Free Republic

HT LC My emphasis: October 28, 2010 Feast of Sts. Simon and Jude Dear Members of Christ’s Faithful of St. Mary and St. Augustine Parishes: I am in receipt of your October 8, 2010 letter and petition. I am grateful that you have approached me with your concern, and I certainly recognize and respect your right to do so (Code of Canon Law, c. 212, §§2-3). By means of this letter I am replying to what you requested, namely, the “immediate removal of the priests of the Society of Jesus Christ the Priest from St. Mary and St. Augustine parishes...

Today’s Jackass of the Day Award is given to one very deserving jackass, indeed. Mr. Dick Cavett, you should be proud. You, sir, are the biggest jackass I think I have awarded this to. I don’t know. It’s such a hard call, and “jackassishness” is such a hard thing to measure. I think we’ll have a vote at the end of the year to elect our top five over all jackasses of the year. You are sure to be elected in that poll.

PHOENIX - Fifty-five National Guard members from Utah arrived in Yuma on Saturday afternoon — the first troops to be sent to the Arizona-Mexico border in a new crackdown on illegal immigration. The Utah troops had been scheduled to work on fences and other projects as part of the Guard's long-standing efforts at the Arizona border, officials had said as late as Wednesday. But their mission has since been folded into President Bush's plan to send up to 6,000 National Guard troops to the four southern border states to supplement federal immigration agents. The Utah troops got word of the...

Returning to her camp near Baghdad, Sgt. 1st Class Juanita Wilson's last supply run turned out very differently than the other missions in her seven-month tour in Iraq.

The American public has more confidence in the military than in any other institution, according to a Gallup poll ... Seventy-four percent of those surveyed in Gallup's 2005 confidence poll said they have "a great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence in the military - more than in a full range of other government, religious, economic, medical, business and news organizations. This year's 74 percent confidence level exceeded that of all 15 institutions included in the 2005 survey. Police ranked second, with 63 percent of responders expressing "a great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence in them. Organized...

What: Fort Qualls Grand Opening Where: Crawford, TX (next to Yellow Rose, downtown) When: August 27, 2005 Schedule: 11:00 am-America Speaks (Silent Christian Majority) 12:00 pm-ribbon cutting/grand opening 12:15-21 gun salute-Taps-bagpipes *fallen soldiers *wounded soldiers *serving soldiers 12:45-Recognize soldiers 1:00-entertainment 2:00-Challenge-Open debate Fort Qualls vs Camp Casey Gary Qualls vs Cindy Sheehan On acceptance, Camp Casey, Cindy Sheehan & Peace House 7:30-Candelight prayer service @ the Golden Angel Mission: Bring truth to America as we honor those who are fighting, dying and serving to keep us and the World free. (Romans 8:28) Why: 1. Ft. Qualls was established August 18,...

NEWARK, N.J. — Brothers Marc and Michael Brummer figure the best way they can help support U.S. troops stationed in Iraq is to try to feed them — thousands of them. The co-owners of Hobby's Deli hope to send salami to the entire 42nd Infantry Division, currently in Tikrit. It'll take an estimated 23,000 salamis to reach that goal. But the first 2,000 or so of the dried meat — about 2 tons in all — was boxed and loaded onto a U.S. Postal Service truck Tuesday in the first phase of what the brothers dubbed "Operation Salami Drop." "We...

Sgt. 1st Class Paul R. Smith, who spent his boyhood in Tampa, became a man in the Army and died outside Baghdad defending his outnumbered soldiers from an Iraqi attack, will receive America's highest award for bravery. President Bush will present the Medal of Honor to Smith's wife, Birgit, and their children Jessica, 18, and David, 10, at a ceremony at the White House, possibly in March. The official announcement will come soon, but the Pentagon called Mrs. Smith with the news Tuesday afternoon. "We had faith he was going to get it," Mrs. Smith said from her home in...

FALLUJAH, Iraq (Nov. 27, 2004) -- A U.S. Marine sniper waited patiently inside a one-story house deep within the city. Lying in the prone position for several hours, he scanned the area through his scope before he finally found the three insurgents responsible for two previous mortar attacks. Sgt. Memo M. Sandoval, a platoon sergeant with Scout Sniper Platoon, Headquarters and Service Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, needed to positively identify the insurgents before he could take his shot. Sandoval, 26, saw that one of the men was about to place a mortar in a mortar tube. He knew...

LIVE FROM FALLUJAH  By Michelle Malkin   ·   November 07, 2004 01:06 AM Thanks to Brain Shavings for introducing me through his blog to U.S. Marine Dave Bellon, who is posting letters to his dad from Fallujah online. Here's an excerpt from his latest dispatch, dated Nov. 3: Dear Dad - As you have no doubt been watching, we have had our hands full around Fallujah. It would seem as if the final reckoning is coming. The city has been on a consistent down hill spiral since we were ordered out in April. It's siren call for extremists and criminals...

A Louisiana Home Front Celebration “A LOUISIANA HOME FRONT CELEBRATION” Servicemembers, Families, Communities: Serving Together with Pride      “A Louisiana Home Front Celebration” planned for Saturday, September 25, 2004 is a one-day event from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. in Leesville, LA (approx. 5 miles from Fort Polk) that will begin with military fly overs just before a “Ticker Tape” parade- akin the WWII era including hundreds of marching units from all the services (featuring the US Navy Band/ community floats/Grambling State University Band/Historical Vehicles and much more). Following the parade, and along Freedom’s Trail – a 1.2 mile stretch...

U.S. aircraft launched a fresh assault on Shi'ite rebels in the embattled Iraqi city of Najaf early Sunday after talks on transferring control of the mosque at the center of a two-week siege ran into trouble. A U.S. military AC-130 gunship unleashed rapid cannon and howitzer fire on positions held by rebels loyal to radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, a Reuters witness said. The attack lit the area with white flashes and was followed by a blast. Smoke drifted over the old city near rebel positions, and flashes were seen on the outskirts of the city. Tracer fire and orange flashes...

Excitement rippled through the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) parade field as President Bush promised thousands of soldiers just returned from Iraq that the United States won't stop short in waging the war on terror. The president and first lady arrived here today to the booming cheers of thousands of 101st Airborne Division soldiers who waved flags, hoisted children on their shoulders and peppered the president's message with applause and "hooahs." "He seems like he's really dedicated and not going to back down," said Spc. Josh Brown, just returned from tours in both Afghanistan and Iraq with the 3rd Battalion,...

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and his traveling party weren't the only Americans to refuel here in today's wee hours. Two companies of soldiers from the 120th Engineer Battalion, 90th Troop Command, Oklahoma National Guard, were getting ready to reboard their aircraft. Their civilian aircraft pilot saw the secretary and introduced himself as a former Air Force pilot. He told Rumsfeld more than 200 soldiers were right through the doors the secretary's party was about to enter. The defense secretary needed no introduction. The soldiers gave him a spontaneous, tumultuous welcome, and quickly surrounded the beaming Rumsfeld. The secretary shook some...

93% PRECINCTS REPORTING Haley Barbour (R) 441,188 OPENING A CANRonnie Musgrove (D) 378,260 ENJOY YOUR WHUPPIN'John Cripps 5,895 1% Shawn O'Hara (RP) 3,645 0% Sherman Dillon 3,639 1%

(Town Hall Meeting at Ft. Carson, Co.) SEC. RUMSFELD: (Applause.) Thank you very much. Good to see you all. Appreciate that. Please be seated. General Wilson, thank you so very much. General Lord, it's nice to see you here. Colonel Rusty. I guess Mayor Rivera may be here. Where are you? MAYOR LIONEL RIVERA (Colorado Springs, Colorado): Right here. SEC. RUMSFELD: There you are. Good to see you. I understand there's some good neighbors here, too, who help out with these folks, and we do appreciate that a great deal. I know this community gives wonderful support to the...

Today President Bush traveled to Ft. Stewart, Georgia to address the 3rd Infantry Division military personnel and their families, and to thank them, and honor them with the Presidential Unit Citation. He then traveled to Mississippi to attend a fundraiser for GOP gubernatorial candidate Haley Barbour and his wife, Marsha at the Mississippi Coliseum in Jackson. From there he went on to Houston to attend a faith based initiative function at the Power Center with long time friend, Pastor Kirbyjon Caldwell, and will be returning to the White House this evening. A BUSY day for our fine President! There are...

  Soldiers Cheer Commander in Chief; Unending 'Hooahs' Herald Bush Visit By Kathleen T. RhemAmerican Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Jan. 3, 2003 - There was no mistaking that America's soldiers are firmly behind their commander in chief during a presidential visit to the Army's Fort Hood, Texas, today. The troops there interrupted President Bush's short speech no less than 24 times with that unique Army seal of approval -- "Hooah!" Bush spoke to troops from the "great 1st Cavalry Division" and "the mighty 4th Infantry Division" before having lunch with soldiers during a noontime visit. The president noted 1,300...