USO Canteen FReeper Style ~ Dear Soldier: You don't know me, but... ~ October 6 2003

Canteen Co-Captain LindaSOG and A Grateful American

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday...
Thank the Veterans who served in
The United States Armed Forces.

Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom?
Support The United States Armed Forces Today!

Dear Soldier:

You don’t know me, but I know you.  You were the boy next door, the kid who delivered my paper, the skinny girl in my daughter’s gymnastics class.  You played ball with my son and worked summers at my favorite burger joint.  We have probably never met, but I know you.

	You are a brother, sister, favorite niece or nephew, and someone’s best friend.  You are the child of parents who love you more than they can explain, feel pride words can’t carry, and bear a weight of worry they never dreamed possible.

There are probably a thousand things you’d rather be doing than what is before you now or what may be asked of you soon.  Combat is always possible when one wears the uniform, yet you donned it with full knowledge of the risks.  Not everyone would do it; I, for instance, did not.  Perhaps I’d make a different choice today but this time the decision was yours.  You chose to serve.

The type of people we consider heroes is kind of odd when you think about it:  athletes chasing records, movie stars and musicians, some of whom likely adorn posters in your old room back home.  Yet these folks rarely sacrifice more than time and effort, pursuing ambitions that profit only themselves.    There’s nothing wrong with that in itself; it’s what most of us do in some form or another.  It’s just not the stuff of heroes.   You, on the other hand, hazard your life for a wage that has many military families on food stamps.  You wager it for an ideal and a way of life, not wealth or fame.  If the chips fall wrong, the price you pay is for others.

Who’s the hero?  We’ll probably never know your name; I suspect you don’t care.  My own children are just short of military age but I have raised them to do what is right because it is right, not for gain, glory, or even gratitude.  If these things come, so much the better.  If not, your success is no less because personal reward wasn’t the object in the first place.

	Despite a few noisy voices, history shows the price of freedom is nothing less than blood.  It is not bought so much as leased, a fact some have forgotten after years of relative peace and the increasingly unrestrained license that has come to pass for liberty.  I admit some of us thought your generation might be the first to lose sight of that altogether.  We were wrong, and I’m glad.

I’d have written sooner but I’ve been pretty busy. If that sounds shallow, I suppose it is.  At least it finally occurred to me I have the luxury of busyness with career and family because you and hundreds of thousands like you are willing suit up, ship out, and take your chances.  Seeing your young face on television, a face I have seen at the playground and on the high school volleyball team and in the grocery store, drives home how very much you have on the line.  The least I can do is drop a note to say thanks.

	I do know you, and I know your family.  I know how anxious they are and how much they want for your future.  I understand how tremendously proud they are.  The rest of us are too, even if we’re too wrapped up enjoying the freedoms you protect to remember to say it.

Please look after yourself and be as careful as you can.  I will be praying for you and your family.  We all want you home safe.    A Grateful American

 

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

USO comedians bring laughter to Kirkuk

10/6/2003 - KIRKUK AIR BASE, Iraq (AFPN) -- A group of comedians from the United States visited here Oct. 2 to entertain the troops and film segments for an upcoming DVD.

The comedians were part of the Laugh Factory team, which belongs to the United Services Organization tour traveling through Southwest Asia.

Ralphie May, the headliner for the show, teamed with three other comedians to entertain more than 300 troops here. May, who has been featured on “Last Comic Standing,” will also release a DVD next year and wanted to include his trip here as a part of it.

“I asked to have many shots of the crowd because that’s what I wanted to show: people’s faces,” May said. “We’ll also include the autograph session we did after the show.”

Lahna Turner, another comedian who performed, said it was an honor to come to Iraq and entertain the troops.

“We all really appreciate what you are doing here,” Turner said. “I know the people back home feel the same way.”

Bob Marley, a comedian from New England, said he was pleasantly surprised with Kirkuk.

“In my mind, I was thinking the worst, but it actually isn’t as bad as I thought it would be,” he said. “It is amazing what can be done with a patch of dirt!”

Marley, who has been doing comedy for 12 years, said this was one of his many unique performance places.

“I’ve done comedy at beer festivals, as well as (in) people’s driveways,” he said. “This was different.”

Butch Bradley, who has appeared on HBO, said the crowd was the best part about this performance.

“Everyone was so responsive to all of us,” Bradley said. “We all know that the Air Force and Army have been here for a long time, and we just wanted to bring a smile to people’s faces for a couple of hours.”

Each of the performers expressed no concern for their safety.

“I didn’t hesitate when I was asked to do this,” May said. “I see what’s on the news, but when I got in and saw all of the planes you have here, I knew nothing was going to happen to me.”

The tour was organized by Joan Bouman, a producer in Los Angeles.

“We wanted to do something in the spirit of Bob Hope for the troops here,” she said. “He was a pioneer for entertaining troops overseas and each of these young comedians wanted to perform here in Iraq. They were all gung-ho from the beginning about coming here and having the opportunity to perform. The military troops are near and dear to our hearts and we really appreciate what you are doing here.”

KIRKUK AIR BASE, Iraq -- Maj. Mark Ernewein explains the A-10 Thunderbolt II's equipment to comedian Butch Bradley during a tour here Oct. 2. Four comedians from the USO Laugh Factory Comedy Tour entertained more than 300 Kirkuk residents. Ernewein is assigned to the 303rd Fighter Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Charlein She)

[LaDivaLoca]

W.C. Fields

"There's no such thing as a tough child -- if you parboil them first for seven hours, they always come out tender."

Ex-Fireman

"At one point we decided to fight fire with fire... Well...basically... your house burned even faster."

Popular Mechanics, 1949

"Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons."

Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943

"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers."

Unknown

The graduate with a Science degree asks, "Why does it work?"
The graduate with an Engineering degree asks, "How does it work?"
The graduate with an Accounting degree asks, "How much will it cost?"
The graduate with a Liberal Arts degree asks, "Do you want mustard with that?"

Jack Handy

...Laurie got offended that I used the word "puke." But to me,that's what her dinner tasted like...

Unknown

Lord, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to hide the bodies of the people I had to kill because they pissed me off.

Unknown

With proper diet, rest, and exercise a healthy body will last a lifetime.

Edward Flaherty

You couldn't get a clue during the clue mating season in a field full of horny clues if you smeared your body with clue musk and did the clue mating dance.

A Conformist

If there is anything the nonconformist hates worse than a conformist it's another nonconformist who doesn't conform to the prevailing standards of nonconformity.

"Consumer's Guide", Sears, Roebuck and Co. (1897)

If you don't find it in the Index,look very carefully through the entire catalogue.

[Kathy in Alaska]

RIP Sgt Maj James Blankenbecler

[LaDivaLoca]

BRATTRADIX!!!

[fatima]

Two friends meet each other on the street. "hello! Where are you coming from?" asked Bill. "Oh, don't ask me! I'm coming from the cemetery. I just burried my mother-in-law" replied Sid. "I'm so sorry!" said Bill, "But why is your face schratched all over?". "It wasn't so easy!" said Sid, "She put on a hell of a fight!"

[Kathy in Alaska]

Man, I've just about gotten here and you are off to bed. Good night and sleep well and G-d bless you good. Happy Yom Kippur. A scratch behind the ear for Moosh and Heelllllooo to Yaaker.

[fatima]

When you ask a housewife, accountant, and lawyer what 2+2 is, what do they give you?

The housewife says "Four." The accountant says "It's either three or four, let me run it through my spreadsheet again." The lawyer closes the shutters, turns down the lights, and whispers "What do you want it to be?"

[HiJinx]

Do you know the significance behind blue roses?

Just curious...

[Fawnn]

Radix!!! #200!!!

[LaDivaLoca]

LOL!

[Wild Thing]

Hi Fatima good to see you. I think of Karen every day and pray for her.

Wild Thing

[LaDivaLoca]

Goodnight Canteeners, our Military, Vets, Allies, Volunteers and your Families.
Take care and God bless you.







THANK YOU for protecting our FREEDOM

I Said a Prayer

for our Troops and Allies

I said a prayer for you today,
And know God must have heard.
I felt the answer in my heart,
although He spoke no word.

I didn't ask for wealth or fame,
I knew you wouldn't mind,
I asked Him to send treasures,
Of a far more lasting kind.

I asked that He'd be near you,
At the start of each new day.
To grant you health and blessings,
And friends to share your way.

I asked for happiness for you,
In all things great and small.
But it was His loving care,
I prayed for most of all.

[fatima]

"Hey Bill, I heard you can download the whole Tyson-Holyfield fight off the internet". "No kidding? How much memory will it take up?". "Not much, just two Bytes."

[Fawnn]

Popular Mechanics, 1949
"Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons."
Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943
"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers."

In Consumer Reports magazine, circa 1986 -- the one that rated either the Atari 800 or Atari 800XL as the best home computer for word processing, they "determined" that there probably wasn't any reason why anyone would need more than 64K RAM on a home computer. ;)

[Radix]

I ordinarily do not post about fallen Troops. I do not feel that it is edifying for our Troops to dwell on the fate of the fallen comrades with whom they serve and have served with.

Somehow, this particular incident struck me hard. I feel terrible for the Sgt. Major, and for the Troops who served with him.

It is a sad day, for his family, his fellow Troops, and for those of us who support those same Troops.

You Volunteers, who serve are appreciated by me, and the likes of many others!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Beautiful sunset! Thanks men of the Military and the Canteen.

[fatima]

Thank you Wild Thing,We get letters 3 times a week,You have a kind heart."Baby viper: I don't like the vipers next door.

Momma Viper: Why?

Baby Viper: They won't let me hiss in thier pit!

Momma Viper: That's alright, I knew them when they did't have a pit to hiss in!"

[Wild Thing]

Hi Ma glad I got to see you here. We seem to post at different times you and I. LOL
Thank you for all the fantastic photos you ping me to too. To Too TOO. those to's sound weird. haha

Wild Thing

[Soaring Feather]

Good evening LaDiva!!


Post #158, LOL!

How are you these days??

[Fawnn]

Do you know the significance behind blue roses?

If you mean significance for me:

I just love all things blue, but for some genetic reason, it's impossible to raise (true) blue roses. Thus, I have to create my own. (You supposedly can put blue food coloring in the water for white roses and eventually they'll turn blue, but I've never tried that.)

From ricehahn.com:

Still searching for

the perfect blue rose.

I've been "coloring" blue roses for a few years now. ;)

If you mean "significance in general," then: No. ;)