Free Republic

Amazing photo of a human Statue of Liberty, comprised of 18,000 military men in uniform. Not sure of exactly when it was taken, but the uniforms are WWI era.

Can you even begin to imagine the pain of a 4-year-old after her daddy dies? The mission of Snowball Express, an all-volunteer, non-profit organization, is to help create new memories and a few days of joy for lives that have been shattered by the loss of their fallen hero. It is America's chance to give a gift of gratitude to the children and spouses of those men and women in the U.S. Armed Forces who made the ultimate sacrifice since September 11, 2001. Snowball Express started just last year, and last December we flew 900 grieving family members from all...

Looking for the author of the following: "For those who manned the battle line the bugle whispers low--- and Freedom has a taste and price the protected never know..."

Blackwater U.S.A., which provides security to U.S. diplomats in Iraq, has been found guilty by Iraqi investigators in the death of 17 Iraqi civilians. In Southern California, residents are fighting back against a proposed new training ground for the company. Blackwater U.S.A. has its sights set on a piece of land 45 miles east of San Diego. The security firm wants to build a training complex called "Blackwater West." Its private armed security guards, police and military personnel would use the facility, but many residents in the town of Potrero do not want the controversial company to be their new...

One of the nation’s top military researchers is angry that CBS News anchorman Dan Rather continues to exaggerate and make misleading statements about his military record. The researcher, B.G. Burkett, says that Rather’s inaccaurate statements about his military service can be found in the new hit book "Bias,” written by veteran CBS reporter Bernard Goldberg. Burkett, co-author of the book "Stolen Valor,” a history of the media’s portrayal of the Vietnam conflict, says he’s tired of Rather’s double-talk and hypocrisy.

Cecil "Lucky" Warren passed away the other day. And that raises this question: Even though he died last weekend, was he actually murdered almost four years ago? Some of you may remember the story. Lucky Warren, then 77, was the former World War II Army paratrooper and lifelong professional gardener who was attacked by two young thugs on Veterans Day 2003 as he was cleaning the parking lot outside a bank in Huntington Beach. The thugs knocked him down, kicked him viciously in the head, stole 50 of his hard-earned dollars and left him lying unconscious on the ground. Since...

Congratulations to the Cleveland Indians and the Los Angeles Angels. Both won their respective divisions and made the playoffs today. Boston again lost, and continues to lose ground to the NY Yankees....Can they hang on or will they choke again?

Bremerton, WA. -- A special ceremony was held at the Puget Sound Navy Museum on Aug. 24, to dedicate the sail from the decommissioned submarine USS Parche (SSN 683). “This sail will forever be a tangible and enduring monument which will be used to share [with] our friends and families for all generations,” said Will Longman, chairmen of the Parche Association. “This monument will continue to be part of our lives and it is important to preserve naval history.” The dedication ceremony was sponsored by the Parche Association to preserve the sail and establish the museum exhibit. Retired Rear Adm....

A crowd of people put their hands over their hearts, saluted and thrust flags in the air as the slow procession of Cpl. Joseph Anzack Jr.'s white, silver-trimmed, horse-drawn hearse made its way through the streets of Torrance on Friday. Many stood outside their homes to honor a man who made the ultimate sacrifice in military duty, and to mourn with his family.. Cpl. Joseph Anzack Jr. Complete ArticleProcession slideshow

LONG BEACH - Friends, family and fellow servicemen remembered Staff Sgt. Joshua Whitaker on Tuesday as a great American hero. "Josh wanted to be the best of the best," said long-time friend Matt Miller at Whitaker's funeral, held at Parkcrest Christian Church in Long Beach. Whitaker, a decorated Green Beret and former Millikan High School student, died from enemy small-arms fire during a firefight on May 15 near Qalat, Afghanistan, the Army said. He was 23 years old. ....."Seven days ago we were ambushed (in Afghanistan)," he said. "Josh died defending myself and the other two members (of the unit)....

LONG BEACH - More than 200 friends and family packed into Vision Misionera, a small Spanish church on Elm Avenue, for a funeral service to honor Spc. Astor Sunsin-Pi eda Saturday morning. The 20-year-old combat engineer was killed May 2 when his vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device in Baghdad, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.

World War I veteran Howard Verne Ramsey, believed to be the oldest surviving combat veteran in the United States, has died in Oregon at the age of 108. Ramsey died in his sleep Thursday at an assisted living facility in Portland, the Portland Oregonian reported Saturday. Ramsey, one of the few soldiers who knew how to drive a car when he joined the Army, spent most of his time in France using that skill. As a corporal, he served as a chauffeur for officers and for military funerals and transported supplies to the front lines.

He was hardworking, loyal to his friends and enjoyed playing video games. Alejandro Carrillo wasn't much different from other men his age. On Saturday, his family said goodbye to the 22-year-old Marine sergeant who was killed Jan. 30 while serving in Iraq. "He was a great guy, caring and loving," said his sister-in-law Erika Corrales. The Carson High School graduate died Jan. 30 while conducting combat operations in Anbar. He was a driver with a combat logistics battalion.

The Weather Channel’s most prominent climatologist is advocating that broadcast meteorologists be stripped of their scientific certification if they express skepticism about predictions of manmade catastrophic global warming. This latest call to silence skeptics follows a year (2006) in which skeptics were compared to "Holocaust Deniers" and Nuremberg-style war crimes trials were advocated by several climate alarmists. The Weather Channel’s (TWC) Heidi Cullen, who hosts the weekly global warming program "The Climate Code," is advocating that the American Meteorological Society (AMS) revoke their "Seal of Approval" for any television weatherman who expresses skepticism that human activity is creating a climate...

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger asked the federal government Tuesday for disaster aid because of an ongoing cold snap that has destroyed nearly $1 billion worth of California citrus, and industry officials said shoppers will feel the sting through higher prices for oranges, lemons and other produce. Visiting a Fresno orange grove, Schwarzenegger said he was asking the U.S. government for disaster status, which would allow California to seek aid from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Small Business Administration to offset losses to growers and other businesses. "This is not just about the crop this year. It could also have a...

TMZ has learned that veteran sportscaster Jim Lampley was arrested this evening outside of San Diego, CA on felony charges of domestic abuse. Police tell TMZ that Lampley, probably best known for his work on HBO boxing, posted his $35,000 bail and is awaiting his release from the Vista Jail in San Diego. He faces one felony count of domestic abuse / corporal injury, as well as two misdemeanor counts of violating a restraining order and preventing a witness from testifying.

WASHINGTON — A Muslim-American advocacy group has called on radio talk show host Dennis Prager to be removed from the governing board of the federally-funded U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum after Prager last week blasted a representative-elect for planning to use the Koran at his swearing-in next month. Prager, who is Jewish, slammed Minnesota Democrat Keith Ellison, the first Muslim to be elected to the U.S. Congress, after Ellison announced he plans to have his oath of office photo taken with the Koran, not the Christian Bible, as is tradition. "Insofar as a member of Congress taking an oath to serve...

Sorry if someone has already posted a similar sentiment, but I was going over my list of things to be thankful for, and I didn't see this already posted. That being said, I would like to take this moment to thank Jim Robinson and all those who work so hard to make Free Republic what it is. I cannot imagine what life would be like without this most valuable and important outlet for the free flow of ideas, thought, and debate. I truly feel blessed to be a part of this, and I thank God on this most American of...

Do you agree with a federal judge who on Thursday ruled that the National Security Agency's surveillance program is unconstitutional and violates free speech and privacy rights? Yes (179 Votes, 57%) No (128 Votes, 41%) Don't know/don't care (5 Votes, 2%)

Which party is better suited to deal with terrorism? Republicans 29% Democrats 48% Both are ill-suited 17% Both are equally suited 5% Total Votes: 689