USO Canteen FReeper Style ....High Flight .... October 30,2002

FRiends of the USO Canteen FReeper Style and Snow Bunny

[Snow Bunny]

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The USO Canteen FReeper Style
Delivering a Touch of Home

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A Touch of Home

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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.

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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Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields. 

John McCrae 

High Flight

High Flight was composed by
Pilot Officer John Gillespie Magee, Jr.,
an American serving with the
Royal Canadian Air Force.

He was born in Shanghai, China
in 1922, the son of missionary
parents, Reverend and Mrs. John
Gillespie Magee; his father was an
American and his mother was
originally a British citizen.

He came to the U.S. in 1939
and earned a scholarship to Yale,
but in September 1940 he enlisted
in the RCAF and was graduated as
a pilot. He was sent to England for
combat duty in July 1941.

In August or September 1941,
Pilot Officer Magee composed
High Flight

He then sent a copy to his parents.
Several months later, on
December 11, 1941 his Spitfire
collided with another plane over
England and Magee, only 19 years
of age, crashed to his death.

Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Vc

His remains are buried in the
churchyard cemetery at Scopwick, Lincolnshire.

The poem, High Flight, has over
the years become a mantra to pilots.
It is a tribute to, and in memory of
pilots of all generations.

High Flight

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds - and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up the long delirious, burning blue,
I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew -
And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod
The high unsurpassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand and touched the face of God.

Pilot Officer Gillespie Magee
No 412 squadron, RCAF
Killed 11 December 1941

[Kathy in Alaska]

Hi Nitro, haven't seen you in a while. Glad you stopped in. Thank you for your service to our country.

[Snow Bunny]

NEW THREAD

Happy Halloween

[radu]

I hope it was a great one!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good night and sleep well Duchess. Thank you for being the Fashion Coordinator. God bless you good for joining in the support of our troops.

[radu]

I know I'm very late on this thread but I still wanted to say Thank You for the beautiful flowers, Tonk. :-))

[Kathy in Alaska]

Well, I'm all caught up. Briefly checked the Halloween Thread.....Awesome, Linda! Gotta rearrange my closet and then to bed. 9.5 hours sleep in 3 days caught up to me about 3pm this afternoon. Good night from Flunky Gizzard Fanny!

[radu]

ahem...Kathy? It's a bit past your curfew, is it not? giggle! I'm just now getting a chance to on this thread. I may not get any sleep today LOL!!

[Kathy in Alaska]

LOL! I tried to fall asleep at work. If I can make it to bed before 2a, I can get 4 and 1/2 hours sleep. Much better. OK, I'm off to work in the closet.

[radu]

ROTFLOL! Good night, Flunky Gizzard Fanny. Sweet dreams. GET SOME SLEEP!!!! I'll see you tomorrow....er, later today.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Time for bed. God Bless all our troops, their families, our veterans and our Canadian and Israeli allies. We pray for your safe and soon return. Thank you for doing the jobs you do to keep this UNITED STATES OF AMERICA safe. We love all of you.

Thank you Lurker, Toby, Tom Cat, Kyle, Joe, Jake, the Z-Tar, Sneakers, Scully and the Pirates, Brook, Leatherneck Rangler Jody, Cory, Jimmy, Winky, Chez, Martin, John, David C, Parker, and Michael for being part of our family. Thank you to all who enter the Canteen. Salute!

A PRAYER OF PROTECTION

The light of God surround you

The love of God enfold you

The power of God protect you

The presence of God watch over you

Wherever you are, God is,

And all is well.

Amen.

And thanks to Scully and the Pirates, TSgt Munnell, Peter and Greg for your support.

Wherever you are, God is, and all is well! Amen.

~~~ Happy Birthday GooberDoll~~~

[radu]

I love the pics, tomkow. Can't help it...the pic of the young couple with their newborn is my fave out of this set. I couldn't help but get a huge grin when I saw their faces. They look so happy. :-)

[radu]

LOL! Now looky what I did. I missed getting to ride around in the cooooool firetruck. You are providing such fun transportation for us Canteen Girlz, Tonk. Thank you so much.

HUG

[radu]

What a nice thing for the Golden Corral restaurants to do for our military men and women on Veterans Day.

[radu]

I'll bet living in a nudist colony takes all the fun out of Halloween.

LOL!! Leave it to Frank Zappa to come up with that one.

[E.G.C.]

MONACO, FREE TED MAHER NOW!!!!!

[radu]

Great photos, LS. I wonder when (if) we'll ever get to see the Aurora.

[radu]

"Be Careful What You Say"

LOL!!! Good one, Mr_M! I just woke my hubby up laughing at it. Ooops.

[radu]

You two are getting me in trouble! I'm waaaay late to this thread and my hubby is trying to sleep....and your jokes have me laughing so loud, I keep waking him up. LOL!! I love you guys! I know if I laugh this loud, so do the troops.

[radu]

Several years ago, a friend of mine found an album of "The War Of The Worlds" broadcast at a flea market. We all sat around to listen to it and I realized how it was so easily mistaken for a real "event". There was just the tiniest blurb at the very beginning expaining it was a Halloween Special and if you weren't paying close attention, it was missed. It was spell-binding to listen to and I've tried ever since to find another recording of it for my own collection. I love Orson Welles.

What a fun post, Linda.

[radu]

Aaaaah, MoJo, we don't "endure" your babbling at the Useless News Tidbits Corner. We thoroughly enjoy it! You have a fabulous "gift of gab" and your spin on news bits is fantastic.