a taste of home and be supported by people here who love and respect them. Many who wear the uniform of one of our country's military services have found a haven here, a home-away-from-home, that they visit as often as they are able.

The troops' own emails on Mondays express their gratitude far more eloquently than I am able. Perhaps you should read some of the Monday Mail Call threads to get their perspective on what the Canteen is to them. Snow Bunny and her vision for the Canteen are helping so many troops and veterans in ways many can not even imagine.

I also want to address what you term as the 8th grader's "loss of innocence" by asking a solder to "kill Osama bin Laden for me." I was a public affairs officer in the Air Force for 20 years. I served in the theater of operations during Desert Storm and the child's letter asking a soldier to "kill Osama" doesn't suprise or dismay me at all. During ODS, we were able to receive "Any Servicemember" letters, and my unit received countless letters and pictures from kids urging us to "kill Saddam Hussein." Osama is the face of the enemy to American kids just as Saddam was a decade ago. (BTW, an 8th grader is 13-14 years old, and not an innocent child.)

I hope you have a nice day, Greybird.

Jen

[tomkow6]

[Jen]

Good morning, dear FRiends! What a beautiful thread and such heart-warming letters and pictures from the kids. I love seeing their letters and I'm sure our deployed troops do too. I saved so many that I received during Desert Storm from school kids that were sent to "Any Servicemember". I became pen pals with so many kids through that program, which sadly doesn't exist for our troops today because of the possibility of them receiving Anthrax through the mail. Thanks! Jen