A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day - Weekend....12-07,08-02

Billie and Mama_Bear | Billie and Mama_Bear

[Mama_Bear]

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: Q6-God, Scan59, Mama Bear and JKPhoto's son, ofMagog.
MIDDLE:  Big'ol_freeper, JustAmy's great uncle, Prodigal Son.
BOTTOM:  JustAmy's husband, JustAmy's brother-in-law, JustAmy's brother.

TOP: dakine's wife, MeeknMing's dad, Auntbee's nephew, MilitiaMan7, AlasBabylon.
BOTTOM:  Joe Brower, Temple Owl, Temple Owl's wife, dutchess' dad, Aomagrat.

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

We now have eleven groups of veterans/active military; we will post each group of three or four twice a week, with thumbnail/links of the remaining seven or eight groups on each thread. Click on any of the thumbnails below to see the group full-size.

         

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

GROUP 2A: TOP:  Bosniajmc, AFVetGal, Archy, A Navy Vet MIDDLE:  4TheFlag, Aeronaut, 68Grunt, Xinga BOTTOM:  Codger, AAABest, Clinton's A Liar, Duke809, dcwusmc

GROUP 3A: TOP:  mc5cents, Norb2569, LBGA's son, VanJenerette MIDDLE:  Jim Robinson, KJenerette, davidosborne, KG9Kid BOTTOM:  gwmoore, Equality7-2521, SAMWolf

GROUP 4A: TOP:  porgygirl, Phil V., MudPuppy, NorCoGOP MIDDLE:  RaceBannon, OneidaM, rdb3, jwTexian BOTTOM:  USMC Vet, TheMayor, Vineyard, rhododogma

         

GROUP 5A: TOP:  spectr17, RightOnline, SERE_Doc, Tet68. MIDDLE:  FutureSnakeEater, RightOnline's wife, CIApilot, Clamper1797. BOTTOM:  usmcobra, onedoug, DiverDave, Joe6-pack.

GROUP 6A: TOP:  g'nad, AgThorn's son Justin, SLB, AgThorn's son Brett. MIDDLE:  fish70, razorback-bert, CheneyChick, Leroy S Mort, Mark17. BOTTOM:  Terry's Take, Taxman, DinkyDau.

GROUP 7A: TOP:  ValerieUSA's son Grant, SK1Thurman, kd5cts, RangerVetNam, dansangel and .45man's son-in-law Tony.BOTTOM:  rangerX, Old China Hand, Trish, Howlin's dad, Mustang.

GROUP 8A: TOP: ohioWfan's son, MamaBear's father-in-law, MamaBear's dad, ladtx. MIDDLE:  The Mayor's niece, M.Kehoe, Beach_Babe's son-in-law. BOTTOM:  deadhead's dad, HiJinx, Severa's hubby, viligantcitizen's granddad.

                     

To Our FReeper FRiends: We hope you've been having as much fun as we have with our spotlight on various FReepers. We thought we'd kick back on the weekends and simply review those who've been featured during the week. If you missed seeing them and want to say hello to them now, feel free to click on the link to that particular thread. If you'd like to drop in and out of this thread today and tomorrow, please feel free to do that also. One of us will always be around to see the welcome mat is still out, and maybe even put fresh flowers on the table. :)

"Getting to Know You"

THIS WEEK'S THREADS


12-02-02 "The Exclusive Interview " ...................NICMARLO
12-03-02 "Artist and Finest FReeper" ...........................JWFIV
12-04-02 "Finest Profiles" .......................PROFILE PAGES #7
MHGinTN, Tumbleweed_Connection, Shermy, Flyer, Sabertooth, Xenalyte
12-05-02 "John's Two Cents" ..........................JOHNHUANG2
"The Saudi Story -- The Sequel "
12-06-02 "The Unauthorized Biograpy" ........MUDBOY SLIM










Strangers are just friends waiting to happen

Pearl Harbor -
Day of Remembrance
December 7, 1941





From the USS Arizona Website......

"Japanese aircraft appeared in the air over Pearl Harbor just before 8:00 am on this Sunday morning. The color detail was on deck in anticipation of raising the flag at the stern at 8:00. The Arizona came under attack almost immediately, and at about 8:10 received a hit by a 800-kilogram bomb just forward of turret two on the starboard side. Within a few seconds the forward powder magazines exploded, gutting the forward part of the ship. The foremast and forward superstructure collapsed forward into the void created by the explosion and turrets one and two, deprived of support, dropped more than 20 feet relative to their normal position. The explosion ignited furious fires in the forward part of the ship.

The majority of the crew members were either killed by the explosion and fire or were trapped by the rapid sinking of the ship. Many of the survivors displayed remarkable courage in assisting their shipmates to safety. Lieutenant Commander Samuel G. Fuqua was awarded the Medal of Honor for his role in leading the rescue of other survivors. It was also awarded posthumously to Rear Admiral Isaac Kidd and Captain Franklin Van Valkenburgh. 1,177 of the crew died on the ship."



Some excellent websites to visit as we remember the
victims and the survivors of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Pearl Harbor Remembered
USS Arizona Site
USS Utah Site

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

A reminder from Billie...

[MistyCA]

thanks, MB! Actually, Minneapolis is having a heatwave...it is almost 40 on my front porch! :)

[daisyscarlett]

Good morning ladies. What a great thread Lori has done for us today!!

[daisyscarlett]

Good morning....My eyes are blurry from looking at poinsettias but I did find some great cakes for us in the process. (You have FreepMail).

All: Aquamarine and I are doing a special Christmas music thread on 12/23/02-come and join us and you will get what I mean about poinsettias and blurry eyes, lol. Till then, please enjoy.

[firewalk]

Good morning, hope you have a great Saturday

[JustAmy]

Thanks for the post, Ladtx.
May God Bless and Comfort the Families and Friends of these brave young men.
God Bless and Protect our Military and God Bless America!

[Aquamarine]

Those look lovely!
You have mail now.

[JustAmy]

Good Morning, Miss Daisy.
Shaggy and I are wishing you a beautiful Saturday!

[ST.LOUIE1]

Now that's what I call a wake up call!! LOL

Morning, Pipster!

[lodwick]

Salute!

[MeekOneGOP]

Morning !

[LadyX]

How thoughtful of you to post that lovely rendition, Aquamarine!
The offerings of Mannheim Steamroller are such a smorgasboard of delights, never knowing where they will veer..:))
Always interesting and pleasing.

((( Thank you - thank you - thank you Hugs )))

[FreeTheHostages]

Thanks for the sausage. And no teasing me for just waking up -- I've been busy all morning and just had time to catch a bite!

[LadyX]

ladtx, your touching reminders posted here help us keep all things in perspective about what is owed to so many, living and dead.

Since this is a most special Day of Remembrance, I wonder how many of us on the Finest were living on December 1941?

My own memory is vivid, being 7 1/2 when my parents hushed us to hear the somber news broadcast on the radio console.
I understood it to be most important and serious, and that the world was reshaped in that moment.

I lived in Coral Gables, Florida then (suburb of Miami) and several times German subs were seen surfacing right in Biscayne Bay; and I bought war stamps to put in war bond books and gathered scrap metal and old newspapers for the war effort.

We conducted blackout drills, with black fabric pulled over the windows, filled the tub with water should power go off, etc., but I never lived in dread.

I do not think the children of today should be shielded from possible realities - rather, be taught how to cope, physically and emotionally, with the punches and possible deprivation.

The rationing of goods will be much harder for them to take than our society of 1941 on the heels of the Depression.
There were no television sets nor computers in general use then, nor many closets full of clothes and the latest toys.

I imagine children of conservatives will do better in adjusting to such things than 'blinders on' Democrats accustomed to being given all their needs.

Please chime in if you do indeed remember Pearl Harbor.

[MeekOneGOP]

I'm back home now! Dad's doing better and he insisted he didn't need me to help him anymore.

Now I'm playing catchup on my e-mail and found this one. I thought ya'll might like it:

Subject: marine letter home

Dear Ma and Pa;

Am well. Hope you are. Tell Brother Walt and Brother Elmer the Marine Corps beats working for old man Minch by a mile. Tell them to join up quick before maybe all of the places are filled. I was restless at first because you got to stay in bed till nearly 6 a.m., but am getting so I like to sleep late.

Tell Walt and Elmer all you do before breakfast is smooth your cot and shine some things. No hogs to slop, feed to pitch, mash to mix, wood to split, fire to lay. Practically nothing. Men got to shave but it is not so bad, they get warm water.

Breakfast is strong on trimmings like fruit juice, cereal, eggs, bacon, etc..., but kind of weak on chops, potatoes, ham, steak, fried eggplant, pie and other regular food. But tell Walt and Elmer you can always sit between two city boys that live on coffee. Their food plus yours holds you till noon, when you get fed again. It's no wonder these city boys can't walk much.

We go on "route" marches, which the Platoon Sergeant says are long walks to harden us. If he thinks so, it is not my place to tell him different. A "route march" is about as far as to our mailbox at home. Then the city guys gets sore feet and we all ride back in trucks. The country is nice, but awful flat.

The Sergeant is like a schoolteacher. He nags some. The Capt. is like the school board. Majors and Colonels just ride around and frown. They don't bother you none.

This next will kill Walt and Elmer with laughing.

I keep getting medals for shooting. I don't know why. The bulls-eye is near as big as a chipmunk and don't move. And it ain't shooting at you, like the Higgett boys at home. All you got to do is lie there all comfortable and hit it. You don't even load your own cartridges. They come in boxes.

Be sure to tell Walt and Elmer to hurry and join before other fellers get onto this setup and come stampeding in.

Your loving daughter,

Gail

P.S. Speaking of shooting, enclosed is $200 towards a new barn roof and ma's teeth. Them city boys shoot craps, but not very good.

[ST.LOUIE1]

Morning, badgirlbear. : )

LOL!!! Geez, Louie, whatever are you talking about? LOL!

Huh? Aw, you know, you're just teasin', right? You don't fool Louie with the old angelbear trick. : )

BTW, message to Bonnie... Clyde will pick her up at eight o'clock sharp. Snorf!!!

You are sooooooo cute. When I see her, I will tell her. ;-)

LOL

Good morning, LouieWolf! I have weekend company coming, so I can't tend the thread this morning like I usually do.
I still have some last minute house cleaning to do. A vacuuming I go. TTYL. :-)

Have fun! : )

Smoooooch!!!

[ST.LOUIE1]

Where's my brother?

Right where he should be...with you. : )

Hi, Sis!!

[JustAmy]

There you are!!!

Good Morning, Bro!

[LadyX]

You have definitely provided the Best Laugh of the Day, Meekie!

Thanks for the wonderful news about your Dad's continuing recovery.

[MeekOneGOP]

Thank you.....

[ST.LOUIE1]

There you are!!!

Yes, I are!

Good Morning, Bro!

Morning, Sis! Are we up to anything today? : )