Free Republic

At precisely 3.10am, the guns thundered into life and the soldiers rose, lit up cigarettes and followed the booming artillery barrage into battle, their objective a French village named Le Hamel. As dawn loomed it was all over. The village had fallen, casualties were mercifully light (by World War One standards) and victory was complete. In his detailed planning, Australian commander Lieutenant General John Monash calculated this would take 90 minutes. It actually took 93. The Battle of Hamel, fought on July 4, 1918, was a sign of what was to come as allied forces achieved battlefield mastery after three...

Exactly a week after two terrorists killed Father Jacques Hamel while he said mass in his own church, nearly 2,000 mourners paid their respects to the Catholic priest, described by his sister as “my brother. Everyone’s brother.” The emotionally powerful ceremony at Rouen cathedral, attended by the French interior minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, and religious leaders including Muslim representatives, took place amid high security. Hundreds of people who could not get into the cathedral watched the ceremony from under umbrellas on a big screen. Priests lead the procession as Father Hamel’s coffin is carried to the cathedral. Photograph: Jacky Naegelen/Reuters Dominique...

NEW YORK (ChurchMilitant.com) - Following news of the murder of a French priest by ISIS militants Tuesday, an editorial writer for the Wall Street Journal is announcing his conversion to the Catholic faith. In a tweet posted Tuesday, Sohrab Ahmari stated "this is the right moment to announce that [he is] converting to Roman Catholicism." The message was prefaced by the hashtag #IAmJacquesHamel, referring to the 84-year-old priest murdered Tuesday morning by Islamic terrorists while celebrating morning Mass at his parish in Normandy, France. Ahmari noted he is currently under instruction at the London Oratory, shorthand for the Brompton...

Sohrab Ahmari, Editorial writer for the Wall Street Journal, announced on Twitter that he is converting to Catholicism. His tweet read: “#IAmJacquesHamel: In fact, this is the right moment to announce that I’m converting to Roman Catholicism.” The hashtag “IAmJacquesHamel” refers to the French priest Fr. Jacques Hamel who was recently brutally murdered by Islamic extremists while serving Mass in France. Ahmari was born in Tehran, Iran and moved to the U.S. when he was 13 years old. Though he earned a law degree from Northeastern University in Boston, he was inspired to start working as a journalist after...

('A war of religions': Fury in France over how known jihadists on terror watchlist were allowed to murder priest as Sarkozy calls for 'a merciless response) Fury has erupted in France as the nation's current and former leaders call for a 'merciless' response to an attack that left an 84-year-old priest dead and a nun critically injured. Two knifemen burst into a Normandy church this morning before filming themselves butchering elderly priest, Jacques Hamel, and performing a 'sermon in Arabic' at the altar, according to a witness. French president Francois Hollande said the country is now 'at war' with ISIS...

Lord, Keep our Troops forever in Your care Give them victory over the enemy... Grant them a safe and swift return... Bless those who mourn the lost. . FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer for all those serving their country at this time. ...................................................................................... ........................................... U.S. Military History, Current Events and Veterans Issues Where Duty, Honor and Countryare acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated. 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...