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A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....1-02-06....Military Monday
Billie, The Mayor

Posted on 01/01/2006 7:28:19 PM PST by The Mayor




A Few of FR's Finest
....Every Day
FR is a Treasure Trove of talented, compassionate, patriotic, wonderful people who gather every day to discuss the latest news and issues; salute and support our military and our leaders;  tell a few jokes;  learn a new word;  write poetry;  pray for those in need;  and congratulate those who are deserving. Thank you, Jim Robinson, for giving us the vehicle in which we can express ourselves.
Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   Over 100,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic, and the forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world.






A Few of FR's Finest November 11, 2001

So many people have written me since my original Veteran's Day Tribute, asking how they, or a loved one, could be included in that tribute. Since I could no longer add the photos to the body of the thread, I had been including them in additional posts as I received enough to make another collage.
Still that didn't seem to be enough. I think there's never been a better nor more appropriate time to keep the faces of our own Veterans and Active Military in front of FReepers--every day! That's why I wanted to do yet another Daily Thread .....ABOUT FReepers .....and FOR FReepers. But not only about our Military FReepers; for all FReepers! Wouldn't it be nice to get to know a few of the other FReepers as well? That's why we've created a place for just that. This is a friendly room in JimRob's house where FReeper FRiends can gather every day and just say hello if that's all they want to do.
There's more of course. We sometimes feature different FReepers, with a little background information on who they are and what makes them who they are, along with a few photos you might not have seen on other threads; sometimes others write an essay for us to post as the feature for the day; sometimes our presentation is a human interest story found elsewhere that you might not have read; sometimes special holiday threads; but whatever the topic of the day, it is always with FR's Finest in mind and that is YOU!
If you would like to be featured, or would like to see someone else featured, please send me a private FR mail.
Every Monday we will post the photos of FR's Military Personnel that I have collected and put into groups; these will be available to view through a link the remainder of the week - every day just a click away. :)   If you would like to add a photo of yourself or a loved one in the military, past or present, please let me know; I will hold it until I have enough for a new group.
Thank you, and please have fun with us...every day! ~ Billie

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank You For Serving Our Country!

TOP: Logos, SwedeGirl's hubby, Neil E Wright, FallGuy, 1John, Sneakypete
MIDDLE:  T'wit, COB1, LadyX, Dick Bachert, 68-69TonkinGulfYatchClub
BOTTOM:  YankeeinSC, Delta21, JoeSixPack1



TOP:  Bosniajmc, AFVetGal, Archy, A Navy Vet
MIDDLE:  4TheFlag, Aeronaut, 68Grunt, Xinga
BOTTOM:  Codger, AAABest, Clinton's A Liar, Duke809, dcwusmc



TOP:  mc5cents, Norb2569, LBGA's son, VanJenerette
MIDDLE:  Jim Robinson, KJenerette, davidosborne, KG9Kid
BOTTOM:  gwmoore, Equality7-2521, SAMWolf



TOP:  porgygirl, Phil V., MudPuppy, NorCoGOP
MIDDLE:  RaceBannon, Neets, rdb3, jwTexian
BOTTOM:  USMC Vet, TheMayor, Vineyard, rhododogma



TOP:  g'nad, AgThorn's son Justin, SLB, AgThorn's son Brett.
MIDDLE:  fish70, razorback-bert, CheneyChick,Leroy S Mort, Mark17.
BOTTOM:  Terry's Take, Taxman, DinkyDau.



TOP:  ValerieUSA's son Grant, SK1Thurman, kd5cts, RangerVetNam,
dansangel and .45man's son-in-law Tony
BOTTOM:  rangerX, Old China Hand, Trish, Howlin's dad, Mustang



TOP: ohioWfan's son, MamaBear's father-in-law, MamaBear's dad, ladtx
MIDDLE:  The Mayor's niece, M.Kehoe, Beach_Babe's son-in-law
BOTTOM:  deadhead's dad, HiJinx, Severa's hubby, viligantcitizen's granddad.



TOP:  spectr17, RightOnline, SERE_Doc, Tet68.
MIDDLE:  FutureSnakeEater, RightOnline's wife, CIApilot, Clamper1797
BOTTOM:  usmcobra, onedoug, DiverDave, Joe6-pack



TOP:  Q6-God, Scan59, Mama Bear and JKPhoto's son, ofMagog.
MIDDLE:  Big'ol_freeper, JustAmy's great uncle, Prodigal Son.
BOTTOM:  JustAmy's husband, JustAmy's brother-in-law, JustAmy's brother.



TOP:  dakine's wife, MeeknMing's dad, Auntbee's nephew, MilitiaMan7, AlasBabylon.
BOTTOM:  Joe Brower, Temple Owl, Temple Owl's wife, dutchess' dad, Aomagrat.



TOP:  ladtx #2 son; DiverDave's twin Don; petuniasevan and husband
poorman; Mustard; ladtx #1 son;
BOTTOM:  AlamoGirl's brother Floyd; AG's dad; AG's brother Jim (inset);
WVNan's husband; ladtx' Aunt Eva.



TOP: Mo1's dad; BuffyT's Uncle (right, w/ her dad & grandmother); Armymarinemom's 3 sons.
MIDDLE: ru4Liberty's dad; SheLion's husband, MaineRebel; wirestripper.
BOTTOM: fivetoes; bigghurtt; hurricane; ladtx' dad; Pippin's brother.



TOP: Repubmommy's brother, Rose in RoseBear's uncle, BoxerBlues' son Chris, BoxerBlues' son Brent.
BOTTOM: Rose in RoseBear's cousin's hubby, Deadhead's stepdad, Dansy's dad, Misty's brother.



LEFT: Little Pig; TOP: hattend, Old Sarge, Aquamarine's dad.
MIDDLE: HuntsvilleTxVeteran.
BOTTOM: Its_me_K.E.T.'s son, Veloxherc, SeeRushToldU_So.





                     








12-28-05 ~ Hall of Fame #14

THE WEEKEND THREAD

12-30-05 thru 1-01-06...
T.G.I.F. at the Finest

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping'
Every Thursday at the Finest
The guy's good, folks!



TOPICS: Culture/Society; Free Republic; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: freepers; fun; military; monday
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To: DollyCali

Thanks for sharing. Great pictures. Maybe this is a new beginning for the Browns and they will stay undefeated in 2006.


41 posted on 01/02/2006 10:01:46 AM PST by proud2beconservativeinNJ
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To: proud2beconservativeinNJ; Dog; The Raven; writer33; Gucho; AFPhys; Iowa Granny; Diver Dave; ...

Hope dies eternal in cleveland, proud2...

here is a little funny that you may have seen along the way..

@@@

Democrat, Republican, or Redneck?

Here is a little test that will help you decide. The answer can be
found by
posing the following question:

You're walking down a deserted street with your wife and two small
children.

Suddenly, an Islamic Terrorist with a huge knife comes around the
corner,
locks eyes with you, screams obscenities, praises Allah, raises the
knife,
and charges at you. You are carrying a Glock 40.
You are an expert shot.

You have mere seconds before he reaches you and your family.

What do you do?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Democrat's Answer:

Well, that's not enough information to answer the question!

Does the man look poor! Or oppressed?

Have I ever done anything to him that would inspire him to attack?

Could we run away? What does my wife think? What about the kids?

Could I possibly swing the gun like a club and knock the knife out
of
his
hand?

What does the law say about this situation?

Does the Glock have appropriate safety built into it?

Why am I carrying a loaded gun anyway?

What kind of message does this send to society and to my children?

Is it possible he'd be happy with just killing me?

Does he definitely want to kill me?

Would he be content just to wound me?

If I were to grab his knees and hold on, could my family get away
while he

was stabbing me?

Should I call 9-1-1? Why is this street so deserted?

We need to raise taxes, have a paint and weed day and make this a
happier, healthier street that would discourage such behavior.

This is all so confusing!

I need to discuss with some friends over latte and try to come to a
consensus.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Republican's Answer:

BANG!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Redneck's Answer:

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
BANG! Click....(sounds of
reloading).

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
BANG! click

Daughter: "Nice grouping, Daddy! Were those the Winchester Silver Tips or Hollow Points?

Son: Git-r-Dun Pop! Can I shoot the next one!

Wife: You ain't taking that to the Taxidermist!


42 posted on 01/02/2006 10:17:52 AM PST by DollyCali (Don't tell GOD how big your storm is -- Tell the storm how B-I-G your God is!)
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To: All

Jan 2, 2006
Soldiers return home from Iraq

FAYETTEVILLE - About 260 soldiers who spent nearly a year providing security and reconnaissance in Iraq and supporting coalition forces have returned to Fayetteville.

"It’s just wonderful," Staff Sgt. Malcolm Knight said, "so wonderful to be home."

The soldiers, who are members of the 3rd Attack Battalion, 3rd Aviation Brigade, were greeted Saturday by family and friends in a hangar at Simmons Army Airfield.

About 90 members of the unit are pilots, and the rest are mechanics and support personnel, said Capt. Todd Thornburg, rear detachment commander.

The soldiers flew more than 20,000 hours since their deployment began last year. During that time, three members of the unit, Capt. Joe Lusk II, Chief Warrant Officer Keith Mariotti and Chief Warrant Officer Steve Shephard, were killed.

The deaths were hurtful, but "I think it made us stronger as a unit," Thornburg said.

For many of the soldiers, Saturday was their last homecoming at Fort Bragg because most will transfer to Hunter Army Airfield at Fort Stewart, Ga., this year.

Constella Jacobs, who waited Saturday to greet her husband, Sgt. Reginald Jacobs, said she and her three children are looking forward to moving to Savannah, near Fort Stewart.

The year has been hectic without her husband, said Jacobs, who attends school full time and cares for her three children, ages 14, 9 and 5.

Jacobs said deployments are hard for children.

"They really don’t understand the whole concept," she said. "After the weeks and the months, it starts to get redundant."

Sgt. Phillip Hernandez held his 2-year-old son, P.J., Saturday morning. P.J. was just three months old when his father left, and he celebrated his first birthday when his father returned briefly on leave.

"He won’t even look at me," Hernandez said, adding that his son had changed drastically since he left.

Hernandez’s wife, Josefa, said her husband has been gone for a lot of P.J.’s development.

"As soon as he left, he started walking. He missed that," she said. "He was in pull-ups before he left. Now he’s potty-trained."


43 posted on 01/02/2006 1:53:32 PM PST by Dubya (Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father,but by me)
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To: All
New year begins on somber note for grieving dad

The year 2006 couldnÂ’t have started worse for Al Jokisch.

Early morning on Dec. 29, a government vehicle parked in his driveway on Oak Island revealed his worst nightmare.

A day earlier, his son, Aaron Forbes, a combat engineer stationed in Fort Hood, Texas, died when a roadside bomb exploded near the Humvee he was driving in Baghdad. HeÂ’d been in the city only four days.

To date, 2,175 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the war in March 2003.

“The most gut-wrenching thing I had to come across was seeing the government vehicle in my driveway,” Jokisch said on New Year’s Eve. “It was just like, ‘Oh God, no.’ ”

His 24-year-old son – a father, a husband – was gone.

Forbes, who was assigned to Fort Hood’s 1st Battalion, 67th Armored Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, had been deployed to Iraq on his son’s birthday – Dec. 2. It was his second deployment to Iraq.

Two weeks earlier, he had finalized the adoption of 5-year-old Alex – his wife Brittany’s son.

HeÂ’d bought a charcoal-colored, 2006 Ford Expedition that he couldnÂ’t stop gushing over.

Life was looking good.

That wasnÂ’t the case five years ago.

In 2001, ForbesÂ’ mother, Marjorie, died of cervical cancer when she was 43.

That summer, his oldest sister, 21-year-old Alecia Forbes, died suddenly of what was deemed natural causes.

It was a heartbreaking year for Forbes.

But the following year, life took another turn.

He met his wife when he answered an ad looking for a roommate on Hilton Head Island, S.C.

“It was like love at first sight,” Jokisch said.

Eager to find a steady job, he followed in the footsteps of both his parents by enlisting in the Army in March 2002 before the war started.

Not long after finishing boot camp, Forbes married his first love. Less than two weeks after he got married, he was deployed to Iraq for about 10 months, his father said.

But he kept in close contact with his father, calling five times a day every day of the week when he wasnÂ’t in the field.

“He’d say, ‘Hey dude. What you doing?’” his father recalled. “We talked about every kind of thing. Him adopting Alex. His marriage.”

Forbes lived on and off with his father on Oak Island for four years.

A social person, he towered over his fellow soldiers at 6 feet, 6 inches. “There wasn’t a person at Fort Hood that said anything bad about Aaron,” Jokisch said.

Though it was difficult to be away, Forbes told his father that the Iraqis were good people.

Still, it was difficult to cope with the reality of what his son was doing. “Like a parent, you want them to be safe,” he said. “I told him, ‘Aaron, you’re a tall guy. Bend over. Don’t be so tall. Don’t be the main target. We had to joke like that to keep from going nuts over it.”

Forbes is also survived by younger brother, Kenny, and his half brother, Joshua. Funeral arrangements are pending the return of ForbesÂ’ body.

Veronica Gonzalez: 343-2008
veronica.gonzalez@starnewsonline.com

44 posted on 01/02/2006 5:33:52 PM PST by Dubya (Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father,but by me)
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Comment #45 Removed by Moderator

To: Dubya

http://www.angelfire.com/ny5/ItisPeke/VDay.html

***THE MANSIONS OF THE LORD***
from the movie "We Were Soldiers"

To fallen soldiers let us sing
Where no rockets fly nor bullets wing
Our broken brothers let us bring
To the Mansions of the Lord

No more bleeding, no more fight
No prayers pleading through the night
Just divine embrace, eternal light
In the Mansions of the Lord

Where no mothers cry and no children weep
We will stand and guard though the angels sleep
While through the ages safely keep
The Mansions of the Lord


46 posted on 01/02/2006 5:57:26 PM PST by MEG33 (GOD BLESS OUR ARMED FORCES)
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To: DollyCali

Good evening DollyCali:

Thank YOU for volunteering some of YOUR valuable time helping us at the Tailgate Grill.

And let me take this opportunity to thank the Cleveland Browns, on behalf of the North Coast Chief Petty Officer's Association, for providing our volunteer organization with this fund raising venue.

Semper Paratus,
OLA


47 posted on 01/02/2006 6:01:35 PM PST by OneLoyalAmerican (Even if your mother says she loves you, check it out.)
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To: The Mayor; All
Rus, I'm sorry to be AWOL on Miltary Monday, but we've had bad weather all day. Tried to post this afternoon when the thunder was fairly distant, and got knocked off.
Fortunately, it did not damage the computer - just shut it down.

Since late afternoon, we've been under a Tornado Warning that won't expire until 1 a.m.

Hope to be here tomorrow...

48 posted on 01/02/2006 6:21:53 PM PST by LadyX ((( He Is The Lord, above all things )))
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To: MEG33

Wonderful. Thanks MEG


49 posted on 01/02/2006 6:28:38 PM PST by Dubya (Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father,but by me)
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To: The Mayor




Mayor ..... thank you for bringing us Military Monday.
God Bless our Military;
God Bless America.

Also, Thank you for bringing the nourishment for our souls.



50 posted on 01/02/2006 8:23:19 PM PST by JustAmy (A very Happy New Year and a BIG Thank You to our Troops!)
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To: MEG33

Beautiful table and I love your patriotic butterfly, Meg.


51 posted on 01/02/2006 8:25:29 PM PST by JustAmy (A very Happy New Year and a BIG Thank You to our Troops!)
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To: Victoria Delsoul

Good evening, Victoria.

Beautiful Military Graphic.

Happy Monday back atcha. :)


52 posted on 01/02/2006 8:27:28 PM PST by JustAmy (A very Happy New Year and a BIG Thank You to our Troops!)
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To: JustAmy

Thank you! Learning what some of it means. Billie's table threads that I saved are so helpful.


53 posted on 01/02/2006 8:33:11 PM PST by MEG33 (GOD BLESS OUR ARMED FORCES)
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To: MEG33

I'm still referring to Billie's threads and suggestions to get me through the tables.

Just takes time. :)


54 posted on 01/02/2006 8:35:20 PM PST by JustAmy (A very Happy New Year and a BIG Thank You to our Troops!)
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To: JustAmy

Love your beautiful graphic..and the message.


55 posted on 01/02/2006 8:36:30 PM PST by MEG33 (GOD BLESS OUR ARMED FORCES)
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To: MEG33

Thank you.


56 posted on 01/02/2006 8:42:33 PM PST by JustAmy (A very Happy New Year and a BIG Thank You to our Troops!)
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To: Dubya

Thank you Dubya!


57 posted on 01/02/2006 8:42:36 PM PST by The Mayor ( As a child of God, prayer is kind of like calling home everyday.)
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To: ST.LOUIE1

HiYa Louie..

Tanks for the upgraded coffee mug..
So far only one person has noticed, I think they all go after the good words..


58 posted on 01/02/2006 8:44:35 PM PST by The Mayor ( As a child of God, prayer is kind of like calling home everyday.)
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To: LadyX

That is understandible Maggie.. See you for coffee!


59 posted on 01/02/2006 8:45:19 PM PST by The Mayor ( As a child of God, prayer is kind of like calling home everyday.)
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To: JustAmy

Thank you Amy!


60 posted on 01/02/2006 8:45:41 PM PST by The Mayor ( As a child of God, prayer is kind of like calling home everyday.)
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