A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....02-06-03...A Pit Stop by John Huang

JohnHuang2, Billie, Dutchess | JohnHuang2

[dutchess]

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

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 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.

      

GROUP 9A: 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.

GROUP 10A: TOP: dakine's wife, MeeknMing's dad, Auntbee's nephew, MilitiaMan7, AlasBabylon. BOTTOM:  Joe Brower, Temple Owl, Temple Owl's wife, dutchess' dad, Aomagrat.

GROUP 11A: 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.

                     

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Honoring the seven astronauts who died in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, jets fly over the crowd in a missing man formation during a memorial service at the NASA Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2003. White House photo by Paul Morse.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Pit Stop in Texas

by JohnHuang2

Bush spoke movingly at the memorial service in Houston's Johnson Space Center Tuesday, a ceremony in honor of the seven Columbia astronauts killed tragically Saturday minutes before their scheduled Florida landing.

In words both somber and hopeful, consoling and defiant, Bush saluted the daring heroism of the crew, 7 fearless frontiersmen of space whose high-spirited lives of quest and adventure tragically ended in the morning skies over Texas. So poignantly true-life his portrait capturing their vivacious spirit, Bush's words reached out to heaven and brought our hero seven, one by one, back down to Earth, here among us if ever so briefly -- a fleeting, yet quiet pitstop before resuming their voyage eternal.

"Each of these astronauts," said Bush, "had the daring and the discipline required of their calling. Each of them knew great endeavors are inseparable from great risk, each of them accepted those risks willingly, even joyfully, in the cause of discovery."

Bush, his stature grown to hero status in the wake of 9/11, has braved the latest jolt of tragedy seemingly unruffled, his calm and steady poise reassuring a nation girding for possible war.

Indeed, almost from the moment George W. Bush set foot in the White House, his leadership has been tested. And, on each occasion, with grace and eloquence, wisdom and style, he's more than met the challenge head on.

If ever existed a textbook case of exemplary leadership in times of crisis, the kind of guy you would want at the helm during days like these, President George W. Bush would have to be it. Against the greatest tests and challenges, he rallies the nation together, with unflinching courage, he takes command with bold and decisive steps early on, seizing the initiative, buoying hopes with fierce determination as he resolves to remain resolute, regardless how thankless, how joyless, how unrequited the task.

Bush is a shoulders-to-the-wheel President, self-possessed, unwaveringly iron-willed -- displaying a mettle and grit, valor and boldness in his discharge of duty equaled only to his unyielding sense of mission, virtues rare in an age of polls and focus groups and 'moist-finger-to-the-wind' politics.

Passionate yes, yet a master of his passion, strong and resolute, always a leader, mindful not to let events or emotions spiral out of control, his feet at all times planted firmly on the ground. At times like these, our nation demands a leader, and challenges and problems have, for this reason, more than met their match in George W. Bush.

Bush's enemies, hoping the loss of Columbia and the search for clues in the painful aftermath would derail war plans, fail to grasp an essential ingredient of Bush's character: Purposefulness. The course of action he's chosen is firm and final, undeterred by outside pressures and events, the guiding mission of his Presidency redeeming his pledge to win the War on Terror.

Our seven Columbia heroes would have it no other way.
God bless them, God bless their families,
and God bless the United States of America
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Anyway, that's...

My two cents..

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 02-03-03 Homeschool Mama 02-04-03 Sauropod 02-05-03 ST.LOUIE1 Birthday

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

I plege allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, One Nation Under God, With Liberty and Justice for All.

[Mixer]

Good Morning all! Yesterday was a victory for freedom and the future of our children and grandchildren. Anyone who is not on board with the USA at this point never will be, so I think it is time we moved on with the friends we have and take care of this little problem before one of our friends suffers at the hands of a tyrant.

I will be reading through all of the thread today because lately I have only had the time to make it by to post a good morning and then leave for the day.

I want to thanks John for his great words about the 7 Incredible human beings who lost their lives and thanks for remembering their families and firends.

Thanks to dutchess for the ping and to MeeknMing for the layout. I am not going to pour another cup and to get to some reading.

Thanks to all who make this thread so special

God bless the "FR Finest" thread and all of our family and friends

[FreeTheHostages]

{{Mixer}} Good morning.

[Mixer]

God bless all of you and your family members that are serving our country proud. I pray for a safe return to all of them

Mama and Pippin...We have grown close and I wiant you to know that I am thinking of you and your Niece and Nephews on this day and every day until they are back in your arms.

Durchess....thanks for this list.

[Mixer]

You may or may not have just heard Colin Poweel say this but this is from a FR thread that is running now.

Wow! Saying he was outraged to find out that for several years IN THE 1990'S we not only didn't hire anyone, we didn't even give the exam!"

Miss Marple

[dansangel]

{{{{{{{{{{{Aqua}}}}}}}}}}}

What a beautiful rainbow!! Are you having flurries up your way? Every once in a while we can see some "white stuff" falling, but it's VERY insignificant.

[dansangel]

g'mornin' {{{{{{{{{{{{{g'nad}}}}}}}}}}}}

Mostly wet stuff here in Atlanta with a few "white things" (no 4-letter words allowed!!) mixed in every now and again.

I'm done with winter....can't it be, like, 72 degrees from now on???

[dansangel]

God bless the "FR Finest" thread and all of our family and friends

I second that!

{{{{{{{{{{{{Mixer}}}}}}}}}}}}}} I've *missed* you!

So glad you're not traveling "incognito" anymore!!!

[Mixer]

So glad you're not traveling "incognito" anymore!!!

Dansy....I am back but I am not sure if that statement fits exactly....just yet anyway. I am working it out though and the handbook is very helpful ; )

[g'nad]

I like the snowfall...

only problem is, none of the yahoos 'round here know how to drive in it...

g'mornin' darlin...

[Aquamarine]

Haven't seen any type of moisture come down here yet this morning.
(((hugs))) to you. :)

[dansangel]

only problem is, none of the yahoos 'round here know how to drive in it...

Pffffttttt! :-)

Here, it's RAIN that no one knows how to drive in. After living in FL for so long where the rain comes down in SHEETS, it's amazing to me the amount of pile-ups here in Atlanta when it *sprinkles*.

S-N-O-W (that durned 4-letter word!) is pretty to look at, but my preference is white beach sand and lots of Atlantic! LOL!!!!

[dansangel]

Haven't seen any type of moisture come down here yet this morning.

So much for the weather report this morning. It said *most* of the precipitation was going to hang north of here! From the looks of things (and your first-hand report) I'd say they were off by about 50 miles. :-)

[Billie]

Happy Anniversary, lonestar!

[LadyX]

My Dear John Letter for this day:

How blessed we are to weekly have your views on the world!
Your inimitable style without fail reaches our minds and hearts -
causes us to pause and ruminate, savoring what you present.

We are informed, stirred, sometimes amused -
often challenged to stretch beyond the confines
of ordinary thoughts to reach your level.
We are always edified;
sometimes cajoled, prodded, uplifted -
and never, never disappointed.

This moving tribute to our Fallen Ones is truly beautiful,
Dear John.

Thank you for your gifts to us.

[Billie]

I'm with dutchess on this one, John. All of your essays are just excellent - some a bit humorous, some more serious - but there is something about this President (and you capture our feelings so well) that makes me emotional; there is a greatness about him that liberals and even independents don't and won't accept....but it's there. There is something about him - the presence of God surrounds him, and every time he is challenged, he rises to the occasion...whatEVER the occasion!

Thank you, John, for your words that so eloquently describe our President, and this moving tribute to the heros of the Columbia tragedy.

[LadyX]

What a way to start the day, with another of your feasts of sight and song!

Thank you, Aqua - a rainbow in our midst, is what you are.

[Billie]

Good morning, jw. I'm glad you got to read this moving essay/tribute before retiring last night, too. I see you're one of the early posters to the thread - the first one as a matter of fact. You beat Aeronaut! :)

[Billie]

Hi, Dave. You were up late last night! :)

[FreeTheHostages]

It's just as the President days. "I feel the power of your prayers."

[Aquamarine]

If I'm a rainbow then you're the pot of gold. :)

Did you recognize Alaska in that picture?