The FReeper Foxhole Celebrates Veterans Day - November 11th, 2003

various

[snippy_about_it]

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 Country
are 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 free to address their specific circumstances or whatever issues concern them in an atmosphere of peace, understanding, brotherhood and support.

The FReeper Foxhole hopes to share with it's readers an open forum where we can learn about and discuss military history, military news and other topics of concern or interest to our readers be they Veteran's, Current Duty or anyone interested in what we have to offer.

If the Foxhole makes someone appreciate, even a little, what others have sacrificed for us, then it has accomplished one of it's missions.

We hope the Foxhole in some small way helps us to remember and honor those who came before us.

To read previous Foxhole threads or
to add the Foxhole to your sidebar,
click on the books below.

Veterans Day



To our veterans - Thank You


Veterans Day

A day set aside to honor our country's living veterans. At the Foxhole honoring veterans is a major part of our mission.

Whereas we will not forget those who died or our POW/MIAs, and course those who are currently serving, today we specifically honor those men and women living among us who have served our country in times past, our living veterans.

Especially here at the Foxhole we are blessed to have veterans as part of our Foxhole family both as readers and contributors.


We would like to welcome all our veterans to the Foxhole on this very special day as we attempt to honor you and thank you for your service to our country. Freedom is not free and our debt to you and those gone before you can never fully be paid. May God richly bless you all. Welcome home and we will never forget.

It matters not where, when or how your served; here at home or in a foreign land, in the air, at sea or on land; in peacetime or in war, on the battefield or behind a desk; on supply lines; as an engineer, a mechanic, an infantrymen, a cook or medic. You chose to volunteer or fullfilled your duty by the draft and served America and we are forever grateful. Every job is important as they all support each other and the cause of freedom.

Some sacrifices are greater, yes, and some service more dangerous than others, yet all service is sacrifice by the troop and their family and we highly respect that service. Some gave all, all gave some.

Thank you all - from SAM and snippy




"These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman." --Thomas Paine, Founding Father



"The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional as to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their Nation."
--George Washington


"Let us solemnly remember the sacrifices of all those who fought so valiantly, on the seas, in the air, and on foreign shores, to preserve our heritage of freedom, and let us reconsecrate ourselves to the task of promoting an enduring peace so that their efforts shall not have been in vain."
--Dwight D. Eisenhower


"We must not forget the past. We must not forget those who sacrificed, but we must also remember the reason for their sacrifice. They died so tyranny would die. They died to create a better world for those of us who followed them. Their sacrifice was not in vain."
--Secretary of State Colin Powell as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, observing the 50th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1991.


"America was founded on the principles of liberty, opportunity, and justice for all, and on Veterans Day we recognize the men and women of our Armed Forces who have valiantly defended these values throughout our Nation's history.

These remarkable individuals have helped to make our Nation secure and to advance the cause of freedom worldwide. By answering the call of duty and risking their lives to protect their fellow countrymen, these patriots have inspired our Nation with their courage, compassion, and dedication.

Our proud veterans have also helped to shape the American character. They have given us an extraordinary legacy of patriotism and honor, and their service represents the highest form of citizenship."
--George W. Bush


Veterans Day is the day set aside to thank and honor ALL those who served honorably in the military - in wartime or peacetime. In fact, Veterans Day is largely intended to thank LIVING veterans for their service, to acknowledge that their contributions to our national security are appreciated, and to underscore the fact that all those who served - not only those who died - have sacrificed and done their duty.

--- Department of Veterans Affairs







It is the VETERAN, not the preacher,
who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the VETERAN, not the courts
who has given us the right to keep and bear arms.

It is the VETERAN, not the reporter,
who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the VETERAN, not the poet,
who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the VETERAN, not the campus organizer,
who has given us freedom to assemble.

It is the VETERAN, not the lawyer,
who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the VETERAN, not the politician,
Who has given us the right to vote.

It is the VETERAN, who salutes the Flag,



and serves under the flag.


ETERNAL REST GRANT THEM O LORD,
AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT
SHINE UPON THEM.
(CholeraJoe provided the above graphic - Thank you CJ)








I brought this next poster over from a Veterans Day thread SAM posted last year. I think it best represents the Foxhole's year-round effort in honoring our veterans by the history we bring to our readers.

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FReeper Foxhole Armed Services Links

[snippy_about_it]

Good morning Valin and thank you Valin for your service. Happy Veterans Day to you.

Thank you for your post on Veterans Day ceremonies.



In 1921, an unknown World War I American soldier was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. This site, on a hillside overlooking the Potomac River and the city of Washington, became the focal point of reverence for America's veterans.

[Valin]

On This Day In History


Birthdates which occurred on November 11:
1050 Henry IV Holy Roman emperor (1036-1106)
1636 Yen Jo-chu Chinese scholar of Ch'ing dynasty
1744 Abigail Smith Adams 2nd 1st lady
1748 Charles IV king of Spain (1788-1808)
1771 Ephraim McDowell surgeon (pioneered abdominal surgery)
1821 Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky Russia, novelist (Crime & Punishment)
1836 Thomas Bailey Aldrich US, author/editor (Story of a Bad Boy)
1864 Alfred Hermann Fried Germany, pacifist (Nobel 1911)
1869 Victor Emmanuel III king of Italy (1900-46)/Ethiopia
1872 Frederick A Stock Julich, Germany, conductor (Theodore Thomas Orchestra)
1883 Ernest Ansermet Vevey Switzerland, conductor (Ruilles de Printemps)
1885 George S Patton general "Old Blood & Guts"
1896 Charles "Lucky" Luciano Sicily, NYC Mafia gangster
1898 Rene Clair director (I Married a Witch)
1899 Harold "Pie" Traynor baseball hall of fame 3rd baseman (Pirates)
1899 Pat O'Brien Milwaukee, actor (Knute Rockne, Angels with Dirty Faces)
1900 Helena Konopacka Poland, discus thrower (Olympic-gold-1928)
1900 Hugh Scott (Sen-R-PA), minority whip
1900 John Longden West Indies, actor (Man From Interpol)
1901 Sam Spiegel producer (On the Waterfront, Bridge over River Kwai)
1904 Alger Hiss State Department official and spy
1909 Robert Ryan Chicago, actor (Billy Budd, Dirty Dozen, Longest Day)
1910 Franz Kemser Germany, 4 man bobsled (Olympic-gold-1952)
1911 King Hussein of Jordan.
1911 Patric Knowles England, actor (Big Steal, Chisum)
1914 Howard Fast screenwriter (Rachel & the Stranger, Spartacus)
1914 Perry Bass
1915 William Proxmire (Sen-D-WI) (Golden Fleece Awards)
1918 Stubby Kaye NYC, actor (Guys & Dolls, Lil' Abner, Cat Ballou)
1922 Kurt Vonnegut Jr author (Slaughterhouse Five, Sirens of Titan)
1925 Jonathan Winters Dayton OH, comedian (J Winters Show, Mork & Mindy)
1927 Mose Allison Mississippi, jazz artist (Black Country Suite)
1929 LaVern Baker Chicago, R&B vocalist (I Cried a Tear)
1934 Bibi Andersson Sweden, actress (Scenes From a Marriage)
1934 Paula Myers-Pope US, platform diver, 2 silver, 1 bronze (Oly 1952-60)
1936 Susan Kohner actress (Imitation of Life, Gene Krupa Story)
1937 Warner Wolf Wash DC, sportscaster (WABC-TV, WCBS-TV)
1938 John Reilly Chicago, actor (Sean-General Hospital, Dallas, Hamptons)
1938 Josef Odozil Czech, 1500m (Olympic-silver-1964)
1939 Claudia Boyarskikh USSR, 5K/10K cross country (Olympic-gold-1964)
1943 Jan Adamski Poland, International Chess Master (1976)
1944 Jesse Colin Young NY, rocker (The Youngbloods-Soul of a City Boy)
1945 Daniel Ortega Saavedra President of Nicaragua (1984- )
1945 Denise Alexander NYC, actress (General Hospital, Another World)
1951 Fuzzy Zoeller New Albany IN, PGA golfer (Masters 1981)
1953 Andy Partridge guitars/vocal (XTC-Oranges & Lemons)
1954 Gail Marquis WBL forward (NY Stars, Olympic-silver-1976)
1955 Jigme Singye Wangchuk king of Bhutan (1972- )
1956 Ian Craig Marsh rocker (Heaven 17-Electric Dreams)
1959 Vincent Irizarry Queens NY, actor (Guiding Light, Santa Barbara)
1960 Lisa Welch Semler Aberdeen MD, playmate (Sep, 1980)
1962 Demi Moore [Guynes], Roswell NM, actress (7th Sign, Blame it on Rio)
1963 Vinnie Testaverde NFL quarterback (Tampa Bay Buckineers)
1964 Philip McKeon Westbury NY, actor (Tommy-Alice, Return to Horror High)
1965 Brian Wilson NYC, murderer (FBI Most Wanted List)
1968 Jo Kittsee Germany, rocker (Fuzzbox-Into Rescue)
1968 Wyatt Pauley Ecuador, rocker (Linear-I Never Felt This Way, Lies)
1970 Derry Brownson rock keyboardist (EMF-Unbelievable)
1970 Lee Parkin Starsky daughter of Ringo
1974 Leonardo DiCaprio LA, actor (Luke-Growing Pains)

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Deaths which occurred on November 11:
0307 Flavius Valerius Severus, compassionate emperor of Rome (306-07), dies
0397 Martinus, (St Martin), Roman bishop of Tours, dies at 81
0511 Clovis, king of Salische France/founder of Merovingians, dies at 45
1831 Nat Turner former slave, led a violent insurrection, hanged in VA
1855 Soren A Kierkegaard, Danish philosopher/theologian, dies at 42
1956 Victor Young orchestra leader (Milton Berle Show), dies at 56
1962 Rene Coty President of France, dies at 80
1973 Stringbean [David Akeman], banjoist/comedian (Hee Haw), dies at 58
1974 Jane Ace comedian (Easy Aces), dies at 74
1975 Marty May (Fireball Fun For All), dies at 79
1984 Rev Martin Luther King Sr dies in Atlanta at 84
1986 Roger C Carmel actor (Mudd-Star Trek, Mothers-in-Law), dies at 54
1987 L T Coggeshall medical scientist (Secretary of HEW 1956-58), dies at 86

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Reported: MISSING in ACTION

1966 BISS ROBERT IRVIN---CHERRY TREE PA.
[03/O4/73 RELEASED BY DRV,ALIVE IN 98]
1966 BUTT RICHARD L.---NORFOLK VA.
[DEAD REMAINS RETURNED 04/10/86]
1966 MEARNS ARTHUR STEWART---GREAT NECK NY.
[09/30/77 REMAINS RETURNED SRV]
1966 MONLUX HAROLD D.---SIOUX CITY IA.
[03/04/73 RELEASED BY DRV, ALIVE IN 98]
1966 RINGSDORF HERBERT B.---ELBA AL.
[RELEASED 02/18/73 BY DRV, DECEASED 02/98]
1966 SWINDLE ORSON G. III---ATLANTA GA.
[03/04/73 RELEASED BY DRV---ALIVE AND WELL 98]
1967 MARTINEZ-MERCADO EDWIN J.---NEW YORK NY.
[BODY GONE]
1967 SHAW GARY F.---TOLEDO OH.
[BODY GONE]
1967 STATON ROBERT M. JR.---JAMESVILLE NC.
[BODY GONE]
1967 STUCKEY JOHN S. JR.---CLOVERDALE IN.
[BODY GONE]

POW / MIA Data & Bios supplied by
the P.O.W. NETWORK. Skidmore, MO. USA.

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On this day...
537 St Silverius ends his reign as Catholic Pope
1158 Emperor Frederik I Barbarossa declares himself ruler of North Italy
1215 4th Lateran Council (12th ecumenical council) opens in Rome
1620 41 pilgrims land in Massachusetts, sign Mayflower Compact (just & equal laws)
1647 Massachusetts passes 1st US compulsory school attendance law
1648 Dutch & French agree to divide St Maarten, Leeward Islands
1714 A highway in the Bronx is laid out, later renamed East 233rd Street
1778 Iroquois Indians in NY kill 40 in Cherry Valley Massacre
1790 Chrysanthemums are introduced into England from China
1811 Cartagena Colombia declares independence from Spain
1860 1st Jewish wedding in Buenos Aires Argentina
1862 The opera "La Forza Del Destino" is produced (St Petersburg Russia)
1864 Sherman's troops destroy Rome, Georgia
1865 Mary Edward Walker, 1st Army female surgeon, awarded Medal of Honor
1868 1st American amateur track & field meet (NYC)
1889 Washington admitted as 42nd state
1895 Bechuanaland becomes part of the Cape Colony
1909 J M Synge's "Tinker's Wedding," premieres in London
1918 Armistice Day-WW I ends (at 11 AM on Western Front)
1921 President Harding dedicates Tomb of Unknown Soldier
1922 Canada's Vernon McKenzie urges to fight U.S. propaganda with taxes on U.S. magazines.
1922 Largest US flag displayed (150' X 90') expanded in 1939 (270' X 90')
1924 Palace of Legion of Honor dedicated (San Francisco)
1925 Louis Armstrong records 1st of Hot Five & Hot Seven recordings
1925 Robert Millikan announces discovery of cosmic rays
1928 KXO-AM in El Centro CA begins radio transmissions
1928 WGL-AM in Fort Wayne IN begins radio transmissions
1928 WMT-AM in Cedar Rapids IA begins radio transmissions
1928 WOL-AM in Washington DC begins radio transmissions
1931 Cornerstones laid for Opera House & Veterans Building
1933 "Great Black Blizzard" 1st great dust storm in the Great Plains
1934 1st penalty shot vs Toronto Maple Leafs, Mondou (Mont) unsuccessful
1934 WOC-AM in Davenport Iowa splits from WHO-WOC & becomes KICK-AM
1935 Explorer 2 balloon sets altitude record of 72,000 feet over SD
1939 Kate Smith 1st sings Irving Berlin's "God Bless America"
1940 Blizzard strikes midwestern US killing over 100
1940 Willys unveiled its General Purpose vehicle ("Jeep")
1942 During WW II Germany completes their occupation of France
1944 NY Rangers set NHL record of 25 games without a win (0-21-4)
1946 NY Knicks' 1st game at Madison Sq Garden loses 78-68 to Chicago Stags
1957 Demolition begins on cable car barn at California & Hyde (San Francisco)
1959 1st episode of "Rocky & His Friends" airs
1959 Seals Stadium in San Francisco, demolished
1960 Largest NY Knick 49th St MSG crowd-18,499
1963 Brian Epstein & Ed Sullivan sign a 3 show contract for the Beatles
1963 Gordie Howe ties Rocket Richard's lifetime 544 goal record
1965 Rhodesia proclaimed independence from Britain by PM Ian D Smith
1966 Gemini 12 launched on 4-day flight
1968 John Lennon & Yoko Ono appear nude on cover of "2 Virgins" album
1968 Maldives (in Indian Ocean) become a republic
1968 Ron Hill sets record 10-mile run (46:44) at Leicester England
1969 Beatles with Billy Preston release "Get Back" in the UK
1969 Jim Morrison arrested on an airplane by the FBI for drunkenness
1970 U.S. Army Special Forces raid the Son Tay prison camp in North Vietnam but find no prisoners
1972 US Army turns over Long Bihn base to South Vietnamese army
1975 Angola gains independence from Portugal (National Day)
1975 Australian PM removed by crown (1st elected PM removed in 200 years)
1977 Wings release "Mull of Kintyre" & "Girl's School"
1980 Crew of Soyuz 35 returns to Earth aboard Soyuz 37
1980 Islander's Mike Bossy scores 4 goals against North Stars
1982 30th time Islanders shut-out-2-0 vs North Stars
1982 5th space shuttle mission-Columbia 5-launched 1st commercial flight
1982 Solidarity leader Lech Walesa is let out of jail in Poland
1983 President Reagan became 1st US President to address Japan's legislature
1985 Challenger flies back to Kennedy Space Center via Davis-Monthan AFB
1985 Yonkers is found guilty of segregating schools & housing
1987 Judge Anthony M Kennedy nominated to the Supreme Court
1987 Van Gogh's "Irises" sells for record $53.6 M at auction
1988 Oldest known insect fossils (390 million years) reported in Science
1992 General Synod votes for Ordination of women in the UK

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Holidays
Note: Some Holidays are only applicable on a given "day of the week"

Angola : Independence Day (1975)
Belgium, France, French countries : Armistice Day
Bhutan : King's Birthday
Canada : Remembrance Day-Veterans Day, 11th Hr-11th Day-11th Month
Colombia : Cartagena Day (1811)
Maldives : Republic Day (1968)
Rhodesia : Independence Day (1965)
St Maarten : Concordia Day
US : Veterans Day
Washington : Admission Day (1889)
West Germany : Repentance Day (Wednesday)
England : Lord Mayor's Day (Saturday)
US : Split Pea Soup Week (Day 3)
Ireland : Day of the Faerie Sidhe
Poland : Independence Day.
Native American Heritage Month

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Religious Observances
Ang, RC : Martinmas, term day in Scotland (Mem of St Martin of Tours)
Luth : Commemoration of Síren Kierkegaard, teacher

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Religious History
1215 The Fourth Lateran Council was convened by Pope Innocent III. It was the council which first defined "transubstantiation," the Catholic belief that the bread and wine of the Eucharist change invisibly into the body and blood of Christ.
1620 The "Mayflower Compact" was signed by the 41 Separatists among the passengers of the "Mayflower," serving as the basis for combining themselves "into a civil body politic." Democratic in form, the Compact comprised the first written American constitution, and remained in force until 1691.
1760 English founder of Methodism John Wesley wrote in a letter: 'You cannot live on what He did yesterday. Therefore He comes today.'
1793 Five months after setting sail for India, English pioneer missionary William Carey, 32, reached Calcutta. (Later, Carey founded the Baptist Missionary Society, the first of the British Protestant missions agencies.)
1966 The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren voted to merge into one denomination in the U.S., afterward to be called the United Methodist Church. (The "declaration of union" took place officially on April 23, 1968.)

Source: William D. Blake. ALMANAC OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1987.

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Thought for the day :
"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf."

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Question of the day...
If someone with multiple personalities threatens to kill himself, is it considered a hostage situation?

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Murphys Law of the day...(war laws)
Try to look unimportant; the enemy may be low on ammo and not want to waste a bullet on you.

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Incredibly Amazing Astounding Fact #671...
The dollar symbol ($) is a U combined with an S (U.S.)

[Reaganwuzthebest]

A Happy Veterans Day bump.

[Light Speed]

A Blessed Veterans Day to you SAMWolf...and your Band of Brothers

[Colonel_Flagg]

Good morning, all!

I'm fortunate enough to be involved in our city's ceremony on this very special day. The sacrifices made by our veterans - both those who are with us and those who gave the last full measure - must never be forgotten.

[Soaring Feather]

Good morning everyone!
Happy Veterans Day!
God Bless you for your service.

[ladtx]

This has been posted on a couple of other threads and this one looks like another good place for it.

In memory of my fellow Vietnam helicopter pilots who were killed in that war the following were lost on NOV 11. Todays losses are especially poignant since they fell on Veterans Day. God bless them all.

1966 MAJ William F. Callinan -- 170 AHC 52 CAB, Age 36, Married, Bangor, Maine
1966 CPT Milton F. Smith -- 170 AHC 52 CAB, Age 25, Married, Dania, Florida
1966 CPT John J. Livingston -- 117 AHC, Age 26, Married, Cedar Hill, Missouri
1966 WO1 Terrence M. Rooney -- 117 AHC, Age 22, Single, Denver, Colorado
1966 CPT Walter R. Speare III -- 119 AHC, Age 24, Married, Bedford, Oregon
1966 1LT Dee W. Stone Jr. -- 119 AHC, Age 23, Single, Forest Hill, New York

In memory of WO1 Terrence M. Rooney -- 117 AHC: KIA, South Vietnam.
Always smiling
Terry was one of our newest pilots at the Dragon Flight, 55th. Avn. Co., Yoido Island, K-16 Korea. I remember him as always smiling and saw him off in a taxi as he departed the 55th. for a leave before his deployment to Vietnam. I will always remember him. His smiling face looking back from the taxi as he departed will always remain in my memory. Jesse Shannon -- Friend in the 55th Avn Co Korea

Unit patch of the 117 Assault Helicopter Company "Warlords".

A pair of 117th AHC "Annies"

SCOUTS OUT!

[snippy_about_it]

Thank you for falling into the Foxhole today with Veterans Day wishes!

[snippy_about_it]

Thank you Light Speed. Awesome picture and perfect for today. Good to see you.

[snippy_about_it]

Thank you feather.

I'll be over to your Dragon Flies Lair thread later this morning!

[snippy_about_it]

Thank you ladtx for posting your tribute at the Foxhole, it means a lot to us. Thank you for your service.

[ladtx]

Thank you ladtx for posting your tribute at the Foxhole, it means a lot to us. Thank you for your service.

Thanks snippy. Hardly a day goes by that I don't think about the guys who didn't make it back to their families, it's just my small way of remembering them. Veterans Day has a lot of meaning for me, especially that since last Veterans Day I now have 2 sons who have become Veterans.

[TPartyType]

Thanks for this thread. I served in the Army, just at the close of the Vietnam War.

Here's a speech I'm delivering at my hometown's Veteran's Day ceremony later today.

[Jumper]

From Flander's Fields in Belgium today on the 11th Month, 11th Day, 11th Hour, 11th Minute I had the privilege to stand (with my two Sons at my side) as the British Memorial was held in Ypers, Belgium. Just prior to that moment, we also participated in the British WWII Memorial.

Afterwards, the three of us went through the Flander's Field Museum. Very sobering moments were these on this 85th year at a pivitol place where the Great War was fought, "The War to End all Wars". There literally dozens of burial grounds dedicated to the British Common Wealth soldiers who fought and died there in all directions.

Over the past four Memorial Days, here in Europe with my sons, we place flags on American Graves at Margaraten, The Netherlands - but this year we visited Flander's Fields and just two weeks ago Verdum, France. We have also visited Omaha and retraced the Ranger March to Point Du Hoc on the invasion beaches of D-Day and the German Memorial to fallen soldiers in Achen, Germany ("where no soldier is buried alone but rather in pairs, so that one might not spend eternity alone.")

I can only say that after standing with the British on this day, that there is at least one Nation other than the USA which is freedom loving and willing sacrafice.

[Reaganwuzthebest]

Thank you for falling into the Foxhole today with Veterans Day wishes!

You're welcome. This is an excellent thread, I enjoy reading it.

[MeekOneGOP]

To all Veterans out there ...

Happy Veterans Day !!

[snippy_about_it]

Couldn't forget you today Hurtgen.
Thank you for your service
Command Sergeant Major USA (ret) Robert S. Rush!

~Deeds not Words~




The FReeper Foxhole Remembers The Hurtgen Forest (Nov - Dec 1944) - Sep. 16th, 2003

[snippy_about_it]

Thank you ladtx. Thank your sons for us too. Are they FReepers yet?

[ladtx]

Are they FReepers yet?

Not yet. But I'm working on it.

[snippy_about_it]

Wow. Thanks for sharing that with us. It's going to be a great speech.

Concern mounts as we are daily faced with the repugnant consequences of a politically-free society inhabited (and perhaps even governed) largely by moral idiots.

I had trouble picking out the best part but I really liked this.

Good luck today as you deliver this speech.