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Posted on 04/10/2006 8:17:15 PM PDT by bittygirl
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 are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.
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| Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel free to address their specific circumstances or whatever issues concern them in an atmosphere of peace, understanding, brotherhood and support. The FReeper Foxhole hopes to share with it's readers an open forum where we can learn about and discuss military history, military news and other topics of concern or interest to our readers be they Veteran's, Current Duty or anyone interested in what we have to offer. If the Foxhole makes someone appreciate, even a little, what others have sacrificed for us, then it has accomplished one of it's missions. We hope the Foxhole in some small way helps us to remember and honor those who came before us.
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 ROAD TRIP! Welcome Aboard the Battleship TEXAS In 1948, the Battleship TEXAS became the first battleship memorial museum in the U.S. That same year, on the anniversary of Texas Independence, the Texas was presented to the State of Texas and commissioned as the flagship of the Texas Navy. In 1983, the TEXAS was placed under the stewardship of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and is permanently anchored on the Buffalo Bayou and the busy Houston Ship Channel. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's 1,200-acre San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site consists of the Battleground, Monument and Battleship TEXAS. These sites are located within minutes of downtown Houston and a short distance to the beaches of Galveston Island. Millions of visitors come to this area each year to enjoy the mild coastal climate and cultural and sports activities. Students and visitors alike are most fortunate to be able to experience history first hand through living history at the San Jacinto Battleground and Battleship TEXAS.
Construction HistoryPhoto courtesy of Battleship TEXAS Archives
 1914 Picture of Battleship TEXAS in it's original configuration. The TEXAS is the last of the battleships, patterned after HMS Dreadnought, that participated in World War (WW) I and II. She was launched on May 18, 1912 from Newport News, Virginia. When the USS TEXAS was commissioned on March 12,1914, she was the most powerful weapon in the world, the most complex product of an industrial nation just beginning to become a force in global events.
In 1916, TEXAS became the first U.S. battleship to mount antiaircraft guns and the first to control gunfire with directors and range-keepers, analog forerunners of today's computers. In 1919, TEXAS became the first U.S. battleship to launch an aircraft. In 1925, the TEXAS underwent major modifications. She was converted to oil-fired boilers, tripod masts and a single stack were added to the main deck, and the 5" guns that bristled from her sides were reduced in number and moved to the main deck to minimize problems with heavy weather and high seas. Blisters were also added as protection against torpedo attack. The TEXAS received the first commercial radar in the US Navy in 1939. New antiaircraft batteries, fire control and communication equipment allowed the ship to remain an aging but powerful unit in the US naval fleet. In 1940, Texas was designated flagship of US Atlantic Fleet. The First Marine Division was founded aboard the TEXAS early in 1941. April 21, 1948 the Texas was decommissioned. The TEXAS holds the distinguished designation of a National Historic Landmark and a National Mechanical Engineering Landmark. Naval History
After being commissioned the TEXAS proceeded almost immediately to Mexican waters where she joined the Special Service Squadron following the "Vera Cruz Incident." She returned to the Atlantic Fleet operations in the fall of 1914, after the Mexican crisis was resolved. After the US entered WW I, she spent the year 1917 training gun crews for merchant ships that were often attacked by gunfire from surfaced submarines. TEXAS joined the 6th Battle Squadron of the British Grand Fleet early in 1918. Operating out of Scapa Flow and the Firth of Forth, TEXAS protected forces laying a North Sea mine barrage, responded to German High Seas Fleet sorties, fired at submarine periscopes observed by multiple ships and helped prevent enemy naval forces from interrupting the supply of Allied forces in Europe. Late in 1918 she escorted the German Fleet en route to its surrender anchorage and escorted President Wilson to peace talks in France. In 1919, she served as a plane guard and navigational reference for the first transatlantic flight by the seaplane NC-4, after which she transferred to the Pacific Fleet. Among other notables, she embarked President Coolidge for a trip to Cuba in 1928. In 1941 while on "Neutrality Patrol" in the Atlantic, TEXAS was stalked unsuccessfully by the German submarine U-203. TEXAS escorted Atlantic convoys against potential attack by German warships after America entered into WW II in December, 1941. In 1942, TEXAS transmitted General Eisenhower's first "Voice of Freedom" broadcast, asking the French not to oppose Allied landings on North Africa. The appeal went unheeded and the TEXAS provided gunfire support for the amphibious assault on Morocco, putting Walter Cronkite ashore to begin his career as a war correspondent. After further convoy duty, the TEXAS fired on Nazi defenses at Normandy on "D-Day," June 6, 1944. Shortly afterwards, she was hit twice in a duel with German coastal defense artillery near Cherbourg, suffering one fatality and 13 wounded. Quickly repaired, she shelled Nazi positions in Southern France before transferring to the Pacific where she lent gunfire support and antiaircraft fire to the landings on Iwo Jima and Okinawa. General Ship DataClass - New York Class Battleship Armament
Restoration of the TEXASPhoto courtesy of Margaret Hooper
 Through the private donations and efforts of the people and businesses of the State of Texas, in addition to State funds, the ship underwent dry dock overhaul in 1988-90 and systematic restoration was begun. Instead of peacetime gray, the TEXAS was painted Measure 21 blue camouflage, which she wore during service in the Pacific in 1945. Nearly 350,000 pounds of steel plating were replaced that were previously removed by the Navy and structural repairs were made to the masts and superstructure of the ship. Following the removal of the non-historic layer of concrete on the main deck, work began on the installation of a new wooden decking. The work of saving the TEXAS in late 1980s has been a great source of pride throughout the state. The restoration would not have been possible if it had not been for the efforts of thousands of people including many school age children who "gave their pennies to save the TEXAS." While the ship officially reopened to the public on September 8, 1990, her restoration is not complete. During the last 10 years, many compartments and work areas on the ship have been carefully refurnished to portray life on a warship in 1945; however, plans have already begun for the next renovation of the TEXAS for the fall of 2005. While the search goes on for a suitable dry dock facility that will handle the weight and configuration of the battleship, the Texas legislature has already budgeted $12.5 million in funding for this renovation. Battleship Texas FoundationThe Battleship Texas Foundation (battleshiptexas.org) was created to assist ongoing preservation and educational efforts aboard this historic ship. Your membership in the Foundation helps ensure that the "Mighty T" continues to tell the story of those who fought for freedom on both sides of the globe. The Foundation engages in fundraising efforts to assist the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department with education, restoration, and maintenance efforts aboard the Battleship TEXAS. They also operate a Youth Education Program (Y.E.P.) to give youth group participants an opportunity to spend the night aboard ship and learn about Navy life in general.
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He certainly wasn't.
Houston's retreat to San Jacinto...and then to time exactly the counter attack - gives one pleasure to contemplate it.
Wonderful move on Houston's part. Waiting and searching for just the right moment.
Good to see you Iris7.
Happy Easter ct.
Puppies shaped from flowers, how adorable!
Yeah, an Easter egg hunt. Waiting patiently for the pictures.
A Happy Easter for all the denizens of the Foxhole.
Will have pictures tomorrow I hope of the big mound of dirt moving project.
Regards
alfa6 ;>}
Easter Sunrise Service 194th Engineer Brigade (Theater Army)
| April 16, 2006
The Great Overcomer
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Who is not inspired by the competitor who makes a comeback after being down and seemingly out of the running! The runner who stumbles while coming off the starting blocks but moves gradually into the lead stirs the imagination of us all. The team that can come from behind in the last moments to win excites us even more than the team that constantly wins by scoring big in the first part of the game.
Jesus made the most amazing comeback the world has ever seen. After being humiliated, insulted, spit upon, whipped, beaten, and nailed to a cross, His executioners claimed victory and declared Him dead. A military guard secured His tomb. How could anyone be more down and out than that?
Yet the struggle was not over; it was only the beginning. Three days later, He rose from the grave and reappeared as the victor over sin, death, and hell—a comeback like no other in all of history.
Are you feeling out of the running today? Have you stumbled badly? Think about Jesus' suffering. Ponder His resurrection. Ask Him to give you the victory. Just imagine what He has to offer you, no matter how far down you are now!
No one has overcome like our Lord. —Mart De Haan
Jesus died to save us and lives to keep us.
Saturday was spent getting the equipment back, picking up the parts for the new fence and beginning to get the fence installed. Then after dinner Sat night Mrs alfa 6 and I are watching the tube when about 8:30 she asks me, "Are those the tornado siren going off?" Quick change the channel and yep them are the tornadee sirens. Fortunately for us the storm went well the wqest and north of us. From what we've heard they weren't as bad as the ones that rolled through about a month ago.
Being Easter Sunday we took the morning off and finsihed getting the fence installed this afternoon.
Here is a pic of the Flower boxes with the 17 yards of dirt in the background.
A picture of the Mitey Earth Moving Equipment, that tiller was no fun in the flower boxes!!! Did I mention that we had to salvage the old fence as well :-)
Here I am getting the Bobcat on the trailer Saturday morning so we can get it back to the rental yard.
I took a couple of pics of the completed work but they did not work out, I will try to get a pic or two in the next day or so.
Regards
alfa6 ;>}
Hi alfa!
Wow those are some flower beds. They are gonna be lovely when filled with blooming flowers.
Thanks for the pics.
I got woke up this AM about 5:30 by a chopper overhead in slow flight. After laying there for a few minutes I went down stairs and turned on the TV. It seems that the little store a few blocks over from me was the victim of a smash and grab robbery this AM. The vehicle of choice for entry was a backhoe!!!.
Here is a pic of what's left of the store...
Here is the backhoe going up on the tow truck...
If you look closely you can see the crime scene tape in the background of the backhoe pick. The perp had drove the backhoe back into a small wooded area where it got stuck. He then jumped off the back hoe and ran across the Santa Fe RR yard and jumped in the Kansas River where he proceeded to attempt to drown. A couple of KC,KS finest jumped in and saved his sorry butt.
The cops are okay and so is the perp, dang it.
Well the week is off to a flying start :-) Y'all have a great week!!!
Regards
alfa6 ;>}
Interesting way to start the week...
| April 17, 2006
Two Gardens
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Two gardens are mentioned prominently in the Bible: the garden of Eden and the garden of Gethsemane. God placed the first man, Adam, in the garden of Eden; Jesus went into Gethsemane to restore what the first man had lost.
The first Adam sinned in the garden; the last Adam took this sin upon Himself. The garden of Eden had the tree of life, which man could have enjoyed forever had he not broken fellowship with God. The garden of Gethsemane was a step toward the tree of death (Acts 5:30; 1 Peter 2:24). By Adam's transgression, he forfeited his right to the tree of life and brought death to all mankind. He who hung on the tree of Calvary conquered death and by His glorious resurrection restored the tree of life to all who believe.
The garden where Adam fell is gone from the earth, but there is a glad day coming when He who suffered alone in Gethsemane will restore all things. The curse will be lifted from the earth, the animals will again be docile (Isaiah 11:6-8), the deserts will disappear (Isaiah 35:6), the earth will yield her increase abundantly (Amos 9:13), and Jesus will be here personally to bless His people (Revelation 21:3).
What Adam lost, Jesus will restore. —M. R. De Haan, M.D.
God formed us; sin deformed us; Christ transforms us.
You'd think he could have just busted a window out, would have been easier. lol.
I swear, you make me tired just looking at all your pictures of the never ending projects you do. The raised beds look great.
Our new yard being wooded has been overrun by high grass, weeds and unidentifiable ground cover.
As you know we have no yard tools so we've just been watching it grow the past few weeks. We did go out and buy a thatch rake to at least get started pulling out some of the junk in the wooded backyard. It's been in the upper 80's and just a little work wore me out!
The truck will finally arrive in about a half hour. I told him he could recognize our house by being the one with the grass knee high!
Luckily it is cooling down to the 70's the next few days so we should get lots of yard work done and finally look like civilized folks!
Wow. Those are neat.
He He
Regards
alfa6 ;>}
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