USO Canteen FReeper Style....FReeper FRiday ....GATOR NAVY ......August 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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The USO Canteen Honors FReepers
who have served, or are now serving their country.

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You may have a loved one who has served in the past.
We at the FReeper USO Canteen would like to honor each and every one.

Thank You GATOR NAVY for Serving our Country

Because 5 of 6 ships I have been on have been amphibious ships,
or "gators".

Also, my job is navigation, or a 'gator.

I am a Chief Petty Officer and just went
over 20 years service this March.

My ships have been :
USS CROMMELIN (FFG-37) plankowner
USS BRISTOL COUNTY (LST-1198)
USS ST LOUIS (LKA-116)
USS SAN BERNARDINO (LST-1189) decomm crew
USS DUBUQUE (LPD-8)
USS JUNEAU (LPD-10)

I have been stationed in Japan since 1990.
I am currently on shore duty near Tokyo,Japan/

Prior to this tour all my Japan time was in Sasebo, on Kyushu.

I have been happily married for over 9 years to my lovely wife Atsuko.

We have two sons, Takezo, age 7, and Shuzo, age 5.

Here is my son Takezo

Here is my son Shuzo

Although I read FR daily, I don't usually log on unless I want to
reply to a thread. But I will always get back to you (ask Snow Bunny)
sooner or later if you send something my way.

[Pippin]

YEAH, GN!

GN also stands for GO! NAVY!

Thank you for your service to our country Gator Navy.<p. May God bless you and your beautiful family!

[tomkow6]

Good morning, Snow! Good morning, EVERYBODY!

HAPPY FRIDAY!

[Pippin]

Hey, Tom, I'm ALREADY awake AND at work!

Neener! Neener!

[tomkow6]

Today's FEEBLE attempt at humor:

One day a sweet little girl becomes puzzled about her origin. "How did I get here, Mommy?" she asks.

Her mother replies, using a well-worn phrase, "Why God sent you, Honey."

"And did God send you too, Mommy?" she continues. "Yes, Sweetheart, he did."

"And Daddy, and Grandma and Grandpa, and their moms and dads, too?"

"Yes, Honey, all of them, too."

The child shakes her head in disbelief. "Then you're telling me there's been no sex in this family for over 200 years? No wonder everyone is so grouchy!"

[tomkow6]

Good morning, Clara!

I'm glad to see you finally made it to work............ON TIME!

[tomkow6]

Good morning, Sassy!........giggle.......

[tomkow6]

From one sailor to another:

SALUTE

GO NAVY!

[ladtx]

Thanks for your service to our country Gator Navy, from a sailors son and Army retiree.

A picture of the USS Maryland (the battleship my dad served on in WWII)

SCOUTS OUT!

[kneezles]

Good Morning everyone!!!

[g'nad]

'Mornin' Bunny! How are ya on this beautiful Friday mornin'? I was just watchin a bald eagle out of my window and thankin' God for this beautiful world, and a chance to serve...

Ahoy there GATOR NAVY! I've sailed on the San Berdoo, many many moons ago...being a jarhead, I got a soft spot for you gators...keep up the good work brother! Beautiful family you got there...

[larryjohnson]

My,yur up earlee!

[aomagrat]

Today's classic warship, USS San Bernardino (LST-1189)

Newport class tank landing ship
Displacement. 8,400
Lenght. 522'3"
Beam. 69'6"
Draft. 14'8"
Speed. 20 k.
Complement. 272
Armament. 2 3"
Commissioned on 27 March 1971
Sold to Chile on 23 June 1999

San Bernardino (LST-1189) was laid down on 12 July 1969 by National Steel and Shipbuilding Co., San Diego, Calif., Iaunched on 28 March 1970; sponsored by Mrs. Walter H. Baumberger, wife of Vice Admiral Baumberger; and commissioned at the Long Beach Naval Shipyard on 27 March 1971, Comdr. Francis L. Roach in command.

Assigned to Amphibious Squadron 3, Amphibious Force, Pacific Fleet, the new tank landing ship got underway from Long Beach on 7 April 1971 and reached her home port, San Diego, the next day. For the remainder of 1971, she operated along the coast of California, conducting shakedown and various training exercises prior to commencing normal operations with the fleet.

San Bernardino opened 1972 by escorting four Indonesian MSO's from the United States to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. She returned to San Diego, via Acapulco, Mexico, on 9 February. Until the beginning of April, she sailed the coast of California. On 3 April, she departed for Pearl Harbor and an amphibious exercise in the Hawaiian Islands. She completed the exercise on 14 April and, after three days in Pearl Harbor, weighed anchor for Long Beach on the 17th. After offloading marines at Long Beach on the 22d, she returned to San Diego.

She remained in San Diego until 7 June, when she departed on a voyage to South America. The tank landing ship visited Valparaiso, Chile, Callao, Peru, and Rodman, C.Z., before returning to San Diego on 17 July. San Bernardino conducted refresher training in late July and early August, and participated in another amphibious exercise in late August.

After a month of preparation, San Bernardino departed San Diego on 21 September to deploy to the western Pacific. She arrived in Subic Bay, R.P., on 19 October, participated in ZAMEX 9-72 on the 23d and 24th, and put to sea on the 27th. On the next day, she joined the Amphibious Ready Group in the Gulf of Tonkin ancl remained there until 14 November, when she sailed for Keelung, Taiwan. Following a return voyage to Subic Bay, she rejoined the Amphibious Ready Group in the Gulf of Tonkin on 15 December. Two days later, she was detached to assist Asheville (PG-84) and Tacoma (PG-92) to Subic Bay. Arriving on 19 December, she departed the same day, bound for Hong Kong. She returned to Subic Bay on the 29th and remained in port for the rest of the year.

San Bernardino's deployment to the 7th Fleet continued until mid-April 1973. At that time, she sailed east to the United States, arriving at San Diego on the 29th. She remained on the west coast, either in port at San Diego or cruising the coast, for the rest of 1973. San Bernardino spent the first five months of 1974 in port at San Diego. In early June, she sailed west again, stopping at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; Suva Harbor, Fiji, and Brisbane, Australia.

Decommissioned, 30 September 1995; Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet; Final disposition, transferred to Chile under the Security Assistance Program, 23 June 1999, renamed Valdivia (L-93)

San Bernardino received one Battle Star for participation in the Vietnam War.

[larryjohnson]

Hey, Marines! G,I wonder if you see the same Eagle I see in Maine.
I lived in VA and never saw one. Perhaps I never looked up. Where in VA are you?

[SLB]

Good morning - having my second or third cup of coffee, sitting at home (a day off to get ready to move a daughter to college tomorrow) and doing some FReeping, minaly lurking, but getting one or two comments out.

[g'nad]

I'm at Quantico...my office window looks out over the Choppawampsic Creek Wildlife Preserve, about 75 yards away...They've got three mating pairs here that I know of, and a couple of mating pairs of Ospreys...This is a fairly recent (last 7 years) development...pretty cool...

[Victoria Delsoul]

Thank you for your service to our country, Gator Navy. Have a great TGIF, everyone!

Click on the graphic

[Jen]

No kidding! I'm pet-sitting for a few days for my daughter. The sound of "Mo" the cockatiel squawking woke me and I was afraid "Killian" the cat had escaped from the bedroom and was about to have a tasty snack! Fortunately, that wasn't the case! Whew!

Is there any COFFEE around here??? Yawn!

[R. Scott]

Just a reminder that the US Army also has a “Gator navy”. Click here for a few vignettes
from my time in the RVN, 1966-1968.

[Pippin]

I ALWAYS do!