The FReeper Foxhole Remembers Thankgiving "Over There" - Nov .25th, 2004

www.pilgrimhall.org ^ | Peggy M. Baker, Director & Librarian, Pilgrim Society.

[SAMWolf]

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.

Thankgiving "Over There"
The Story of Thanksgiving
and
America’s Armed Forces.

The first national annual Thanksgiving was proclaimed in 1863 by Abraham Lincoln. Amid the wrenching strife of the Civil War, the tradition of a national holiday centered on home and family and peace was established.

From that first Civil War Thanksgiving to today, sometimes against overwhelming odds, Americans have always found a way to celebrate Thanksgiving. Troops "over there" forged new families with their comrades. Families back home endured fear and loneliness with grace and courage, in hope for the future. During peacetime, special efforts are made so that American armed forces stationed away from home have a traditional "family" celebration.

The Civil War

The dispute over slavery, as well as rivalry between northern industrial and southern agrarian economies, divided the United States in the mid 1800s. Hostilities began in 1861, shortly after the election of Abraham Lincoln, an Illinois Republican, as President.

Early Confederate successes on land were balanced by a Union naval blockade of southern ports. The war did not turn until 1863 when Lee was defeated at Gettysburg. It took another two years of bloody warfare to establish final Union victory. The cease-fire was signed in May of 1865, one month after Lincoln was assassinated. Before its conclusion, 3/4 of a million men had died and another 1/2 million were wounded. Three million men had served in the Union forces and 750,000 in the Confederate forces. No American family escaped this disastrous conflict.



During the Civil War, rations for the Union troops were ample.

Some foods were not, however, available in the field. Even when full rations were provided, they were not nutritious or appetizing : a diet of hardtack, salt meat and no vegetables quickly leads to scurvy.

The food needs of the armed forces were enormous. The scale of purchasing gave plentiful chances for swindling. The defects of the system lay primarily, however, in unsupervised or inexperienced contractors and supply officers. Canned foods, an economical and reliable source of nutrition, were first used during the Civil War. Condensed milk, invented by Gail Borden in 1856, was occasionally available as were desiccated (or in the language of the troops, "desecrated") fruits and vegetables.

The first national annual Thanksgiving of 1863 was not officially observed by the United States military. Providing a special Thanksgiving dinner for the troops was beyond the capabilities of the Commissary.

Individual units, however, particularly those with New England roots, did find their own unofficial ways to celebrate the day.

Special dinners were organized, and toasts to absent family and friends were drunk.



Thanksgiving 1864 did not go similarly unrecognized. The Union League Club of New York City launched a public campaign to provide Thanksgiving dinner for Union soldiers and sailors :

We desire that on the twenty-fourth day of November there shall be no soldier in the Army of the Potomac, the James, the Shenandoah, and no sailor in the North Atlantic Squadron who does not receive tangible evidence that those for whom he is periling his life, remember him...

We ask primarily for donations of cooked poultry and other proper meats, as well as for mince pies, sausages and fruits... To those who are unable to send donations in kind, we appeal for generous contributions in money.

The response was overwhelming. In 3 weeks, the Club collected over $57,000 towards the purchase of 146,586 pounds of poultry. Donations of an additional 225,000 pounds of poultry were received, along with an enormous quantity of other meat, cakes, gingerbread, pickles, apples, vegetables, cheese, and mince pies.

Captain George F. Noyes reported from General Phil Sheridan’s Army of the Shenandoah

The want of proper appliances compelled most of the men to broil or stew their turkeys, but everyone seemed fully satisfied, and appreciated the significance of this sympathetic thank-offering from the loyal North. One soldier said to me, "It isn’t the turkey, but the idea that we care for," and he thus struck the key-note of the whole festival.

The Spanish American War

The United States became involved in the war between Cuban nationalists and colonial Spain when the Maine, a battleship sent to Havana to safeguard American interests, was blown up. The United States declared war on Spain in April of 1898. Within a few weeks, Spanish troops had been ejected from both Cuba and from the Spanish possession of Puerto Rico, gaining fame for Teddy Roosevelt and his "Rough Riders." Meanwhile, Admiral George Dewey and the American fleet in the Pacific destroyed the Spanish fleet in Manila harbor, ending Spanish rule in the Philippines. Active hostilities ceased by October of 1898.



The Spanish-American War was America’s first military venture overseas. Problems of transport were overwhelming; inspection was totally inadequate. Food, especially the notorious "embalmed beef," was spoiled by heat and there were numerous cases of deadly food poisoning among the American troops in Cuba.

The need for reform was obvious. A clearer understanding of nutrition led to more balanced rations. Ordering procedures were upgraded and bureaus combined for increased efficiency in transportation. The first school for military cooks was established. Better cooking utensils and mess gear were developed, field ranges replaced campfires. Improvements brought about by the Spanish-American War made future celebrations of military Thanksgivings possible.

World War I

Large-scale war broke out in Europe in 1914, but America maintained its neutrality for several years. After six American ships were sunk by German submarines, President Woodrow Wilson asked Congress to declare war on Germany. The first American troops reached France in June 1917. Over 2,000,000 American soldiers were sent to France before the end of the war in 1918 and nearly 2,000,000 more were in training at home for service abroad if needed.

During the First World War, special efforts were needed to feed five distinct groups : American troops stationed in the U.S., American troops abroad, the U.S. civilian "home front," European allied troops, and European civilians. Herbert Hoover was given sweeping power to set prices and to take measures against hoarding and profiteering. Americans were urged to save on sugar, wheat, fat, and meat. Civilian Thanksgiving recipes reflected this patriotic austerity, as pumpkin pies were sweetened with molasses and served with sugarless ice cream.



There was an appreciable upgrading of the standard overseas ration.

The "doughboy" diet now included a greater variety of food and a wider use of fresh foods, even in the field. The military’s ability to produce food and send it to the troops overseas was greatly improved. American troops celebrated Thanksgiving at camps in the United States and overseas during the First World War. Soldiers and sailors from every region of America, men who often had little in common, gathered together to celebrate a unifying and patriotic holiday, a day that was uniquely American. This unifying theme was emphasized by the military Thanksgiving menu, a menu that centered almost entirely on "traditional" New England food.

Between the Wars

After World War I, the country turned its back on Wilson’s "internationalism" and tried to avoid political entanglements in the wider world. The United States continued, however, to be involved in significant commercial interests overseas.



American entrepreneurs continued to pursue their business interests (on occasion, with military support) in the Pacific, and in Central and South America.

The number of American military personnel, which had reached a peak of 2,396,000 in 1918, generally hovered around 137,000 throughout the more peaceful 1920s and 1930s. This smaller military force developed a special camaraderie during the 1920s and 1930s. A "family" feeling was promoted by military Thanksgiving celebrations with abundant food and festive printed souvenir menus.

[SAMWolf]

World War II

Germany invaded Poland in 1939. Great Britain and France declared war on Germany, a war which soon widened as military operations spread through Europe, Asia, Africa and Russia. America entered the war on December 8, 1941. American forces invaded North Africa in 1942, eventually sweeping into Italy through Sicily. In 1944, American troops landed on the beaches of France. Germany surrendered on May 8, 1945. The Japanese offensive in the Pacific was brought to a halt in 1942. American forces advanced slowly and painfully, reentering the Philippines in late 1944. Japan surrendered on September 2, 1945.

Over 12,000,000 Americans (including over 250,000 women) served in the armed forces during World War II.

The scope of the war and the number and diversity of overseas operations presented an enormous challenge for food supply, transport and distribution. The logistics of food supply could not be allowed to dictate military strategy. Additional planning and coordination were essential.

Both at home and overseas, the military attempted not only to feed the troops, but to feed them well. As Bill Mauldin noted, however, the food got worse the closer you got to the front. Overseas units still depended largely on canned food, dehydrated fruits, and "powdered" eggs. The exceptions were Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, when extraordinary efforts were made to get holiday food to combat areas.

On the home front, food rationing was instituted. Once again, American families curtailed their holiday celebrations for the sake of their troops overseas.

The Cold War-Korea to Vietnam

World War II brought a shifting balance of power. The military draft, allowed to lapse for a year in 1947, was revived as the "Cold War" intensified. The U.S. and the Communist bloc met in combat in Korea during the 1950s and in Vietnam during the 1960s and 1970s. North Korean Communists invaded South Korea in 1950. Ultimately, North Korea was driven back by American and United Nations forces. President Eisenhower signed a cease-fire in 1953.

An "advisory" involvement in the war between non-Communist South and Communist North Vietnam, grew into a heavy American military commitment in the 1960s. The war against North Vietnam was protracted and inconclusive, ending in 1975 with the withdrawal of U.S. troops and the fall of Saigon.

Combat rations in Korea and Vietnam were an improved version of World War II rations. Even for the front line troops, however, combat rations were not served at Thanksgiving. Troops were rotated off the front so that they could enjoy a full, hot Thanksgiving dinner behind the lines. The services made an intensified effort to serve hot food in the field whenever possible. During the Korean conflict, men in combat areas were usually given two hot meals a day. By 1967, 93% of the meals served to the troops in Vietnam were hot and primarily fresh.

A new coordinated research effort aimed at improving both nutritional content and food preservation was led by the U.S. Army Soldier Systems Command, Natick (Massachusetts) Research Development & Engineering Center ("Natick Labs"). This coordination led to the creation of the Armed Forces Recipe Service in 1968. The resulting standardized recipes did away with separate cookbooks for the various services.

Post-Cold War

In 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait and threatened to invade Saudi Arabia. When Iraq refused to withdraw despite an international naval blockade, war became imminent. Between November 1990 and January 1991, U.S. forces in the Middle East doubled to 440,000. President Bush spent Thanksgiving 1990 in the Persian Gulf with the American troops. The Gulf War opened in January with a series of air attacks known as "Operation Desert Storm." The February ground offensive resulted in the almost-immediate liberation of Kuwait.

American troops are now stationed in many parts of the world. In addition to Thanksgivings celebrated by the troops at established bases both in this country and overseas, American forces involved in peace-keeping missions have spent recent Thanksgivings in places as diverse and as far from home as Haiti and Bosnia.

Today, each of the four branches of the U.S. Armed Services (Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marines) creates their own Thanksgiving day menus. But they all use the same recipes, created and tested by a centralized recipe development department at "Natick Labs." There are 1500 recipes and guidelines in the Armed Forces Recipe Service File which is maintained and developed by the food technologists at "Natick Labs" to meet the nutritional requirements and consumer preferences of the military population.

The Thanksgiving menu of today remains surprisingly unchanged from those of the past. An analysis of 100 military menus, from 1917 to 1997 and from Boston to Saudi Arabia, show that 100% of the menus offer turkey, 98% offer dressing, 92% offer cranberry sauce, and 89% offer gravy. 96% of the menus offer pie, with 81% offering pumpkin pie. In the grand military Thanksgiving Day tradition, some things do remain the same!

[SAMWolf]

Military Voices from the Front

1863 letter from A. Mason, Lieutenant 38th Massachusetts in Baton Rouge, Louisiana to Captain Charles C. Doten

"...The dinner passed off in grand style and no one got drunk though many toasts were given with a will none more heartily drank than the health of Capt. C.C. Doten. Our appetites had been sharpened by a very pleasant ride of some three hours and we did full justice to the entire list. The 'right wing mess' observed the occasion in due form by a dinner composed of the prescribed elements and had a party at a house near by in the evening. The 'left wing mess' had an assembly at a neighbors to eat roast turkey but did not celebrate so zealously as the others. Most of the companies had some extra dish for Dinner and on the whole thanksgiving in the 38th was well marked."

A letter from Paris, written by Private Harry McArdle, December 8, 1918 as published in Plymouth's Old Colony Memorial newspaper

"Before I wrote of Paris I just want to tell you of the Thanksgiving I had. The dinner wasn't the big thing of the day for me as I had the pleasure of attending a very impressive military mass that was said at St. Martin's Cathedral by the Arch Bishop of Tours and under the auspices of the Knights of Columbus. Of course the presence of the Arch Bishop called for the ditto of all sort of Bishops, plenipotentiaries, etc., that added to the scene and in addition to having a wonderful organist and the usual drums and bugle that that particular church has at the elevation and start of Mass, a band from the barracks of about 60 pieces played the Thanksgiving Hymn and of course the National anthem as well as others appropriate to the occasion. The church was well decorated with American flags, an American Chaplain gave a very eloquent sermon. The congregation was almost wholly military."

Bill Shepard of Plymouth, 102 Infantry Division ("Ozark Division"), U.S. Army, stationed in Ohio, Germany and Wales :

"The Armed Forces were absolutely adamant about getting the troops a Thanksgiving dinner, all over the world, no matter who you were or what you were doing. Whether it was on the front lines or in a big fort like Sam Houston in San Antonio, they always made sure that the Armed Forces got a Thanksgiving dinner. Christmas meals were also somewhat like that, but I remember the Thanksgiving dinners -- there were always turkeys and pies and everything you would have at home. The food was often cold, if you were in the field (Thanksgiving Day 1944, the Ozark Division had just broken through the Siegfried Line at Aachen), but it was Thanksgiving."

Stanley Collins, US Navy :

"I was on submarine duty in the Pacific in the year 1943. We were in the area off the cost of the Philippines. I remember having a complete turkey dinner on Thanksgiving. While the turkeys were cooking, the submarine took a dive. We went down too steeply and the turkeys fell out of the oven onto the deck. The cook picked them up and put them back into the oven -- and we ate them, regardless of what may have gotten on them as a result of their fall. That meal was so good!"

Ervin Schroeder, 77th Infantry Division, 3rd Battalion, I Company, US Army :

"On Thanksgiving Day, we made our landing on Leyte Island in the Philippines very early in the morning. We therefore missed our dinner aboard ship. Somewhere down the beach from where we landed, the Navy sent us ham and cheese sandwiches. My buddy happened to get one of the sandwiches and brought it back to our area. I was complaining to him for not bringing one back for me when he started to have stomach cramps... At this point, I shook his hand and thanked him for not bringing me a sandwich."

[SAMWolf]

Military Voices from the Front

Bill Shepard of Plymouth, US Army, Korea :

"I came back home after the Second World War and then was recalled during the Korean War. It was a shock -- I hadn't even really told my new wife that I was still in the Reserves...

"I wrote a letter home from Korea on Thanksgiving Day, November 22, 1951, that my wife has saved. You can see by the letter : Am so full I can hardly move! We just finished eating a huge turkey dinner with all the trimmings. I'll enclose the menu. Typical Army -- feast or famine, but today we had the feast.

We were up on the front lines eating cold K rations and then suddenly we go to the rear for Thanksgiving dinner, and then right back to the front line!"

Rick Sterling of Plymouth, 1st Cavalry Division, US Army, Vietnam :

"My company was out in the field Thanksgiving 1970, so we found a place to bring in a helicopter. They flew out turkey and cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes and pie, and set up a chow line out there for us. It was during monsoon season, so we got a little wet while we were eating. We would stand around eating, pretty much. The only shelters we were carrying around with us were small tents. Each man had a shelter half and we'd snap them together and a couple of us would sleep in there at night, but there wasn't room to really sit around. So we stood around in the rain and ate our soggy turkey dinners."

Robert White, Jr., US Army, Vietnam :

"I spent 3 years in Southeast Asia in the late 60s and early 70s. My fondest memory of that period was when choppers dropped us a Thanksgiving dinner in Mermite cans. We can cans of HOT turkey, HOT mashed potatoes, HOT gravy, COLD cranberry sauce, cornbread stuffing, and peas. Man, that was good! We had to wash it down with hot canteen water. There were NO complaints. We were not expecting such a nice meal, as we were in the field."

Vincent Edward Garcia, US Army :

"The year was 1984, I was an E-2 in the Army. I was 18 years old and it was my first time away from home. I was stationed in Fort Gordon, Augusta, Georgia. Although there was no snow, it was very cold and the thought of not spending Thanksgiving with my family made it seem even colder. The Thanksgiving Day menu consisted of all the traditional Thanksgiving trimmings. Somehow, though, it didn't feel like Thanksgiving without my mother's cooking. After dinner, my platoon and I gathered in the recreation room and watched football. This was one Thanksgiving where I really appreciated the Thanksgivings that had gone before."

Mark A. Wright, US Navy :

"I joined the Navy in October, 1982 (and look forward to retiring in October 2002). I have spent many Thanksgivings over seas -- and under the seas. I remember one Thanksgiving in Alexandria, Egypt. Several shipmates and myself went out into the ancient town and ate some "mystery food" in one of the quaint little stone restaurants.

Most of my Thanksgivings in the Navy have been spent under the ocean in a Navy submarine. We have turkey and ham and all the associated food, but it always inside a metal tube about 400 feet under the water. Happy Thanksgiving!"

Anonymous Air Force officer, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, 1997 :

"I've been in the Air Force for 23 years and was stationed all over the world. We always said there were 2 dinners that the military couldn't screw up -- Thanksgiving and Christmas. That's because the "boss" was down with his family for those dinners. The Colonel, his wife and kids would have their holiday dinner with us. It was a real dinner for them, too, not just for show -- they would really chow down. It was good for us to see the kids -- we would see French kids or German kids or whatever, depending on where we were stationed, but it was really good to talk to American kids who understood what Thanksgiving was all about."

[SAMWolf]

Here are the recommended holiday mailing dates for military mail this year:

For military mail addressed TO APO and FPO addresses, the mailing dates are:

• Parcel Post - November 13
• Space Available - November 27
• Parcel Airlift - December 4
• Priority Mail, First Class cards and letters - Mailing date is December 11 to all locations
  • EXCEPT for locations starting with ZIP 093. For all locations starting with ZIP 093 the mailing date is December 6.
• Express Mail - December 20 to locations where Express Mail service is available. Check with your local post office to determine which APO/FPO addresses can receive Express Mail. Note: This service is not available to ships.

------

For military mail FROM APO and FPO addresses, the mailing dates are:

• Space Available - November 20
• Parcel Airlift - December 4
• Priority Mail, First Class cards and letters - December 11
• Express Mail - December 18 from APO/FPO addresses where Express Mail can be accepted. Check with your local military post office to determine if they can accept Express Mail. Note: This service is not available from ships.

Thanks for the information StayAtHomeMother

---

Veterans for Constitution Restoration is a non-profit, non-partisan educational and grassroots activist organization. The primary area of concern to all VetsCoR members is that our national and local educational systems fall short in teaching students and all American citizens the history and underlying principles on which our Constitutional republic-based system of self-government was founded. VetsCoR members are also very concerned that the Federal government long ago over-stepped its limited authority as clearly specified in the United States Constitution, as well as the Founding Fathers' supporting letters, essays, and other public documents.

---

Actively seeking volunteers to provide this valuable service to Veterans and their families.

---

UPDATED THROUGH APRIL 2004



The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul

Click on Hagar for
"The FReeper Foxhole Compiled List of Daily Threads"

[SAMWolf]

As we count our Blessings today,
The Freeper Foxhole wishes all
a Happy Thanksgiving

Sam and Snippy

[alfa6]

It is a Glorious Thanksgiving Day here in Kansas City.

Here is hopining that all of our troops "Over There" have a great day and plenty of turkey and pie today with no problems from "them"

Best Regards To All

alfa6 ;>}

[Soaring Feather]

Good morning everyone!

[snippy_about_it]

"FALL IN" to the FReeper Foxhole!



Good Thursday Morning Everyone.
Happy Thanksgiving


If you want to be added to our ping list, let us know.

If you'd like to drop us a note you can write to:

The Foxhole
19093 S. Beavercreek Rd. #188
Oregon City, OR 97045

[SAMWolf]

Morning alfa6.

You doing the "turkey with all the trimmings" today?

[SAMWolf]

Good Morning Feather.

[Soaring Feather]

From Samwise to everyone!

[meenie]

As we wish the troops over there Happy Thanksgiving, please remember the Thanksgivings we spent over there. It will make your wishes that much more sincere. Here's hoping the next Thanksgiving, we can all be over here.

[SAMWolf]

Thanks Samwise. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.

[SAMWolf]

Thanks for serving your turn at watch, meenie.

[E.G.C.]

Good morning to everyone at the Freeper Foxhole and Happy Thanksgiving from Southwest Oklahoma.

Folks, I've been busy composing some observations this morning. Be sure to click on my screen and then "In Forum to read my thoughts about the OU Nebraska game and some stuff that went on at the game. It's still being addressed in the newspapers this morning.

The weather's nice with temps going up into the lower 60's today.

[SAMWolf]

Morning E.G.C.

We're having an overcast Thanksgiving but so far no rain.

[alfa6]

Yep getting ready to put the bird in the oven shortly. Mrs alfa6 just finished getting the dressing ready. We will be having a late dinner as my son has to go to the in-laws at noon. But that is not a problem, just gives me more time to work up an appetite, he he he.

Hope you and snippy are taking it easy today, y'all desreve a day off every now and then. :-)

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

[SAMWolf]

just gives me more time to work up an appetite, he he he.

:-)

Hope you and snippy are taking it easy today, y'all desreve a day off every now and then. :-)

I 'm "letting" Snippy take the day off, Im planning on going in and getting some of the "light" work done later.

[aomagrat]

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

[The Mayor]

The First Thanksgiving Proclamation

Continental Congress 1782 Thanksgiving Proclamation

George Washington's 1789 Thanksgiving Proclamation

Abraham Lincoln's 1863 Thanksgiving Proclamation