A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....01-05-04....Military Monday

01-05-04 | Billie, The Mayor

[The Mayor]

Welcome back.

Thankyou for the pics, they are fantastic!

[Dubya]

Good morning everyone.

If I didn't have dogs ...

1) I could walk around safely barefoot in the dark;
2) My house could be carpeted instead of tiled and laminated;
3) All flat surfaces, clothing, furniture, and cars would be free of dog hair;
4) When the doorbell rang, it wouldn't sound like the SPCA kennels;
5) When the doorbell rang, I could get to the door without wading thru four or five dog bodies who beat me there;
6) I could sit how I wanted to on the couch without taking into consideration where several little furbodies would need to get;
7) I would not have strange presents under my tree ... like dog bones, stuffed animals and have to answer to people why I wrap them up;
8) I would not be on a first name basis with a vet;
9) Most used words in my vocabulary would not be: outside, sit, down, come, no, and leave him/her ALONE;
10) My house would not be cordoned off into zones with baby gates;
11) My purse would not contain things like poop pick up bags and dog treats;
12) I would no longer have to spell the world B-A-L-L and F-R-I-S-B-E-E;
13) I would not buy weird things to stuff into "kongs", or have to explain why I'm buying them, or what a "kong" is;
14) I would not have as many leaves INSIDE my house as outside;
15) I would not look strangely at people who think having their ONE dog ties them down too much;
16) I would not have to answer the question why do I have so many dogs from people who will never have the joy in their life of knowing they are loved unconditionally by something as close to an angel as they will ever get. Who else has a friend who considers you the most important thing in the whole wide world all the time.

[Dubya]

New Year Brings New Hope for Families of POW/MIAs

[The Mayor]

Mornin Dubya

We need to come up with a list for cat owners. LOL!

[Dubya]

CAT OWNERS

[FreeTheHostages]

Wow, thanks for sharing. Those are interesting shots.

[Aquamarine]

Good Morning The Mayor! Good job on posting the thread, you've already gotten the hang of it!

May God bless the Troops all over the world who are tirelessly working to keep us free.

[LadyX]

Did a Search this morning for the report on the latest downed helicopter in Iraq to post, finding it MINUS ONE ESSENTIAL FACT I'll relate at the end of this Reply:

Top Stories - AFP

Insurgents down chopper in Iraq, Baghdad braces for new attacks
Sat Jan 3, 6:23 AM ET Add Top Stories - AFP to My Yahoo!


BAGHDAD (AFP) - The shooting down of a US military chopper claimed the life of one soldier and wounded another in the Iraqi town of Fallujah, while a top US commander warned the New Year's Eve car bombing in Baghdad marked an alarming new trend in attacks.

An OH-58 Delta Kiowa reconnaissance aircraft was brought down by rebels on the outskirts of the restive western town Friday afternoon as it assisted a US military raid of storefronts on the outskirts of the volatile town.

"They (the army) are fairly convinced it was enemy fire," Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt, the coalition's deputy director of operations, told reporters.

Witnesses described the helicopter exploding in the air after it was hit shortly after the main weekly Muslim prayers, debris landing near a riverbank.

"I saw one of the helicopters taking fire and it crashed behind the bridge on the Euphrates River west of Fallujah," said farmer Ismael Jassem.

Kimmitt said five people wearing black vests marked "press" pulled up at the scene of the crash in two Mercedes sedans and began firing rocket-propelled grenades, adding that they were chased by US troops, who captured four of them.

The Reuters news agency later said three of its employees had been detained by US troops at the crash site and had earlier been shot at by US soldiers.

- - snip - -

What is missing, you ask??

Local news coverage (several television stations) reported the pilot was a female one from South Carolina, the first to be killed in combat in Iraq!

She surely is worthy of the same recognition as male pilots in news articles, and given the honor accorded them.

Seems the PC Press does not wish to ruffle our sensibilities by mentioning this....

She is hereby given my personal respectful *SALUTE* for having served our nation well, exhibiting great skill and courage.

Rest well, America's Best.....

(I regret I did not hear or see her name in the references to add, expecting to see it on the newswire.)

[leadpenny]

Thanks for the ping, ladtx. I know the feeling of taking your sons to Ft. Rucker.

A year ago September I visited my middle son at Ft. Benning who was in Jump School. We did a day trip to the old stomping grounds. For me it was my "Trip to Bountiful." It had been 33 years since I left there for my second tour in Nam. Many things had changed but the BOQ was still there and Hanchey, where I taught intruments in those TH-13T's, brought the flood of memories. A trip around Lowe AHP, the O club, Lake Thalocco and of course that wonderful museum, and we were on our way back to the Home of the Infantry.

Thanks for the pics, and again, welcome home.

WORWAC 66-11

[Aquamarine]

Hi Ladtx. The "Miss Claud IV" photo brings to life the many stories you bring to us every week of downed helicopter's and the men that were lost on them in Viet Nam.

[MeekOneGOP]

Mornin', everybody ! Happy Monday !

[ladtx]

Quite an experience. A lot has changed, it really is hard to go home again. My family spent from 1973-1982 there while I was in and out. Took our youngest to see the hospital in Enterprise where he was born, now all locked up.
The old Officers Open Mess where we spent many 5 o'clock happy hours, played lots of bingo, and went through many receiving lines now looks a little forlorn. The old barracks where I was TAC are now gone. We went out to Lowe AHP where we were turned back by a contract gate guard. I felt like telling him I was flying students out of there before he was born but dutifully turned around and took pictures from outside the fence. Didn't go out to Hanchey tho', where I taught CH-47, OH-58, and Aeroscout students. Too bad we couldn't do it all over again, it was fun.

[knighthawk]

Hi ALL! How is everybody doing?

[LadyX]

"Didn't go out to Hanchey tho', where I taught CH-47, OH-58, and Aeroscout students"

Please be sure to read my Reply # 28, ladtx.

It was an OH-58 that was shot down in Iraq, piloted by the female from South Carolina who perished.

To add insult to injury, she is described merely as a 'soldier' whose life was lost.

[dansangel]

Excellent analysis and verse ((((((Rus))))))) - thank you.

For our military:

Dear Father, please hold our troops in Your loving embrace. Protect them the way that they protect us with their selfless acts. Bless their families as our military members sacrifice to ensure our freedoms. We ask these favors in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

(((((ladtx))))) - thank you for sharing those wonderful photos!

(((((((sistahs))))))))

((((((*ALL*))))))))

[[[[[{{{{{(((((Louie_Wolfie_Man)))))}}}}}]]]]]

I'm on a self-imposed shorter lunch break (30 mins) so I have got to run. :-(

[Pippin]

(((DANSY)))!

[GailA]

Afternoon FRiends. We spent the weekend camping, the weather was mild for Jan in the mid to high 60s. I missed NOT FReeping and watching FNC.

[jwfiv]

Good mornng, Mr. Mayor...thank you for starting the week out for us in such fine and salty fashion.

Good morning, afternoon and day to all our lovely Hostesses and all the Finest.

'04 already well underway...it's starting to feel like the future...I'm starting to feel old.

Wishin' all y'all a verrry fine Monday.

God bless America, land that I love...may He protect her and guide her ...to a landslide victory for Dubya over whichever spineless weasel get the demokratzki nod this year...to a battlefield victory over the demons who seek to destroy her.

(Love the pics of your trip to the museum, LadTX...thank you.)

[Billie]

WONDERFUL pics, ladtx! Thank you very much for posting them here! (Santa, indeed! LOL)

[Billie]

Good afternoon, Rus, and thank you again for giving Aqua and me a Monday morning break. :)

I'm so glad the holidays are over - though we're having company again this week. Sigh.