Free Republic

"We were just going to fire on them when we saw they had no rifles ... in about two minutes the ground between the two lines of trenches was swarming with men and officers of both sides, shaking hands and wishing each other a happy Christmas." British and German soldiers gathered in a dusty field in Afghanistan on Wednesday to play a game of soccer in memory of a Christmas truce spontaneously called between their armies a century ago during World War One. That moment in 1914 - when troops along Europe's Flanders front met after four months killing each...

If you didn’t know who T.J. Oshie was before today, odds are you heard his name chanted at least once since 10 a.m. After the St. Louis Blues forward scored the clinch goal for Team USA in an Olympic hockey match against Russia in a never-ending shootout, Oshie has quickly become everyone’s new favorite player. He even gained nearly 50,000 new Twitter followers after leading his team to victory. But, he’s not only talented. He’s humble. Here’s what Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Dejan Kovacevic posted on Twitter following the exciting game: Just had good talk with America's newest hero. Only don't call...

THe USMC has a great slideshow andvideo on the birthday of the USMC on top of the page and top right of the URL listed here. One of the great ads is here:http://our.marines.com/cms_content/showblogvideo/rel_id/169/id/870

Happy Birthday U.S. Marines! Thank You!

... For the public, the President's address was the first alarm bell of danger. But for many days the Commander-in-Chief Atlantic (CINCLANT) had been preparing to counter this newest aspect of the Russian buildup in Cuba. On October 18th, the prepositioning of forces to reduce reaction time in the event of action against Cuba continued. A reinforced infantry battalion, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines and Bravo Battery, 11th Marines from the Pacific Command's 5th MEB was ordered transferred to the operational control of CINCLANT and a light antiaircraft-missile battalion (Hawk) was ordered to Guantanamoto augment forces there. On October 22, 1962,...

N.D. PRIMARY ELECTIONS: 'Ooh-rah!' It's Mac "We've got a raid going on right now, and I can't do anything for another 90 minutes. Can I call you then or is it too late?" Thus went the e-mail from Maj. Mike McNamara from Fallujah, Iraq, replying to a request for an interview following his victory in the Grand Forks City Council Ward 2 race. The race had been an intense one with four other candidates fighting for the same office and all of them having the advantage of being in town during the campaign. Not that Mac, as he is often...

MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO (March 10, 2006) -- Giving up the fame of the football field at 29 years old, one Company B recruit looked for a glory that was more permanent than any trophy. At age 13, Pfc. Jeremy Staat was 75 inches tall and weighed 230 pounds. It seemed as if he was built for football, according to Staat. “I really didn’t have to work hard at it,” said Staat. Starting as an offensive lineman, Staat grew as a football player and saw his first glimpse of the Marine Corps not long after starting at Arizona...

Anymouse saw and talked to Jerry Patterson walking up the road in Crawford. Born in Houston, Texas on November 15, 1946 Jerry Patterson has devoted his life to public service. He served his country as a U.S. Marine for over twenty years and served as state Senator for six. Recently, he has also served as state relations director for the American Red Cross. As State Senator from District 11, Patterson’s major legislative successes included passage of the historic concealed handgun law, a constitutional amendment allowing home equity lending, the state coastal management plan and the creation of the Texas State...

For current and former members of the U.S. Marine Corps, today is more important than Veterans Day. It is the 229th anniversary of the formation of the Corps, which dates back to 1775, before the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Tradition holds that all marines celebrate Nov. 10 as the Corps birthday and balls are held worldwide for the occasion. On Nov. 6, the Lance Cpl. George L. Dramis Detachment of the Marine Corps League carried on this tradition at the Coast Guard base Officer’s Club here, with almost 100 in attendance. Capt. Curtis B. Odom, USCG, the prospective...

A Washington, D.C. police officer gets between an anti-abortion activist during an abortion rally by Catholics for a Free Choice, Saturday, April 24, 2004, in Washington. Anti-abortion activists are staging their own protests a day ahead of a major pro-choice rally on the National Mall. (AP Photo/Lawrence Jackson)