USO Canteen FReeper Style - "Thank You Troops and Veterans" - Oct. 2, 2002

Snow Bunny and friends of the USO Canteen FReeper Style

[Jen]

Part of our mission at the USO Canteen FReeper Style every day is to show our gratitude and respect for members of our military and veterans who have honorably served our country.

An experience by Tomkow6 sparked the idea for the Canteen members and lurkers to have an official "Thank Our Troops and Veterans" program. Several months ago on his way to work, Tomkow6 met a young Marine in uniform in a convenience store. Tomkow6 extended his hand to the Marine and thanked him for wearing the Marine uniform and for serving our country. The Marine seemed shocked that someone would thank him and want to shake his hand.

"This was a small thing that I did," Tom said, "and I hope I made that young Marine feel a little prouder about that uniform he had on, and what he was doing in it. I know I felt proud, just seeing him in uniform, serving his and OUR country, and knowing that he and others like him are out there, in the "all volunteer" US Forces, protecting our nation; to let them know that THEY are NOT forgotten; that there are citizens of the US that are very proud of them and what they are doing; that they are prayed for daily; that they WILL NOT have to suffer the shame that was heaped on my brothers and sisters returning from Vietnam; that they are our HEROES!"

So today the Canteen is kicking off an official program and a challenge to all Canteeners and lurkers to personally thank a service member or veteran when you see him or her. To make that a little easier and to help publicize the Canteen, we've created a business card that can be handed out after you greet the person and thank him for serving.

Snow Bunny wrote Free Republic's founder and owner Jim Robinson about our plan and desire to use the FR web address on it and got his approval on June 18.

When you see a member of the US Forces, go out of your way to shake his or her hand and say "Thanks for being there and putting on that uniform, and serving our country" or something similar, then hand out a Canteen business card and invite them to visit. That's all there is to it.

It's a simple thing that can have huge benefits in the lives of our troops and veterans who can never be thanked often enough for the sacrifices they make to defend our country.

---

U.S. Coast Guard Boatswain's Mate 3rd Class Michael Walker of Havre de Grace, M.D., U.S. Air Force Technical Sergeant Andrew Amor of Grain Valley, M.D., U.S. Navy Senior Chief Intelligence Specialist Christopher Roades of Eureka, Calif., U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Damian Wright of Idalia, Col., and First Sergeant Curtis O'Neal of Tuskegee, Ala., all have deployed to serve in Operation Enduring Freedom and are participants in the Pentagon Sept. 11 Observance Ceremony.

---

The cards could also be placed under the windshield wiper of a car that has a bumper sticker or tag that indicates the driver is a military member or veteran. Or handed out in VA hospitals, VFWs, commissaries, BX/PX, wherever troops or veterans would gather.

Another great group of people to thank for their service and tell about the Canteen are military recruiters as Bluesagewoman has done so recently. Since they come into contact with the men and women who will become our country's newest military members, they are an ideal group to honor and help promote the Canteen.

Below are some business cards which can be copied and pasted into a Word document template for Avery business cards #8371. You can buy the perforated business card sheets and print your own cards, or have them printed at a copy center. You may have to change the font size if the text over-laps on the perforations on the pre-formed business card stock from Avery.

You may also want to take the liberty of "customizing" a little bit by adding your FR screenname, so the person you give the card to will know who to look for when they visit the Canteen.

If you would like to receive a ready-to-print template, send your email address by freepmail to AntiJen and she will email it to you.

Tomkow6 also created a small poster to put up in some of the local stores in his town that have community bulletin boards.

Thank you Tomkow6 for your wonderful idea!

[MistyCA]

Morning, Mud! Nice to see you! :)

[MistyCA]

Nice to see you! I think I better get some sleep! I am starting to see more than one of the same thing! :)

[American Preservative]

Great timing for San Francisco Fleetweek, and, the Hornet event on October 6 (see Mediaqueen's thread.)

USO Canteen FReeper Style business cards ping! : )

FReepers, start from the top of this thread for info.

[radu]

Happy Hump Day!! I hope it's a good one for everybody!

Thank You! to our troops, veterans, and allies for your efforts and sacrifices. God bless y'all!!!!

Yum! Hot chocolate. Thanks Meeky. May I have mine to go? It's time for me to gather up the kitties and head for the bat cave. I've seen too many sunrises and it'll be nice to go to sleep while it's still dark, for a change. LOL!

Good night...er, morning...er, what ever it is. I'll see y'all later. with luck I'll be here on the computer tonight. ooooh boy!

[Mudboy Slim]

Howdy, mi hermano...fancy meetin' you here!!

FReegards...MUD

[Mudboy Slim]

Nice to see you, too, my FRiend...

"Tyranny!!"
(To be sung to Pearl Jam's "Jeremy")

At home, whackin' willard o'er vanities...Ol' Slick's new "job."
Yellow-bellied SCUM!! Bill Loathes the Military. (That's ME!!)
Children slayed by tools of Butch Reno!!
Medyuh didn't give attention...ohhh, to the fact that Bubba didn't care!!
King Oooooosama bil Clinton...Fool'd Left's Whore'd!!

Tyranny's a'woke and RATS Shall Pay!!!!!
McAuliffe Broke Laws...Indict Today.

Clearly, Slick remembers...sickenin' mudboy.
Seems that intern sure could suck...
Oooh...but Slick Unleashed a Lion!!!
JimRob FReeped and Limbaugh's Legions Craved Justice!!
How could we "forget?"!! 'Cuz Slick's hit US with his evil best!!
My jaw ain't hurting...Slick's still talkin'!!
Just like the day...like the day we learn'd....
Daddies shouldn't give affection (NO!!) to interns the same age as Chelsea-dear.
Queen HildaBeast the Wicked Rules Slick's World!!

Tyranny's Woken...WhupRATS Today!!
McAuliffe Broke Laws...Indict Today!!
SlickWillie's Minions...Be Quite Afraid!!
Tyranny's Woken...DemonRATS Beware!!

Try to forget this...try to erase this from the blackboard.

FReegards...MUD

[tomkow6]

Good morning, Jen! Good morning, Snow! Good morning, Misty!

GOOD MORNING, EVERYBODY!

[tomkow6]

Today's FEEBLE attempt at humor:

A man and a woman were having dinner in a fine restaurant. Their
waitress, taking another order at a table a few paces away noticed that
the man was slowly sliding down his chair and under the table, with the
woman acting unconcerned. The waitress watched as the man slid all the
way down his chair and out of sight under the table.

Still, the woman dining across from him appeared calm and
unruffled, apparently unaware that her dining companion had
disappeared.

After the waitress finished taking the order, she came over to the
table and said to the woman, "Pardon me, ma'am, but I think your husband
just slid under the table."

The woman calmly looked up at her and replied firmly, "No, he
didn't. He just walked in the door."

[tomkow6]

Welcome to the Canteen!

[deadhead]

This is wonderful! Thank You to All involved for creating these awesome Canteen business cards.

GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS AND VETERANS

~~~Colleen~~~

[Severa]

They're shocked because it doesn't happen very often. My husband is a sonar tech on a fast attack sub. During a training underway this summer, they stopped in Port Canaveral FL for a few days. He and a shipmate were approached at a restaurant by a local couple that noticed they were in their working whites. They talked for a while and then went their separate ways.

When my husband and his shipmate went to pay for their lunch, their server told them it had 'already been taken care of'. That couple, after hearing their story, paid for their lunch! It really shocked my husband cause he had been thanked for his service to his country before, but nothing like this.

[ST.LOUIE1]

Good morning, King!

Hope all's well with your pc. : )

[tmprincesa]

What an absolutely wonderful idea.

Thank you Tomkow6.

Good morning to everyone.

[SAMWolf]

WAY TO GO FLAGMAN!

[tomkow6]

Yor welcome, but the real work was done by our wonderful (can I say that & still remain a Bad Boy?) Canteen Gals, with their talent with the graphics.

BTW:

WELCOME TO THE CANTEEN! Hang out here all you can!

I do!

[SAMWolf]

Don't you just love it when a plan comes together?

[tomkow6]

Don't you just love it when a plan comes together?

I sure do, especially THIS one!