[Tom Humble]

Hi All:

Awesome! Incredible! Whatever other superlatives come to mind!

The Canteen news and information comments and graphics are heart-stirring and mind-shaking examples of the differences between “now” and “way back then”.

The foundations of our heritage of Freedom and Western Civilization are so wide and so deep, and so costly in lives and effort, and so priceless in value, one wonders how anyone can fail to marvel at our great good fortune.

My recollections of the world “out there” beyond the direct reach of my own senses go back 80 years. And I have disjointed impressions of a few “impressive” personal experiences that go back a couple of years before that.

My point, if I have one, is to do with seeing, today, photos and texts of yesterday’s happenings in Afghanistan for example. Real people doing real things, right now, in the war against terrorism!

And the history! Mere words cannot convey my feelings at my age when I read about and see pictures of the Warriors for Freedom and their ships and equipage of decades and centuries ago.

And I receive E-mail - - some with photos - - about the terrible butchery and savagery that Islam is at this moment visiting, upon Christians especially, in places like the Sudan for example.

Free Republic in general, and the USO Canteen specifically, represent important, maybe even crucial, threads in the fabric of Freedom.

Truly, the internet is one of Freedom's most effective weapons against ignorance and apathy and tyranny.

God bless.

Ol’ Tom.

[SAMWolf]

You sure have a way with words Tom, very well said.

[Jen]

Free Republic in general, and the USO Canteen specifically, represent important, maybe even crucial, threads in the fabric of Freedom.

Yes they do! Thank you Tom for being part of our Canteen family. I appreciate you and your inputs so much. And I love your poems!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Mr Humble, Sir. So nice to see you here today. Thanks for your writings honoring our troops, vets, and allies.

[SpookBrat]

Tom Humble, I cannot tell you how happy I am to have you here. I eagerly await each post of yours, because I know your writing will knock me out of my chair. You are amazing. I'm so proud and honored to know you. I treasure each post of yours. I love the age and wisdom you add to the thread. I'm just a youngin' still. You can teach me so much. Thank you for being here.

I'm sure our troops will grow to love you in no time. I'm sure many of them appreciate the "wise, patriotic grandpa" personality you bring. All of us miss our grandpa's who had so much to do with making us into the people we are today by the honorable example they set for us in our lives.

My parents were in Sudan in the early 90's. Every time I would get a letter from Dad, it would begin, "Greetings from Hell". It was a terrible place. And it's absolutely horrible what they are doing to Christians there. I try to pray for them every time I think about it. Thank you for the reminder today.

God bless you Mr. Humble.