A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....11-01-02

Billie

[Billie]

A Few of FR's Finest.....
......Every Day

FR is a Treasure Trove of talented, compassionate, patriotic, wonderful people who gather every day to discuss the latest news and issues;  salute
and support our military and our leaders;  tell a few jokes;  learn a new
word;  write poetry;  pray for those in need;  and congratulate those who
are deserving. Thank you, Jim Robinson, for giving us the vehicle in which
we can express ourselves.

Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.  I
can remember lurking when there were only a few regulars who posted, and now there are over 60,000 who have registered for posting privileges. The forum is read daily by tens of thousands
of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world.

A Few of FR's Finest November 11, 2001

So many people have written me since my original Veteran's Day Tribute, asking how they, or a loved one, could be included in that tribute. Since I can no longer add the photos to the body of the thread, I've been including them in additional posts as I received enough to make another collage.

Still that doesn't seem to be enough. I think there's never been a better nor more appropriate time to keep the faces of our own Veterans and Active Military in front of FReepers--every day! That's why I wanted to do yet another Daily Thread .....ABOUT FReepers .....and FOR FReepers. But not only about our Military FReepers; for all FReepers! Wouldn't it be nice to get to know a few of the other FReepers as well? That's why, in addition to seeing FR's Finest Military Personnel every day, I thought it might be fun to feature a different FReeper (or FReepers) each day. If you would like to be pictured, or know someone who would, please FReepmail me and we'll turn the spotlight - on YOU - for the day!

And do let me know if you'd like your picture added to the groups of Veterans/Active Military below. I will keep this page updated, and continue to add them to the comment section of the original Veteran's Day thread as well.

TOP: Logos, SwedeGirl's hubby, Neil E Wright, FallGuy, 1John, Sneakypete
MIDDLE:  T'wit, COB1, LadyX, Dick Bachert, 68-69TonkinGulfYatchClub
BOTTOM:  YankeeinSC, Delta21, JoeSixPack1

TOP:  Bosniajmc, AFVetGal, Archy, A Navy Vet

MIDDLE:  4TheFlag, Aeronaut, 68Grunt, Xinga

BOTTOM:  Codger, AAABest, Clinton's A Liar, Duke809, dcwusmc

TOP:  mc5cents, Norb2569, LBGA's son, VanJenerette

MIDDLE:  Jim Robinson, KJenerette, davidosborne, KG9Kid

BOTTOM:  gwmoore, Equality7-2521, SAMWolf

TOP:  porgygirl, Phil V., MudPuppy, NorCoGOP

MIDDLE:  RaceBannon, OneidaM, rdb3, jwTexian

BOTTOM:  USMC Vet, TheMayor, Vineyard, rhododogma

TOP:  spectr17, RightOnline, SERE_Doc, Tet68

MIDDLE:  FutureSnakeEater, RightOnline's wife, CIApilot, Clamper1797
BOTTOM:  usmcobra, onedoug, DiverDave, Joe6-pack

                     

Did You Ever Know
That You're My Hero?

I would like to take a moment and thank each and every person who has served our country in both war and in peace, as well as those who are serving to protect our freedom now.

Below are a few more of our FReeper family...those who have worn, or are now wearing, our country's uniform. Thank you for serving. You are appreciated so much.

Back: ladtx #2 son; DiverDave's twin Don; petuniasevan and husband
poorman; Mustard; ladtx #1 son;
Front: AlamoGirl's brother Floyd; AG's dad; AG's brother Jim (inset);
WVNan's husband; ladtx Aunt Eva.

Ladtx' oldest son is a Captain (Weapons Systems Officer) in B-1's at Ellsworth AFB, SD. He's been in about 5-6 years now. His second son is a SP4 in a reserve Civil Affairs Battalion in Lubbock, Texas. He has been in the reserves for about 2-3 years. He hopes to go on active duty when he graduates from Lubbock Christian University.

Ladtx' aunt was a driver at the Pentagon during WWII. When she left the army at the end of the war as a sergeant she went to work as a civilian at the Pentagon and did that for about 30 years until she retired. She passed away about 1 1/2 years ago. She's missed.

WVNan's husband trained with the 456th Platoon, U.S. Marine Corps in 1953 at San Diego, CA. He served in Korea and Japan, and was later stationed at Cmp Lejeune. He served six years and gained the rank of Sergeant.

Mustard served in the U.S. Air Force from 1972 - 1976. He often brings us news stories of the military today when he posts.

Diver Dave's twin brother, Don served in the U.S. Marines from 1963 - 1967. His duty stations were USMCRD, San Diego; Camp Pendleton, CA; Okinawa; Vietnam; Camp Lejeune, NC.

Petuniasevan served in the U.S. Air Force 1984 - 1988 as an aircraft mechanic (B-52G Bombers) at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana. Poorman also served at Barksdale AFB 1984 - 1988 as a telecommunications technician with the 46th Comm. Group. They were married on 8-24-85 at Barksdale AFB, LA.

Alamo Girl's father, Loyd Gragg, retired as Master Sergeant (he was Army-Air Force, previously in the last Cavalry unit at Ft. Sam) - he is buried at Ft. Sam with my mother.

Alamo Girl's brother, Floyd Akers, Jr. retired from the Navy as CWO 3 - he is also buried at Ft. Sam.

FRJim is a picture of my surviving brother, Jim Gragg who retired from the Air National Guard with the rank of Major.

Alamo Girl also included a picture of her sister, Donna Schunk who passed away last year, October 1, 2001. She included it because "all my beloved friends on FR prayed for her and for me during her struggle against cancer." There were many threads, including this one: Alamo Girl's Sister..Services on October 6th


Thank You, America's and FR's Finest!

THIS WEEK'S THREADs

10-28-02 Salvation
10-29-02 Patriciaruth
10-30-02 Halloween Party
10-31-02 JohnHuangEssay

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' The guy's good, folks!

Thanks, Mixer!

     1) Click on the graphic to open the Calendar.
     2) Once there you can click on any month and even click to the right to go into next year. Once you are in the month that you joined FR you will need to click on the number in the calendar and then an add item screen will come up.
     3) In the next box enter your name in the "Calendar Text" field and then click on submit.
     4) If any of the screens fail to load simply click on refresh in your browser and that will usually fix it.
     5) If all else fails or simply if you want me to do this for you send me an FReepmail and I will gladly do it for you. ~Mixer

[GailA]

Unfortunately I don't have any. When Dennis got divorced his ex-x kept all his photos. My brother got all the photos of my step dad and when Dennis' mom died all the photos of his uncle went to his hateful youngerst brother who won't share. So we haven't photos of them in uniform.

[dutchess]

"...and Mr. B kept lingering for 'one more cup of coffee..."

Don't you just hate when your spouse wants to spend quality time with you when all you want to do is freep!!!!!!

[LadyX]

This is NOT the oft-circulated version of the old Ant & Grasshopper Story!!

It rather is an analysis of the various news-reporting agencies and individuals on it!
Read it and chuckle..:)))

CLASSIC VERSION:

The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long,
building his house and laying up supplies for the winter.
The grasshopper thinks he's a fool and laughs and dances
and plays the summer away.

Come winter, the ant is warm and well fed.
Grasshopper has no food or shelter so he dies out in the cold.

MODERN VERSION:

The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long,
building his house and laying up supplies for the winter.
The grasshopper thinks he's a fool and laughs
and dances and plays the summer away.

Come winter, the shivering grasshopper calls a press conference
and demands to know why the ant should be allowed to be warm
and well fed while others are cold and starving.

CBS, NBC and ABC show up to provide pictures of the shivering
grasshopper next to a video of the ant in his comfortable home
with a table filled with food.

America is stunned by the sharp contrast.
How can this be, that in a country of such wealth,
this poor grasshopper is allowed to suffer so?

Kermit the Frog appears on Oprah with the grasshopper, and everybody cries when they sing "It's Not Easy Being Green."

Jesse Jackson stages a demonstration in front of the ant's house where the news stations film the group singing "We shall overcome".
Jesse then has the group kneel down to pray to God for the grasshopper's sake.

Al Gore exclaims in an interview with Peter Jennings that the ant
has gotten rich off the back of the grasshopper, and calls for an
immediate tax hike on the ant to make him pay his "fair share".

Finally, the EOC drafts the "Economic Equity and Anti-Grasshopper Act,"
retroactive to the beginning of the summer.

The ant is fined for failing to hire a proportionate number of green
bugs and, having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes,
his home is confiscated by the government.

Hillary gets her old law firm to represent the grasshopper in a
defamation suit against the ant, and the case is tried,
before a panel of federal judges that Bill appointed from a list of multi-generation welfare recipients.
The ant loses the case.

The story ends as we see the grasshopper finishing up the last bits
of the ant's food while the government house he is in, which just
happens to be the ant's old house, crumbles around him because
he doesn't maintain it.

The ant has disappeared in the snow.

The grasshopper is found dead in a drug related incident and the
house, now abandoned, is taken over by a gang of spiders who
terrorize the once peaceful neighborhood.

MORAL OF THE STORY:

VOTE REPUBLICAN !!!

[lodwick]

Read Each One Carefully and Think About It a Second or Two

1. I love you not because of who you are, but because of who I am when I am with you.


2. No man or woman is worth your tears, and the one who is, won't make you cry.



3. Just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to, doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.


4. A true friend is someone who reaches for your hand and touches your heart.


5. The worst way to miss someone is to be sitting right beside them knowing you can't have them.


6. Never frown, even when you are sad, because you never know who is falling in love with your smile.


7. To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.

8. Don't waste your time on a man/woman, who isn't willing to waste their time on you.


9. Maybe God wants us to meet a few wrong people before meeting the right one, so that when we finally meet the person, we will know how to be grateful.


10. Don't cry because it is over, smile because it happened.


11. There's always going to be people that hurt you so what you have to do is keep on trusting and just be more careful about who you trust next time around.


12. Make yourself a better person and know who you are before you try and know someone else and expect them to know you.


13. Don't try so hard, the best things come when you least expect them to.

REMEMBER: WHATEVER HAPPENS, HAPPENS FOR A REASON.

email from a friend.

[JustAmy]

Good Friday to everyone. I will try to get back before time for the Rally. If not, have a GRATE week-end.

JustMe

[dutchess]

Hi Billie. Glad to finally get here today and enjoyed meeting some of our military family.

OWFan and Nan. I am absolutely GREEN with envy. And what a thrill for Eric. Just read last night's dose....and all I can say is WOW! Can't wait to see the pictures!

[LadyX]

{{{{{{{JustHugs}}}}}}} to {{{{{{{JustYou}}}}}}} !!!

[LadyX]

A true 'absorb and keep' one, loddy.
Thanks ~ ~ ~

[lodwick]

Good job with the grasshopper and the ant - thanks for bringing it.

A young Puerto Rican man walked into the local employment office, marched
straight up to the counter and said, "Hi, I'm lookin' for a job."

The man behind the counter replied, "Your timing is amazing. We've just got
a listing from a very wealthy man who wants a chauffeur/bodyguard for his
nympho daughter. You'll have to drive around in a big black Mercedes, but
the suits, shirts, and ties are provided. Because of the long hours of this
job, meals will also be provided and you will also be required to escort
the young lady on her overseas holidays. The salary package is $200,000 a
year.".

The Puerto Rican said, "Ah c'mon, you're bull$hitting me!"

The man behind the counter said, "Well, you started it!".

[JustAmy]

An extremely modest man was in the hospital for a series of tests, the last of which left his bodily systems extremely upset.

Upon making several false alarm trips to the bathroom, he decided the latest episode was another and stayed put, which was a mistake. He filled his bed with diarrhea and was embarrassed beyond his ability to remain rational.

In a complete loss of composure, he jumped out of bed, gathered up the bed sheets, and threw them out the hospital window.

A drunk was walking by the hospital when the sheets landed on him. He started yelling, cursing, and swinging his arms violently trying to get the unknown thing off, ending up with the soiled sheets in a tangled pile at his feet.

As the drunk stood staring down, unsteady on his feet, a hospital security guard who had watched the whole incident, walked up and asked, "What the heck is going on here?"

The drunk, still staring down replied: "I think I just beat the sh** out of a ghost."

Belated Happy Halloween!

Heh Heh Heh

JustFrank

[lodwick]

Good job Frank - thanks for the laugh. That's funny!

[LadyX]

Sighing . . . . .
Attitude and presentation do count !!

[LadyX]

Frankie, Frankie, Frankie - - LOLOLOL !!

[WVNan]

ohioWfan had to drive 3 hours back home, then she had to get a birthday party ready for her daughter. She may get around later tonight.

[WVNan]

A night to remember for sure. One of the best parts of it for me was getting to meet ohioWfan and Eric.

[Aquamarine]

Hope your weather is not as dreary as ours has been for the last two weeks. I am lonesome for the sun.

It has been overcast today with a little sunshine although very chilly here in the mountains. The leaves are still putting out some color and it looks alot like this scene of a picture that was painted not far from here.

[lodwick]

[ST.LOUIE1]

You ever gonna get here? :)

I'm here!

And ain't you cute, Ms. BillieBlue? : )

Hi, BillieBird! : )

[ST.LOUIE1]

Fried Chicken Liver Lovers Unite !!

What a title! LOL

Hi, Sexy X'y!

[ST.LOUIE1]

Pat's Bar & Grill, St.Louis, MO

I've been there once or twice. : )