Free Republic

The U.S. Marines rationed him two beers a day. It's a detail Ken Kurkowski remembered about serving in Vietnam. He recalled war protesters spitting on him at the San Francisco airport and barely escaping death when his tank exploded. The veteran poured everything -- the bloodshed, the wild nights, the letters to his girlfriend -- onto 106 pages. Within a year, the Library of Congress will make his memoir a piece of American history. Congress launched the Veterans History Project in 2000. It collects oral and written histories, photos and video interviews from veterans, Red Cross workers, United Service Organizations...

I ran across some stock certs of my fathers that he acquired in 1983 of Litton Industries now owned by Northrop. How do I determine the value of those stocks? Thanks

Two worlds collide as Tenerife sunbathers rush to help migrants By Fiona Govan in Tenerife (Filed: 05/08/2006) The sun was sinking towards the west and the bathers were packing up and gathering in a bar at the end of the beach for a chilled beer when someone shouted: "Oh my God, there's another boat." Within moments, the calm of the beach was shattered as a large canoe-shaped fishing vessel pitched through the breakers and ran aground, tipping its cargo of African migrants into the surf. A civil guard with two migrants, as holidaymakers walk past While many of the sunbathers...

I posted a little while back that my family and I are in the final planning stages of taking a sabbattical year and travelling the US in an RV: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1650540/posts Although I currently don't have a firearm at home I'm thinking about purchasing one to take on the RV. But I have some questions/concerns: - Is is legal to carry a gun in an RV? What kind of permit would I need to cross state lines? - What would the best weapon be to use in an RV park where a missed shot could easily travel through other RVs in...

I do not imagine that there are too many labor lawyers posting here on FR however does anyone have an info citing that is it against the law for an employer to "require" you to speak Spanish? Thanks, guys:)

Right before the Rush show starts, there's this beat to a song that plays. The beat is very good. I can't remember the artist though. It's a female artist because I vaguely remember the song. But I can't think of the artist though!

WASHINGTON, August 2, 2006 – The Army is taking significant steps to ensure soldiers and families of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team are taken care of now that the unit’s deployment to Iraq has been extended four months. U.S. Army, Alaska leaders are working with higher headquarters to ensure support programs, including financial compensation and personnel support, are available to the soldiers, Army and Defense Department officials said. “We are responding rapidly to provide all the appropriate support and services to these outstanding patriotic professionals and their families, who continue to inspire us all with their unwavering commitment to...

With the high geek ratio in here, I hope somebody will be able to answer my XP question. I have a five station in house network in my home that I use to play Star Trek Elite Squad and other multi-player games. Previously, when the whole house was under 98SE, I could just set my fastest machine as server, and run five player. Recently, I installed XP on my fastest machine, and while I am overall thrilled with it, I have hit some kind of wall. I can still let another machine run as server and play the games, but...

When I sart up my computer I get the following dialogue boxes. Windows Installer: Preparing to Install Norton AntiVirus 2006: Please wait while Windows configures Norton AntiVirus 2006 Norton AntiVirus 2006: Norton AntiVirus 2006 does not support the repair function. Please uninstall and reinstall If I click on the Norton box in the right hand lower corner of my display it says all Norton installed programs are working properly. What do I need to do?

My girlfriend's nephew, Justin, 15, was severely injured in a fall from over 30ft Saturday night in Ennis TX, near Dallas. I'm trying to find out more details, but I know he is in Dallas Parkland Hospital in ICU with substantial head trauma and other serious injuries. He is on a respirator and not conscious yet, but he has shown some leg and hand movement so he didn't suffer any serious spinal injuries. He also had a ruptured spleen; doctor's had to operate yesterday to stop the hemorrhaging, but the good thing is he won't lose it. Any prayers or...

WASHINGTON, July 25, 2006 – The United States backs Israel's right to defend itself against terrorist groups like Hezbollah, but it also wants to aid thousands of suffering Lebanese who've fled the fighting, President Bush said here today. The Lebanon-based Hezbollah terrorists who are assaulting Israel with rocket fire are afraid of democracies, Bush said during a White House press briefing with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. Hezbollah's attacks illustrate "a terrorist organization trying to stop the advance of democracy in the region," the president said. Fighting erupted after Hezbollah guerillas crossed into Israel from Lebanon to kidnap two Israeli...

WASHINGTON, July 24, 2006 – As demand for evacuation drops, Defense Department units will deliver more humanitarian assistance to beleaguered Lebanon, a senior defense official said today. Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said DoD has evacuated 11,913 American citizens from Lebanon since the operation began July 16. He said officials anticipate evacuating another 1,200 from Lebanon today, but that demand for evacuation seems to have peaked. The operation is not over, Whitman said, "but we are coming close to completing the assisted departure operations. We are going to be shifting our emphasis to a humanitarian effort." He said two ships --...

I live in the mountains, in a bowl. We don't have cable, no line of sight wireless communication, no DSL, etc. just standard phone lines. It seems that satellites might be the best option, but I have heard a lot of bad things about satellite connections, poor upload and download times especially as more people use the system, latency (lag time) problems, relatively high costs. Radio communication seems touchy and slow. I might be able to put in a tower on the mountain between me and civilization. Should I work on getting WiMax here? What is the best solution? I...

I just found out my daughter is peanut alergic, she is a 2/5 at just 15 months of age. Is there anything that a freeper can tell me about how bad this is? do chiledhood peanut allergies ever go away? how often? how ofter and how fast do they get worse?

The Halper Family's farm in NJ since 1921 is being taken through eminent domain today. Mrs. Halpert says dems and reps make money by having arrangements with developers.

The Israeli blood banks have asked that a blood drive be organized to make sure the country's supply stays full. MDA emphasized, however, that there was no shortage yet. Donors can give blood at MDA stations in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Beersheba, as well as at the blood service center at Tel Hashomer, beginning on Monday, from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. Also on Monday, from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m., a special drive will be held at the MDA building in Jerusalem. From 5 p.m. until 11 p.m., blood will be taken in the shelter of the Gush Dan...

I was reading a thread yesterday and cannot find it today. It was posted by Freeper rebel_???. Sorry, but I cannot remember the full name. He is stranded in Lebanon.

HONOLULU -- Hundreds of Hawaii National Guard volunteers will head to Arizona over the next few months to help mainland Guard troops fortify security along the Mexico border. Maj. Gen. Robert G.F. Lee, the state adjutant general, said they will be assigned to remote desert areas far from Arizona cities but won't be near the border. Lee said their job will be to notify border security of illegal immigrants making their way from Mexico and to provide humanitarian assistance until the immigrants can be taken into custody and sent back over the border. "We'll be in some rough areas, places...

If I ever have a question about anything, the best place for answers is right here on FR. I'm asking fellow FReepers to tell me what they know about the Chevy Aveo. I took my 16-yo son car shopping today and he's chosen the Aveo. Anything anyone can tell me, pro or con is welcomed. Thanks!

BALAD, Iraq (Army News Service, July 12, 2006) When an Iraqi child was killed July 2 by an insurgent mortar attack in her family’s courtyard in Abu Hishma, Staff Sgt. Donald White made a promise to help find the killer. White and his team were near the area when they heard the mortar impact and radioed the command post to see if it was counter-fire coming from nearby Logistical Support Area Anaconda. “Upon arriving at the scene there was absolute chaos – Iraqis running to and from the explosion site. The driver of a white car was desperately trying to...