Happy Fourth All G-A

[VCM3]

I wish everyone a Safe & Happy Fourth.

Prior to the Blade Show this year ,I spoke with my generous & kind friend Mr. John Lloyd.He suggested a G-A.

So,in appreciation of our Great Country,Freedom & All we Stand for,and,this Forum and support to what we do & love....

Four knives,On the Fourth.

First ,second & Third,will recieve a John Lloyd custom handmade slipjoint,from my listings in the dealer section.
Recipiants choice on these,in order.
Fouth,a NIB,un used,from the NY Ellenville plant,MADE IN USA Schrade LB-5 lockback,with nickle silver,box,papers & sheath,minto as it gets.Great size,great knife,this is from my little stash

So post away,I think very rare tidbits of history that are in order with the day,are welcome. Any photo's of your day,or whatever you'd like.
There will be no rhyme or reason on how I get the winners selected ,but I trust,everyone will do thier best.
I have to run out soon,to go cook the dogs at the American Legion in Southold,for the ending of the parade ,that assembles there. I do this for the Scouts of Troop 6 in Southold & My wife is thier fearless leader. They just got back from Gettysburg last Sun.,they took the heat like champs & had a great ,memorable trip. I may post a few pics of this & some others later on but I gotta run soon.

I just want to say ,also,I'll figure out a way to select a quartet of knife winners prob before the week is out,and,don't think for one small second,John & I do not appreciate the support from all of you here on this sub forum ,and Bladeforums as a whole.

Be safe today,Thank You,All.
-Vince

 

[VCM3]

I'll burn this #2 spot with two NYC shots .

From the water,taken recently by me
Lady Liberty

Freedom Tower & under construction

 

[popech47]

Vince, I really appreciate the opportunities that you and all the other members of this forum offer. It is refreshing to go to a forum and not hear whining about how terrible our goverment situation is. As a member of the US Army for the last 18 years with 5 deployments 4 Afghanistan and 1 Iraq missing multiple 4th of July's while serving it gives me hope that my son and daughter will grow up in a nation that believes in individual liberties even one as simple as owning ,enjoying, sometimes even "Playing" with our knives these freedoms that we take for granted are not always available in other parts of the world. Besides the extremely important fact that on this day our forefathers stood bravely against tyranny and signed that document that forever changed our path as Americans I feel it is very important to take a few minutes and either publicly or privately give those brave men and women that are still over there in harms way a thought and maybe a short prayer of safety and remembrance. Happy 4th of July! Also the 4th just happens to be my birthday.

Thank you
Grover Pope
SFC U.S. Army

 

[VCM3]

Vince, I really appreciate the opportunities that you and all the other members of this forum offer. It is refreshing to go to a forum and not hear whining about how terrible our goverment situation is. As a member of the US Army for the last 18 years with 5 deployments 4 Afghanistan and 1 Iraq missing multiple 4th of July's while serving it gives me hope that my son and daughter will grow up in a nation that believes in individual liberties even one as simple as owning ,enjoying, sometimes even "Playing" with our knives these freedoms that we take for granted are not always available in other parts of the world. Besides the extremely important fact that on this day our forefathers stood bravely against tyranny and signed that document that forever changed our path as Americans I feel it is very important to take a few minutes and either publicly or privately give those brave men and women that are still over there in harms way a thought and maybe a short prayer of safety and remembrance. Happy 4th of July! Also the 4th just happens to be my birthday.

Thank you
Grover Pope
SFC U.S. Army

Grover Thank You for adding to my post. Putting light on a very important detail of how it works. Please check your visitor messages I gotta run now Folks.See ya' later...

 

[Stich2442]

Vince, I really appreciate the opportunities that you and all the other members of this forum offer. It is refreshing to go to a forum and not hear whining about how terrible our goverment situation is. As a member of the US Army for the last 18 years with 5 deployments 4 Afghanistan and 1 Iraq missing multiple 4th of July's while serving it gives me hope that my son and daughter will grow up in a nation that believes in individual liberties even one as simple as owning ,enjoying, sometimes even "Playing" with our knives these freedoms that we take for granted are not always available in other parts of the world. Besides the extremely important fact that on this day our forefathers stood bravely against tyranny and signed that document that forever changed our path as Americans I feel it is very important to take a few minutes and either publicly or privately give those brave men and women that are still over there in harms way a thought and maybe a short prayer of safety and remembrance. Happy 4th of July! Also the 4th just happens to be my birthday.

Thank you
Grover Pope
SFC U.S. Army

From my family to yours, happy 4th, and thank you for your service and sacrifice, it's people like you that make America great.
-Pete

 

[TLARbb]

Happy Birthday USA!!!

Never did get that video to link correctly, so I thought I'd post a favorite picture. The video was "Dear Abigail" which is quoted by another poster further down the thread. So, my video would have been anticlimactic anyway.

One thing to remember is that our country's fathers fought to throw off an oppressive government and that the Constitution was intended to grant certain powers to the government, but also to limit the government. Our country was founded on the principles of individual liberty; it is still worth fighting for.

I hope the land of the free stays free and the we can continue to enjoy those freedoms we currently have.

Another great give away by a great guy.

Ed J

 

[jakemex]

Thank you for the opportunity to share these photos here today on July 4th, and for the generosity shown by this GA. Greetings to all my fellow veterans. :thumbup:

This tabletop holds my history and some of my treasures from my service in the USAF. From 1971 to 1978. I served stateside maintaining nuclear missiles in the 97th AMMS, 97TH BW, Blytheville AFB, Arkansas (was later named Eaker AFB until finally closed in 1997), and in the 44th MIMS, 44th BW, Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota until my discharge.

The photo in the middle of the table is from my wedding to my wife, Marcia, on 27 July 1974. No tuxedo etc. for the wedding. Formal dress in those days was, and maybe still is, dress blues with white shirt and black bow tie. BTW, I'm still married to that long haired blonde after 38 years!

The Flag at the back is my father's... he was on Iwo Jima as a member of the Seabees. He died in September 2001.

Here on top of my Discharge certificate are my actual EDC for those 8 years. My P38, my earplugs for the flightline, and my Case Slimline Trapper given to me by my father-in-law, who also was a Seabee on a hospital ship in a different place but same time period as my father.

Happy 4th of July. May those that are serving at this moment in time rejoice in serving the greatest nation on Earth, where freedom still exists because of your service.

 

[zippofan]

I'd like to wish everyone here a safe and Happy Fourth of July!

I'm always glad to see so many here involved with the Boy Scouts of America. Finding and keeping adult leaders is very difficult and sometimes may lead to the loss of a unit. Many boys in that situation will not find another Troop and just give up. So to all the Scoutmasters, Assistant Scoutmasters, Committee Members, Chartered Organization Representatives and just plain moms and dads who help out with Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts, a heartfelt thank you from me and my family.

I posted my knives in the daily carry thread but here they are again:

And my favorite watch too:

Cheers,
Griff

 

[supratentorial]

Vince, That's very generous of you and John.

Here's a photo from a hike on Mount Desert Island, Maine.

...and two of the residents on the island.

Have a happy and safe 4th!

 

[smiling-knife]

That is very generous of you Vince. Thanks for the opportunity.

This knife seems appropriate for the occasion. Happy 4th of July to all my American friends.

 

[ken erickson]

Not and entry Vince but did want to say "thanks" to you and John for the Give-a-way on this very special day.

And a very huge thanks to the men and women, past and present,that have sacrificed to secure the freedoms we as American's enjoy.

 

[StuntDouble]

Thanks for the opportunity, I've been admiring Lloyd's knives for a while now.

Today I'm going to a 4th of July cookout at my dad's house. We just started talking again after about 5 years of no contact with each other. I guess that's what happens when you have two bullheaded people in the same family. Sometimes though, you just have to realize it's not worth it to be angry anymore.


Just to toss in some knife content, here's the one I'll be carrying for today:

Menefee Zulu trapper. I just had to repair the edge after my girlfriend used it for some home improvement, but it's good as new, even if it doesn't look as pretty as it used to.

I hope everyone has a happy and safe 4th of July.

 

[Sonnemann]

Hi Vince, thanks for the chance. Today I'll be spending the holiday with my girlfriend and her family members, a few of whom have completed the process to become American citizens in the last year--so it's very significant for them as well (tears will be shed!) I'm very proud to share this day with them and I hope everyone else enjoys their own celebrations as well!

 

[Sword and Shield]

Random historical tidbits?

Very well. Ever play Six Degrees of Separation? If we play straight, I'm 3 degrees from Harry Truman. Why?

My father was good friends with a man named Ed Selvey. Ed was a prominent Freemason, serving as Inspector General of Scottish Rite Masons for several terms in the 1950s, where he met Truman. When Truman died in 1972, it became known that he wanted a Masonic funeral, and Ed requested the honors. It was performed on the train back to Washington DC, and Truman got what he desired.

The difficulty was the town in which Selvey lived- it's a small coal town in Appalachian Ohio, and everything was closed for the evening. When word went out that Selvey needed to go for this mission, the cleaners opened so he'd have his suit, the barbershop for a shave and haircut, and they managed to borrow a plane from Wheeling Steel to get him to Missouri.

What can I say, small town folksiness at its best.

 

[popedandy]

I had never given much thought to our family having a tradition of serving in the military until my oldest son mentioned it to someone. As far as I know, there have been members of every generation that have served in some branch or other of the military starting with the Revolutionary War. My wife's family is the same. In fact, her dad was the third most senior NCO in the Air Force when he retired. Her parents met in the military. Her mom had to get out after they got married because married women weren't allowed to serve at that time. My wife and I also met when we were both in the Army. We both did two enlistments in the Army, then decided to get out so that we could raise our kids in one place. Our oldest son went into the Army right out of high school. I suggested that combat infantryman might not be the best job to consider, but that is what he wanted to do. He was in on the invasion of Iraq and went back for a second tour a year later. He never regretted being in combat arms, although getting up in the morning and knowing someone is probably going to try to kill you at some point during the day isn't the easiest job on the planet. Well, maybe he regretted it once or twice, like the time he got knocked out by an RPG that exploded nearby, or the time some insurgents dropped some grenades on top of his Bradley and his buddy that was sitting next to him took some shrapnel through the skull, but he always felt like serving in the military was part of his purpose in life.

I've never been one to talk about being in the military. This may be the first time I've ever mentioned it on-line and could well be the last. I and many other members of my extended family have served honorably, but never expected folks to make a big fuss over us for it. We did our part and were glad we could do so. End of story.

My hat is off to those who made a career of it, those who are serving in some tough spots, and just everyone in general who is serving or who has served. You have taken a path that was probably not the most common one among your peers. Whatever your reasons and whatever you are doing, you are serving your country. There are many, including myself, who respect your decision to do so and appreciate the work you are doing.

Happy 4th of July to all.

 

[Doug Add]

Thank you, Vince and John, for such a generous giveaway.

My tidbit of history related to this day is perhaps not as patriotic or nationally significant as what others have posted, but it does exhibit the truth that we live in the land of the free.

When I was a young boy in small town Indiana we had a neighbor across the street who was fireworks crazy. Every Fourth of July you could count on flashes, bangs and booms late into the night. It could become annoying if you let it, but it wasn't just that Dick was a pyromaniac, it was that he was so proud to live in this country.

His explosive celebration was just that, a celebration. It was a celebration that by some mysterious gift of God's grace we were born in a place where individual freedoms are the way of life, and to be cherished.

It may be as simple as lighting up a neighborhood on a hot summer night, but the fact that we can do so without fear of reprisals from the army or being put on a watch list by the secret police is not something to be taken for granted.

My thanks to all who have served sacrificially, and those who are currently serving, to protect our freedoms.

 

[Peruna1998]

That is mighty generous of John and you, Vince.

The Fourth means a lot to us in the US. Of course we all remember about the Declaration of Independence, but many of us forget that it was not until the breaking of the dawn on July 4, 1863, that the Army of Northern Virginia began its retreat from Gettysburg. With that retreat, no Confederate army would again march into Union territory. Further, the fall of Vicksburg was finalized on July 4, 1863. With the surrender of Vicksburg, the Confederacy was cut in twain and the star of Grant was ascendent. These events, of course did not end the Civil War, but they broke the back of the Confederacy. The Confederacy never again invaded the Union and operations in the West for the Confederacy descended into the farcical (Chickamauga excepted).

The first July 4th was important. But as Lincoln rightly noted July 4, 1863, reaffirmed the values of this nation.

 

[silenthunterstudios]

Thanks for the generous give away. Happy Independence day! Here are some flag themed knives:

 

[johnny twoshoes]

The pulled pork is at it best and the chilled, sweetness, of the coleslaw that helps to combat that humid breeze has never tasted so sweet. Smiles surround as good food is enjoyed and memories of last year's hunting season are reminisced. The corn stalks shuffle in the summer's breeze as the fuse is lit and the festivities are about to begin. Bottle rockets keep the kids entertained as the day passes and night falls, soon that pitch black American sky will be lit up with the most brilliant colors of the year. Ooohs and awwwes show appreciation for the "hard" work put into the "perfect" fireworks display.

The farm witnesses another 4th and we remember everything we've been blessed with through the years. Those who have laid down their lives for protection of this beautiful country are remembered and those who fight for us now are honored.
Pride is a great thing on a day like this.

 

[brets-ftw]

Wish everyone a happy and safe 4th!

To celebrate I thought I'd throw together a fitting breakfast, might not be patriotic per se, but as a Texan I feel it contributes well enough.

Here is one of the Mariner knives my grandfather carried serving in the Marines when he was stationed in China. Don't really know too much, he never really talked about it, ever. I never pushed.