The best meal from Uncle Sam [Archive] - Jouster2 Shooting Forums

Rick

09-27-2010, 07:16

Sometimes on the carrier we were working 20 + hour days and couldn't get away to eat for a few days at a time. So anytime we got to eat and not wait in a chow line for a couple hours all meals were appreciated. In the yards we had seafood on Fridays and could have all the lobster, shrimp, crab legs, and scallops we could eat. Being from the Midwest and raised on beef and pork I wouldn't even try the stuff. Would love to go back as it was sure my loss.

Art

09-27-2010, 10:12

When I was in Korea there was a Hawk site we had to drive past when we serviced a site north of us or when we had to go to Humphreys to get mail or deliver or pick up parts or supplies. Their cooks made fresh bread every day, it was great stuff, as good as any fresh homemade bread I've ever had . If we were going past it we always stopped for lunch and their hospitality was always excellent. The rest of their chow was pretty darn good too!! :icon_salut:

BEAR

09-27-2010, 10:57

In the early 70s when I was stationed at Ft. Richardson, AK there was one mess hall that would open a 19:00hrs and close at 22:00hrs (7pm to 10pm for you air force types). We called it the "MP" messhall because it would feed the troops on shifts like MPs and aircrews, etc. But it was open to all soldiers. They would only offer short order foods such hamburgers, hotdogs, chili, tamales, french fries and sometimes things left over from the dinner meal like chicken or beef stew. This was a God send for the cash strapped private that didn't have a POV. When the post movie let out there would be a cattle stampede to the mess hall ... great stuff.
When I was reassigned there in 1985 they had discontinued it. By then the Army had the "Fat Boy'" program in full swing and they didn't want Pvt. Tentpeg seduced by all those fattening foods.
BEAR

Nick Riviezzo

09-28-2010, 05:49

As a EM,NCO and Officer[especially as a Commander]I made it a point to eat regularly in our mess halls. I've had some fine meals and some mediocre in messes through out a career. I have to say, that for a consistantly excellent meal, the Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners in mess halls were always good. I loved to see the troops bring their families where it was allowed.I also noticed how the quality of the chow improved when the Commander and Platoon Leaders ate in the mess frequently.I do have to give a little credit to a certain Sea Bee mess at Da Nang for their excellent sea food dinners. Sorry, I don't remember the units designation, but the lobster was top drawer.Nick

Maury Krupp

09-28-2010, 07:49

At the Army mess halls I had to eat in Thanksgiving and Christmas were probably the two worst meals.

Not only because eating in an old run down WWII mess hall by yourself on a holiday isn't real high on anybody's hit parade, but because by the time we single junior enlisted swine got to eat the 0s and SNCOs with their families had picked over everything and the kitchen staff were tired, more surly than usual from working on a holiday, and just wanted to go home.

Probably the "best" (on a relative scale) was the day the IG was inspecting the mess hall; the worst was the day after.

Maury

Dan Shapiro

09-28-2010, 10:56

Best was the last. Just returned from Nam and going thru out-processing at Oakland. 2am, steak and french fries.

Art

09-28-2010, 11:08

cwartyman

09-28-2010, 11:18

Worst was in Iwakuni Japan in 92 when they served surf and turf of a piece of shoe leather steak and a very mushy lobster tail. Since then have never enjoyed a well done steak again or tried lobster tail. The best meal was on March 13, 1991 in JFK airport when we deplaned coming home from Desert Storm so the plane could be refueled and cleaned for the next leg of the trip, and they were serving McDonalds it wasn't hot and didn't taste great but we were home in the States and they truly cared that we had something from home, then they opened the phone banks up for all 400 of us to make phone calls. Being from NYC i tried to call my parents to get them to come out but they had gone to Atlantic City for the day. Wasn't until I reached El Toro that i was able to get in touch with them, by then the party had started in the hangar so after not drinking for 7 months the 4 beers I had knocked me for a loop lol. At El Toro midrats was always the best meal served, either eggs to order or burgers and fries.
Mack
USMC
1988-1995

cmbtinfantry

09-28-2010, 11:55

It wasn't fancy but my best meal was right after we got back from the Shah-e-Khot valley. Good old egg and sausage t rats with grits and awful waffles. It wasn't the best but after sharing an mre between my fire team for 2 weeks it was heaven.

Nick Riviezzo

09-28-2010, 05:48

phil441

09-28-2010, 07:10

Maybe not the best but the most unexpected. Goose Bay Labrador in winter of '62. We had been in white-out conditions for several weeks. I had noticed if you held up your bologna to the window a certain way you could see a green sheen on it. Didn't matter, we ate whatever was left in the fridges. No fresh veggies or fruit at all. A Canadian company had a contract to fly in only the true essentials and we could hear them coming in when we couldn't see 'em. Those guys were good!
Weather finally broke and a couple of days later when we entered the SAC chow hall we found the lights were all off with candles on each table. Great! we thought, now a power failure... Nope, the serving line was open and cooking steaks to order. Candle-light and steaks to order. The mess Sgt. went from table to table making sure everything was OK. He got several rounds of applause while I was there.

BEAR

09-28-2010, 08:00

Maury, I don't know where you were having to eat after the Officers and NCO's but I never in 23 years saw that kind of crap.If I had I would have been feeding some Officers and NCO's "C" rats. That's just the kind of BS a good officer or senior NCO wouldn't tolerate. The soldiers are the precious comodity. Short change the troops look for some severe guidance from any Commander worth his salt.Nick
I'm with Nick on this Maury. After 21 years I never saw anything like that. As an NCO in Airborne Infantry Battalions, the NCO's and officers played DRO and served our troops on Thanksgiving Day (Hmmmmm! just like GW). And we wore our Dress Blues (or Dress Greens) to boot. Never begrudged that duty, I was honored. One Thanksgiving, my wife and the other NCO wives in my platoon had a second TG meal at a community center for my whole platoon. Those guys packed it away at the messhall and then again at the community center also. No left over turkey sandwiches at my house that year. Good time was had by all.
I'm sorry your experience was so different.
BEAR

BEAR

09-28-2010, 08:31

Since I'm on here I'll give my best experience in a dining facility other than Army. My unit was undergoing amphibious training at Coronado, CA and we had just lined our troops up at their dining facility. True to standard we NCO's stood at the back waiting for our guys to go through before we went through. One of the Marine Gunny's was giving us the squint stare from a short line just opposite the main line. He then stalked over to the main line, unclamped the cigar from his teeth and told us NCO's that there was a line for us over where he was standing. He the told us that NCO's have too much to do waiting to eat chow after the troops. Well, we didn't want to argue with the bulldog on his turf so we followed him over. When we got inside we saw that the facility was divided into two different areas, one for enlisted and one for NCOs. The food was excellent and they had civilian dining room orderlies (DRO) that waited on us at our tables. Never had to lift a finger after I got my food. They even took our trays from us when we were finished. We thought that the Marines really knew how to treat the troops .... that is until we went to Pendelton 2 weeks later, then we realized that Coronado was a NAVY base.
BEAR

Nick Riviezzo

09-29-2010, 03:44

Hey Bear, I was DRO at the Last Supper! Nick

Griff Murphey

09-29-2010, 04:37

Three meals come to mind, the lobster at the Mau Camp at Cubi Point, Subic, in 1-4's mess hall 1975. Very good, and all you wanted. Since officers receive money to buy their own food, we had to pay something like $3. One night at the officers' mess at Camp Hansen, Okinawa, we had tacos. Not the best, sort of an Okinawan version, but for the Texans and Californians it was a long-overdue taste of home; everybody raved over them. Also will never forget pre-deployment mess night for BLT 1-4's cruise, great roast beef, quite a party afterwards.

I used to get tickled at the Okinawan cooks at Hansen. They would put out grapefruit cut in half, but they cut it bass-ackards, top to bottom, where you couldn't get to the fruit. One time they served oyster stew. There were so few oysters in it I recall one Marine Lt saying "I'm gonna see if I can snag the duty oyster as he swims by..." The ice cream machine was left on all the time. During movies (long before video!) we'd cut the tops off of beer cans and fill 'em up with ice cream for a snack. Then go to the bar for MORE BEER.

Bill D

09-29-2010, 08:01

Maury, I don't know where you were having to eat after the Officers and NCO's but I never in 23 years saw that kind of crap.If I had I would have been feeding some Officers and NCO's "C" rats. That's just the kind of BS a good officer or senior NCO wouldn't tolerate. The soldiers are the precious comodity. Short change the troops look for some severe guidance from any Commander worth his salt.Nick

Nick -

You are spot on with your post.

I spent a good many years as a platoon sergeant and it was ALWAYS my policy that my men went into chowline first followed by junior NCO's. THEN came senior NCO's and officers. I always ate dead last and if there wasn't enough food for me, the mess sergeant was going to have the seat of his pants in tatters.

Officers and senior NCO's eating first is disgraceful and reflects very poorly upon them.

Bill D

UUURah

09-29-2010, 11:06

BEAR reminded me of a time when TDY at Coronado, the Navy Base.

Every evening they had something really terrific to us Gyrines. We were in hog heaven. One evening we had Fried Rabbit. Man, it was sensational, better than any fried chicken I had ever had.

As I was cleaning out my tray into a garbage can near the door, a Navy guy walked up, he probably had half his meal still on the tray. As he was dumping it out into the can he remarked to us, "Same old sh*t every night".

RED

09-29-2010, 12:09

Bill D

09-29-2010, 02:42

My worst was at Whiteman AFB. WE landed there to refuel one night at zero dark 30. We were on our way back to Oceana from NAS Moffet. I hadn't eaten since noon and my tummy was growling. Between me and my pilot we finally came up with enough change to get a sandwich out of the machine. When I pulled the handle, down came the package but when I tried to open the door it wouldn't move. Try as I might that damn door was stuck. Finally some young AF airman comes over and says "excuse me sir" and lifted the door and handed me the sandwich. It was molded!

Hey! Of course it was molded. You don't expect the locals to eat vending machine swill, do you. They have to wait until some dumb sh!t Navy aircrew come along and then have to show them how to operate the machine. Just kidding - I spent a few years in the Navy as an airdale dealing with Navy airplane drivers before I went over to "The Dark Side".

BEAR

09-29-2010, 05:56

Hey Bear, I was DRO at the Last Supper! Nick

And my son jokes about me serving in the Roman legions! So you were in the old black sandal army too?

Nick Riviezzo

09-30-2010, 04:39

Michael Tompkins

10-01-2010, 09:33

At Ray Barracks in Friedberg, FRG every Sunday they had a brunch at the Officer's Mess. It was all you could eat. I never missed going, except if I was in the field or on patrol. I loved that set-up! Mike

John Sukey

10-01-2010, 12:46

Oh well , I can't top any of your stories. but the best meals I ever had were at Cold Lake CAFB and at Halifax Nova Scotia You actualy had a choice of several different meals. Ft. George in Scotland was a bit different, First time I ever drew a cup of tea with the milk already in it! However the bangers and eggs for breakfast were great. Only one meal where I really couldn't identify what they were serving. And No, it wasn't haggis;)

SMOKEY

10-01-2010, 01:49

Dont remember good meals but I do remember being served canned hamburger, or so we were told, from WWII. Thing looked like hockey puck and was as hard. Could not eat it but we got one each meal for months, along with all the other gourment chow the Navy served

phil441

10-01-2010, 09:30

Yeah,The first Huey[helicopter] I ever flew had dirt floors ,a linen covered tail boom, and wooden rotor blades! But, not to highjack the thread, the "C" rats came stone jars and leather pouches. Nick

Nick, hope you saved one of those leather pouches. They're collectibles now.
And weren't the original sandals brown?
So now we've got you bracketed between the invention of dirt and linen?

Phil

Michaelp

10-02-2010, 09:21

Around 1990 at the SF convention at Ft Bragg, they took us to a mess hall for lunch.

It was like a big modern buffet type deal.

I could not believe the quantity and quality of the chow available.

I don't know why modern GIs weigh less than 300 nlbs eating like that.

During my service, 1966-1970, I never had a single messhall meal I considered palatable.
I shudder remembering it.
In basic, they caught the 1st sgt, Company Commander and mess sgt stealing and selling our chow downtown.
They disappeared. We got more , but not better food after that.

We had a chinese cook at a camp I was at in RVN that put out a good meal.

Weasel

10-02-2010, 08:48

I can't remember what you would call a good meal but NAAS Whitting Field in 1967-1969 was edible. NAS Lakehurst wasn't fit to slop the hogs with in 1967. I lost 35lbs in the 5 months while I was there. Cubi Point in 69 and 70, once in a great while would fix something edible. There problem there was they stuffed every thing with rice. I still hate rice. Those rabbits they sent us from El Centro was the pits. I guess no matter were you were it wasn't like mom's cooking.

2flasargent

10-05-2010, 07:02

Worst: Midrats on a destroyer Officer or enlisted - stale bread, sliced horsecoxx and bug juce. warmed over coffee.
Best: Invited to the Italian NCO club in Brendisi Italy - Linen, seafood pasta, light wine, and all about fifty cents.
Second Best:Invited to the Spanish Officer's Club - Barcelona, Spain. It had seen the officers of the Spanish Armada depart. Marble tile, personal orderly the entire time (I had enough Spanish to get by and didn"t need it) great meal with wine and cigars (Latter regretfully declined) in a magnificant game room. Them furriners know how to live!!
Given the opportunity i tried to meet my counterparts inport. Usually a very gratifying experneince.

ballou's dad

10-07-2010, 03:32

Sean P Gilday

10-08-2010, 06:37

Ft. Drum, NY August 2001

Came in from 11 Days of LFX running around in RBA's and Bangolors in and out of the M113's up at Range 43, and after turning in our weapons lined up for Chow. CSM BBQ'ing Steak and the BC on the Keg handing each Joe an nice frosty beer. It was heaven.

BEAR

10-09-2010, 12:17

I remember one cold afternoon in late 1961 in the field at Ft. Riley. We were given creamed corn, roasted chicken, and milk. The corn and the milk froze before I found a place where I could stomp the snow flat to sit down and eat. Not the favorite memory of my military career.
Reminds me of my tour with Charlie Airborne in Alaska. We were on a Battalion FTX in the Donnelly Dome area of Ft. Greeley. Been eating nothing but C-rats for several days when a CH47 Chinook showed up at the C.P.s front door with hot chow. Temperatures at -15 degrees were bad enough but the Chinook couldn't shut down his engines in case he never started again so we stood in a chow line in a howling down draft wearing snowshoes to boot.
We were served off the tailgate on sectioned paper plates with an additional paper plate to cover everthing... so it wouldn't freeze??? On the way back to the 10 man tents and yukon stove the guy in front of me (a newbie) crossed his snowshoes and went down dropping his entire plate of food into the snow. When I helped him up he looked at his snow buried plate and I really thought he was gonna cry (it was a tough first Arctic FTX for him). I smiled and said "No worries!" and picked up his plate with all the food still frozen intact and covered by the second plate. We then proceeded to the the tent where I showed him how to thaw his food under the Yuke and then reheat it in his canteen cup. He turned out to be a really good Arctic trooper.
BEAR

Andouille

10-14-2010, 07:49

Bear mentioning Donnelly's Dome reminded me that the best meals I had with Uncle Sammy were at Fort Wainwright, AK. First Friday of every month, the NCO club had a king crab buffet that we used to go to after happy hour. Those were some great meals and great times with great company. Of course, you pay for your own at the NCO club......

However. At the time, the army was transitioning from Viet Nam to peacetime, and shucking lots of folks who'd been to Viet Nam a time or three, and got shot up some or a lot while they were at it, but didn't quite fit the army's idea of whatever the hell it was the brass ass hats deemed acceptable. Just tossing folks out, no gratitude for the blood spilled nor attempt at improvement. Just get the hell out. As a young buck sergeant, I had been somewhat proud of my MOS (11B) and having caught the tail-assed end of Viet Nam, and I'm still damn grateful for the experience. But I took it somewhat personally that some damn good people were shown the door, whilst some CYA idjits were being retained. You know, the kinda folks Maury Krupp was talking about earlier. After watching that, I concluded that 20-30 years of that kinda horse **** weren't for me. So the absolute best meal I had, courtesy of Uncle, was the last one. Hamburger & fries at the mess hall, if I recall correctly. FIGMO, color me gone, etc.

Possibly I was too young and impressionable to see the "big picture" as it were. Your mileage may have varied. I hope that it did.

Ltdave

10-14-2010, 05:23

the biggest surprise was at Altus AFB in '93. i was due to get out soon and they had shrimp cocktails during the lunch hour...

the only time i had to bus my own table was the 32 days i spent at Ft Richardson during '89 Brim Frost. the other 3 days i either ate downtown or the one day i took a couple of soldiers detailed to help put the ANG camp back in order, to Elmendorf AFB to show them how the other half lived. they almost cried at the accomodations and the food...

my FAVORITE wasnt really a meal. i talked a couple of buddies of mine to go aboard the USS Kitty Hawk during fleet week in San Francisco. we were stationed north of Sacramento at Beale AFB. it was like 9pm (2100 hours?) and we strolled up the gangplank and flashed our IDs. a sailor who had just come back from liberty with his family got grabbed by the collar and told to give us Airedales a tour of the ship. first thing he did was take us to the galley and we were treated to GIGUNDOUS club sandwiches on fresh baked sourdough, bug juice, a great relish tray and hot cinnamon rolls fresh from the oven that were the size of a pie plate!

great times...

Garden Valley

10-16-2010, 12:48

I guess I could probably stop and think awhile about best meals from Uncle, but one that immediately comes to mind was at Phong Dien in early January 1968. Phong Dien is on Route 1 just north of Camp Evans. Another Marine and I had been detailed to set up a radio relay post at the district headquarters in case it might be needed to enable communications during an upcoming joint army-Marine operation along the coastal area. There was an advisor compound there but no room in it for us, so we lived in the back of a non-running ARVN 3/4 ton truck for a few days, eating C-rations every meal. A goodly number of army troops showed up the afternnon before the operation began and set up a CP. The next morning all these army types are milling about and complaining about breakfast when a couple of Hueys landed and off-loaded several mermite cans (which were an oddity to us). All the army types started saying it was about time chow arrived and us two dumb Marines looked at each other in disbelief. I don't know what the Corps may do now, but back then hot chow was NEVER flown to the field. I never saw it happen. Anyway, those very nice army types invited us two Marines to join them for a hot breakfast. There was a good variety of food, most everything you would find in the messhall. It was hot and it was good. About two weeks later our battalion abruptly departed Camp Evans for the siege at Khe Sanh where we had nothing but C-rats for three months. Bless those nice army types at Phong Dien and whoever invented the mermite can!

Guamsst

11-17-2010, 11:24

Grand Forks AFB used to serve cabbage rolls every day with some other dirt cheap flavorless option. Then they would take all the money they saved and have steak and Lobster one day a month usually. I would have preferred decent food every day over bad steak and fair lobster once a month.

Beachbumbob

11-25-2010, 10:23

It was served on this freedom bird. Fresh salad with tomatos and cucumbers, some kind of baked tourist chicked, fair mashed potatos, green beens out of a can and chocolate cake. Served with FRESH milk.

I'm sure I had meals that rated higher on the 5 star category but none that I enjoyed more. Silverware, cloth napkins, cute stewardess' and knowing that it was going to be OK -you'd made it.

Cheers,

Bob

Plain Old Dave

11-26-2010, 02:51

Oyaji

11-26-2010, 07:32

Christmas Day 1996. Forward deployed onboard USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (CVN-71) inport at Cannes, France. The messcrank serving on the port side in the Aft Galley was none other than the lovely Miss Halle Berry.

Halle Berry? Shazaam! That certainly beats some cigar chomping, beer bellied, and dirty aproned stewburner for a mess attendant.

badsbsnf81

01-19-2011, 03:56

Best meal I ever ate (SOS) was at a mess hall at Benning in the early 60's. My dad was a platform insturctor at the school Most memorable was when the Bn Cdr flew out hot chow to us after being stranded out on the range for three days due to flooding at Ft. Sill in the mid 80's.

cplnorton

01-20-2011, 07:59

Any meal that wasn't in a damn foxhole! lol

Vern Humphrey

01-21-2011, 09:12

My most memorable meal was Thanksgiving of '66. I was married just before going to Viet Nam and was an adviser with the 18th ARVN division. We didn't get US rations. My wife mailed me a small canned ham. There was no way to cook it in the field, and it was raining all the time. On Thanksgiving day, I rigged a poncho for shelter, lit a marble-sized piece of C-4 and cooked my Thaniksgiving dinner.

Nick Riviezzo

01-21-2011, 01:21

My mother tried to mail me one of those small canned hams and the Post Office person said it was prohibited! So, she went to another P.O. and when asked about contents she didn't metion a canned ham. It arrived in Quang Tri just fine. The irony is we had a shelf full of small Danish canned hams that we picked up off of dead/alive North Viet soldiers. They came to the NVA via that great patriot[of NVA] Jane "The Bitch" Fonda. In 1966-67, I was stationed in Phouc Vinh[3 Corp] my favorite Tn. sipping whiskey was not availabe in RVN. My mother,ever resorceful,tried to send me a jug for my Birthday but the post office Nazi heard the nectar sloshing in the package and wouldn't let her mail it.She went home emptied the jug into a plastic soda bottle, then she inserted a small plastic bag in the top and filled it with water to the brim,sealed it and taped a straw to the bottle .Her instructions were to use the straw to drink the water ,remove the plastic bag and enjoy! Ah!The memories. Nick

seabee12

01-21-2011, 10:39

Nick

SeaBees always have the best food. It's a tradition that goes way back to the founding of the organization. I recommend William Bradford Huie's "Can Do" and "Omaha to Okinawa" which have some great annecdotes on the subject in World War II

Don't you believe that, at the Rock Pile, in the rain outside, two cold storage eggs and canned bacon, on a paper plate, with a plastic fork, just yummy!:)

Garden Valley

01-23-2011, 02:31

Don't you believe that, at the Rock Pile, in the rain outside, two cold storage eggs and canned bacon, on a paper plate, with a plastic fork, just yummy!:)

I don't recall there being a messhall at the Rock Pile. I was in and out of there several times in 1968 and ate C-Rations whenever we were there. Did some more permanent units there have a messhall?

seabee12

01-23-2011, 03:09

I don't recall there being a messhall at the Rock Pile. I was in and out of there several times in 1968 and ate C-Rations whenever we were there. Did some more permanent units there have a messhall?
In later 69, one of the Army Artillery units set up what they said was a mess hall, most of the time it was "Cs" or what we could roost out of LZ Stud. We worked the road, RT9, most of the year. Was a small world, ran into a Staff Sgt. that I was on shore duty with in Gulfport

cplbullet

01-23-2011, 03:37

I would say the best meal I ever had in my time in the Marines was aboard ship on the Marine Corps Birthday (November 10th, 1986) they served us steak, baked potatoes, green beans and Crab legs. I loved those Navy cooks. It was a great treat after being in the field for 45 days in the Philippians
Semper Fi

Garden Valley

01-23-2011, 05:28

In later 69, one of the Army Artillery units set up what they said was a mess hall, most of the time it was "Cs" or what we could roost out of LZ Stud. We worked the road, RT9, most of the year. Was a small world, ran into a Staff Sgt. that I was on shore duty with in Gulfport

LZ Stud was renamed Vandegrift Combat Base when the Cav left in spring 1968. We Marines took it over after leaving Khe Sanh. I wouldn't have thought there was anyone around in late 1969 that would ever have known it as LZ Stud.

Sometime around September 1968 while we were at VCB for a couple days there was a group of five us who were to go back to our rear area at Quang Tri. Supply convoys came to VCB almost daily, all down Route 9 from Dong Ha and Cua Viet. We were supposed to take a jeep and trailer, join the convoy, and go on to Quang Tri after the convoy terminated at Dong Ha. We had been given a time the convoy would depart and we were planning on being there at the appointed time, but the convoy left early so we all jumped in the jeep thinking we would quickly catch up with the convoy. I don't know how fast the convoy was driving but not only did we never catch up but we never even saw a glimpse of them. We drove the entire trip from VCB to Quang Tri by ourselves. Some of those hills around the Rockpile and Camp Carroll come right down to the road and provide excellent ambush sites. It was a very exciting trip! Thankfully, nothing happened.

Vern Humphrey

01-23-2011, 06:15

Garden Valley

01-23-2011, 08:01

That would have been our brigade artillery -- I was with the First Brigade, 5th Infantry Division in '68 and '69. The brigade was OPCON to 3rd MarDiv.

Was that you guys at the Rockpile that had the self-propelled 105's? They looked like an older model and I never saw them anywhere but at the Rockpile. They all had army markings.

JohnPeeff

01-23-2011, 08:52

My best meal was around Thanksgiving of 68 somewhere on Hwy 20 in 3 Corps near the 2 Corps border. I was with an ARVN Cav troop guarding miles of road that was being repaired.It was a 2 week operation that stretched out to 45 with nothing but C rats and Vietnamese rice. I stopped a Vietnamese truck loaded with cabbages at gunpoint, he wasn't going to stop, and grabbed a cabbage. Got some vinegar in the nearby ville cut up the cabbage in my steel pot and had a cole slaw salad! I guess to most of you it doesn'tsound good but it was pure heaven! I still love cole slaw with oil/vinegar a little salt and pepper.

Vern Humphrey

01-24-2011, 04:36

No, our artillery was SP 155s, standard for mechanized units.

JohnPeeff

01-24-2011, 04:18

Vern, what ARVN unit/units in the 18th Div were you with? I was with them 67-68.

Vern Humphrey

01-24-2011, 04:29

Vern, what ARVN unit/units in the 18th Div were you with? I was with them 67-68.

Mostly 4/48 at Ap Dung Dap, Regimental HQ at Tan Yuen, and Division HQ at Xuan Loc.

JohnPeeff

01-24-2011, 04:38

I was with 3/48 at Tan Uyen Dec67-June 68 then the Div Recon Co out of Xuan Loc for 3 months and finally 2/5 Cav

Vern Humphrey

01-25-2011, 06:18

How about that? You got there about four or five months after I left. As I recall, 3/48 was in that old triangular French fort (at least when I was there.)

When I first got there, the division was the 10th, but people got to calling it "Numbah Ten!" and they changed the number to 18.

JohnPeeff

01-25-2011, 12:03

Vern Humphrey

01-25-2011, 12:43

We had one company in the old French fort and the rest of the Bn was about a mile or two away Khanh Van(?) The French fort was overrun, I stepped on a booby-trapped 105mm shell there that initially didn't go off. During TET we got in a 2 day fight on the island across the Dong Nai river from the 48th Hq we had about 20 KIA as I remember but killed at least 50 NVA. One of the Air Force FACs has an excellent web site on Xuan Loc, he was stationed there from 66-68 . Look up "Xuan Loc Flying Association" on Google.
Ah, yes, Khanh Van -- local VC headquarters. We operated with the 1st Infantry Division (US) there -- Operation Huntsville. We had a US platoon leader fall down a well there and was hung up aboutb 10 feet down by his PRC-25. We only found him when a radio operator wandered over that way close enough to accidentally pick up a signal.

I flew several times with the FACS when I was up at Division -- we played with peanut butter bombs.

Doug Douglass

03-18-2011, 01:36

1966 USCG Air Station mess hall, Floyd Bennet NAS NY, Friday fish frys, at least 6 types of fresh fish including crab and lobster for .45 cents.

noslack327

03-21-2011, 04:35

I remember this one it was the best.
Best was the last. Just returned from Nam and going thru out-processing at Oakland. 2am, steak and french fries.

Oxmix

03-23-2011, 03:07

Best was the last. Just returned from Nam and going thru out-processing at Oakland. 2am, steak and french fries.

Unfortunately, my out processing meal at Oakland in 1969 was possibly the worst meal I ever had, and believe me the Army had lots of bad meals. The steak was so tough, I could not cut or chew it. I figured it was Sam's one last chance to screw with me.

On the other hand, possibly the best meals I ever had were at the Navy mess hall in Naha, Okinawa, and Air Force mess halls at Yoza Dake, Okinawa and Ona Point, Okinawa.

Regards

Ox

30shtur

03-28-2011, 08:51

Henderson Hall, VA was the only place I had a good steak. Every other base had well done (dry and hard) steaks on steak night.

JohnMOhio

03-28-2011, 11:08

Walker AFB New Mexico 1960-63, day time mess hall was nothing to rave about. Especially at the end of the fiscal year, got down to a lot of hot dogs and or cold cuts on Sundays. However the 3-4 AM cooks for us on the midnight shift had the best meals. Had your choice of regular meal or a breakfast meal. I have to say the Spanish Omletes were the best ever. Once in a while we did have steak that was adequate. Pork Chops were great also. However, I don't ever recall them serving Lobster or Crab at any time on base. If you wanted that, you had to go into town for them. Altus AFB, OK. on a short TDY of 8 weeks was the best when it came to day shift mess hall, could not get over that they had multi choices for the noon and evening meal. However, the water at that base was horrific. Made several trips into town looking for bargain on firearms. Talked to a lady that lived there all her life and when I mentioned the water, her description said it all. It tasted like a wet hound dog smelled. It smelled like it tasted also. Tried it just once. Only drank soft drinks and or milk while there.

armorkav

03-29-2011, 08:26

Any meal I got from uncle sam was the best meal ever! Because it was free, on the Tax payers dime. Quit yer whinin'

shootinrandy

03-31-2011, 06:21

Oh Brother!!!! I honestly don't remember a best, But sure as heck the Worstsssss, Had guard duty at Sabre Army heliport, Van picked us up late, Mess Sgt heated us up left over chili mac and all four of us came down with "acute gastritous", Army slang for food poisoning.Three days of pure misery. Lo and behold about 6 months later, pretty much the same thing happened. Can NOT stand to look at the stuff . 2/17 air cav food was definitely the worst on post.

Art

04-01-2011, 04:58

Don't you believe that, at the Rock Pile, in the rain outside, two cold storage eggs and canned bacon, on a paper plate, with a plastic fork, just yummy!:)

LOL, my old daddy was in the "old" SeaBees, Einiwietok and Samar in '44. He said being custodians of the refrigerators steaks and cold beer was a very good thing. He didn't tell me about the bad stuff at Samar, being bombed on a regular basis by the Japanese or the paratrooper attack.

jon_norstog

04-01-2011, 10:10

What was the best meal you had on base, aboard ship etc?

-Jeff L

The six months before I enlisted, May '66, I had been broke, hitchhiking around, spent a little time in the Haight and a little time in Alameda Co. jail. I got accepted into USCG in Feb, then had to wait it out. And I had to hitchhike back to Idaho to my induction center even though I was in CA, maybe 10 miles from the boot camp at Govt. Island. That last trip i just about starved and was in fact hallucinating. Too broke to buy food, too proud to beg, too honest (or stupid) to steal.

So the best meal(s) I had in the service were in boot camp, gained 15 pounds back the first week. The food was great and there was all you could eat. **** on a shingle! Dog's breakfast! Steak! Eggs! Mash potatoes!

I gained 40 pounds in 8 weeks. I looked like a truck horse when I "graduated."

jn

pelago

05-29-2011, 03:47

winter of 67 in the Arizona, army huey dropped of a bunch of chow on our firebase, beer on ice, steaks, charcoal grills, potatoe salad, salad makings, dressings the whole deal enough chow for 100 guys

we ate til we popped, good american beer cold also and real steaks with bones in em, tons of em

army delivered this fantastic food to the wrong spot

C5M1

05-30-2011, 05:50

Steak and eggs to order, every morning for two weeks in the officers mess. Camp Evans, early 1971.

regards, dennis

joem

05-30-2011, 01:23

Grilled steak and warm beer after Tet in 68. After living in a bunker and C Rats it was the best tastein meal.

Johnny P

06-02-2011, 06:18

Have a friend that was at 29 Palms in the early 1960's. He said for some strange reason he had an absolute craving for beer and hash brown potatoes, and ordered it every time he got into town.

Big_Al

06-03-2011, 08:23

That would have been our brigade artillery -- I was with the First Brigade, 5th Infantry Division in '68 and '69. The brigade was OPCON to 3rd MarDiv.
If memory is correct, that would have been 5/4 Artillery. I was in the 75th Support Batalion, 1st Bde, 5th Infantry Div.
Camp Red Devil, and Quang Tri Combat Base.

The best meal I had was at the Air Force Transient Mess at Danang Airfield. Travelling to and from Quang Tri the C123, or C130, always stopped in Danang, and the Air Force chow line was excellent! There was a choice of entres, you could go back for seconds (unheard of at Red Devil), and REAL milk!!! And to top it all off, when you were done you left your tray on the table and Babysan came and picked it up.
Man, that's high cotton, there!

Vern Humphrey

06-03-2011, 09:04

If memory is correct, that would have been 5/4 Artillery. I was in the 75th Support Batalion, 1st Bde, 5th Infantry Div.
Camp Red Devil, and Quang Tri Combat Base.

The best meal I had was at the Air Force Transient Mess at Danang Airfield. Travelling to and from Quang Tri the C123, or C130, always stopped in Danang, and the Air Force chow line was excellent! There was a choice of entres, you could go back for seconds (unheard of at Red Devil), and REAL milk!!! And to top it all off, when you were done you left your tray on the table and Babysan came and picked it up.
Man, that's high cotton, there!
You remember rightly -- at the time Camp Red Devil was built, I was HHC Company Commander and did a lot of the building -- and was given a rifle company (A-1/61 IN) later as a reward. But I had to extend my tour to get it.

Big_Al

06-03-2011, 10:01

You remember rightly -- at the time Camp Red Devil was built, I was HHC Company Commander and did a lot of the building -- and was given a rifle company (A-1/61 IN) later as a reward. But I had to extend my tour to get it.
Are you a member of The Society Of The Fifth Division? 1/61 is well represented at the re-unions.
http://www.societyofthefifthdivision.com/
I was just a Spec 5.

Welcome Home.

Vern Humphrey

06-03-2011, 11:17

Are you a member of The Society Of The Fifth Division? 1/61 is well represented at the re-unions.
http://www.societyofthefifthdivision.com/
I was just a Spec 5.

Welcome Home.
Never been to a reunion of the Brigade -- years ago, the 1/11th had a reunion and I was invited.

navdocret

11-09-2012, 07:26

Seems like whenever we transitioned from winter blues to whites, we always had "soupy" spaghetti... and of course an inspection shortly afterwards!

joem

11-10-2012, 05:13

My very best meal was when I got back to base from the hospital ship. I got back on last flight at dark so no food. Breakfast was the best. All I could get down on ship was half cup of black coffee.

comm pogue

11-11-2012, 03:22

If there was 1 thing and i mean only 1 thing i miss. it has to be the bread pudding i ate in the Corps, have never found anything close to it it had like a Vanilla sauce, now Golden Corral comes the closest but not quite. now i never met a former Marine cook since then, do they even have them now? is it all civies?, is there still mess duty?.....Semper Fi

High Plaines Doug r

11-11-2012, 06:11

I remember a couple of steak dinners when they pulled us back to the rear when I was in RVN. Then I remember a turkey dinner for T-giving on styrofoam plates in the field. The turkey came out of mermite cans and tasted kinda normal but we got a little ice-cream which was a rare thing.
Those 3/8" thick steaks came off a real 55 gal drum charcoal grill and seemed like a pretty good treat at the time.

Guamsst

11-21-2012, 08:34

I was just thinking it might have been the 7-1/2lbs of snow crab legs I ate on Diego Garcia. They thawed too much out for the lunch meal ( I think it was a Holiday) so at the dinner meal it was all you could eat. I had mentioned I could eat a heack of allot of crab or shrimp so the guys pushed me to see how much I could eat. 15 plates later I told them I was satisfied....LOL

Former Cav

12-01-2012, 07:52

I was in 4 years 4 months and 4 days in the Army. I spent the last roughly 1-1/3 years in the hospital as a result of wounds recieved in "the vietnam experience".
A pretty Nurse 2nd LT Dietician came by my beside and I was just an E-5 (SPEC five which is even LOWER SCUM then a buck sgt). She was nice and professional and absolutely BEAUTIFUL and about maybe 22-24 years old. I was 21 or 22 at the time. She asked how I liked my food cooked, how much, large medium small proportions etc. She had a long check list.
I can tell you that if you went to the mess hall at Fitzsimmons Army Hosp in Denver (Aurora) CO in 1968 or 9 that their hamburgers were GOOD stuff. BUT... by the time they got to ward 5E or 5W (orthopedic ward for leg injuries) they were COLD and the grease had re-congealed back into the LARD format.
About a month goes by and this pretty Dietician shows up and asked me how was the food?
I said to her (politely) "well mam , is there any change I could get some c-rations"
she just GRUNTED, turned and walked away and I never saw her again.
too bad. I'd have like to "fraternized with her" GRIN

kcw

12-02-2012, 07:36

In my late uncle's belongings (I was his estate administrator) I found the Thanksgiving menu for "First Company, Armored Force School Detachment, Fort Knox, Kentucky". (My uncle was drafted in June 41' and sent to Camp Pine NY (now Ft. Drum), were he trained as a tank mechcanic in the 34th-37th? armored. I know he spent the fall of 41' in NY, I believe that the menu was from 1942.) Officers in charge; Lts. R.L. Whitcomb & E.H. Cox. 1st Sergeant A.V. Barsotti. They started off with "Green & Ripe Olives, Celery and Sweet Pickles" then moved on to the important stuff, "Roast Turkey and Sage Dressing, Gilblet Gravy, Cranberry Sauce, Mashed Potatoes, Broccoli w/ Hollandaise Sauce, Hot Rolls & Butter, Fruit Salad, Mince Pie, Pumpkin Pie , Dinner Mints, Mixed Nuts, Cider, Coffee w/ Fresh Cream & Sugar" and finally finshed off with, "Cigars & Cigarettes".
I don't know if my uncle was impressed with the dinner offerings, or the menu itself, which is printed on a 5.5"x8.5" high quality, shiney, white "cardboard" material, with raised red lettering; a VERY nice/fancy printing job.

broom jockey

12-06-2012, 10:59

I agree with Mr. Shapiro. The steak dinner at Oakland, CA when I mustered out. They also served seconds.

pcox

12-06-2012, 05:30

I remember being on duty on two Thanksgiving Days. Those were the two best meals that I had while on active duty in the Army. The cooks seemed to take that day personallly and always did a good job.

DMark

12-13-2012, 07:18

C Ration pound cake with a match on top for my birthday.

Presented to me by the soldiers of my platoon. They sang Happy Birthday and then we geared up.., loaded up.., and moved to contact.

Island of Grenada, Oct 1983

louis

01-06-2013, 08:58

there were thre of us I was driving the truck, the other two went into the officers mess hall and liberated a real turkey for thanksgiving, we barely got away and when pulled over by the mp's searching for a turkey we covered it with our field jackets. we brought the turkey to our small unit and enjoyed a real turkey dinner instead of turkey roll!!

40mmgunner

01-16-2013, 05:18

Before I joined the Army, I served a hitch in the Coast Guard as a 40mm AA gunner on a weather cutter (look it up, kids) in the North Atlantic, based in Boston, MA. Our Storekeeper Warrant Officer would ask the crew if we would eat beans 'n' franks for a while so he could afford lobster for a couple of meals -- Hell yes, sir!! So, for the first two Fridays at sea, we got all the lobster, steak and fresh bread that starving teenagers could eat. WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
War Story: In those days, USCG personnel in the Northeast were almost all from New England or the Outer Banks of Virginia/North Carolina. Going through the mess line on one Lobster Day, I was behind a kid from Okracoke, NC, who had never seen a lobster before. When the cook flopped two of them on his tray, he looked at them in horror and said "I ain't gonna eat no Goddamn' BUG!!!!!!!!!!!!!" As a native New Englander, I swapped him my steak -----------------------

coastie

01-25-2013, 06:32

So, the CGC Gentian is tied up at Gaveston commercial wharl #12. 1969.
Next to us are tugboats.
As the Quartermaster of the watch, 0400-0800, this QM3 was in the phone booth sized shack at the gangway busily involved in the logbook proceedings-[or was it Analog Sci-Fi magazine, I forget].
An old deckhand from the nearby tug wandered over and began talking.
I didn't pay much attention to his ramblings, but he needed an ear and I listened somewhat.
Finally he realized he had duties at the tug and oh, by the way he was making himself a steak sanwich for breakfast, did I want one too?
Sure.
Some time later he showed with a wad of tinfoil and said thanks for listening.
I put it on the writing suface.
The...smell began to roll off the wad of foil.
I carefully unraveled the foil and found a T-bone steak between two slices of white bread.
IT WAS GREAT!
And I didn't get too much grease on the shack surfaces!
Simple, not expansive, but memorable.
Thanks, Paul

jon_norstog

01-25-2013, 07:43

The best meals I remember were when I was in USCG Engineman school in Groton, CT. I think it was every other friday they would have "lobster day" and boil up enough shorty lobsters for everyone. A lot of the guys were scared to eat the "bugs" so I could usually eat 5 or 6 of them. Wit all the usual trimmings. URP!

jn

LARscout

01-28-2013, 02:45

As a grunt I couldnt resist the topic. This is universally the best part of a ground pounder's day and every meal is a feast.

Steak and lobster on a late Nov 10th 2007 (Marine Corps birthday) at the School of Infantry. They called us out to the quad so we had to eat while on the cold concrete. The other time was when we stood in the army's chow line expecting to be fed at Ft Irwin. It was like a scene out of Oliver Twist. The army had steak every thursday night apparently.

There was another funny episode everyone remembers that was there. My platoon visited a nearby COP for hot chow after a month long operation outside the wire. Since it was only a 45min pit stop we didnt even have a chance to wipe the sand off our faces and so headed right for the chowhall. While in the chowline, one of the soldiers that was stationed there complained "oh.....microwaved pizza for dinner again!?" Everyone burst out laughing. He was pretty embarrassed because of the company he was in at that moment. We couldnt believe it. We were just glad to be in air conditioning and to use flush toilets for the first time in a month.

Trap4570

04-03-2013, 02:00

I hate to say it - but good old SOS (toast with sausage gravy) was my best meal always. It was about the only food that would stick with me.

Tom A

04-03-2013, 03:07

Back in '69 on top of Monkey Mountain, Da Nang they would truck breakfast up to us. We would finish our duty a midnight and we were ready for something to eat. I remember the SOS was the BEST. I had no knowledge of SOS before I went into the service. The first time I saw it in the chow line I had my doubts but I 'll try anything once and found out it was great. Dont get it any more just a memory now and a good one.

Tom A
SSGT
USAF SECURITY POLICE

ut1seabee

04-05-2013, 08:56

Worst chow was boot camp at Great Lakes.Our C.C. explained that all MS's had to have a degree in chemistry.Reason being that chemists were the only people able to turn good food into s#!t. Lucky for me that was not completely true.Although,many times it was. Best chow was a toss up.NCBC Pt.Hueneme and McMurdo Sta. Antarctica. When in doubt, c rats were often the lesser of two evils.

13Echo

04-07-2013, 05:11

SFC Scott, the mess sergeant for C Btry 1/94FA in 1969, was an artist in the field. He would braise liver and make it not just edible but savory and juicy and as fine as the best steak. Don't ever remember a bad meal his mess produced. C Rats and the Bn mess was another story though.

Jerry Liles

Vern Humphrey

04-07-2013, 05:19

What, you didn't like Ham and Muthas?:eek:

In '69 my company was issued C-Rats dated 1944. It actually wasn't bad -- a little more fat than more current C-Rats. The only real problem was the cigarettes -- if you tried to light one of those, it would flare up and burn your eyebrows.:banana100:

13Echo

04-14-2013, 06:52

Had a few Korean war C rats but no WW II, but we shot a lot of shells in the howitzers from WW II. Still went boom when they landed. Ham and Limas -- uuggh. Did you ever make GI pizza with the viennas, crackers and canned cheese? Smear the cheese on the crackers, cut up the viennas (or meat balls) on the cheese, add Tabasco if you had it, put it back in the cracker can in the C ration box and set the box on fire. I think the recipe was in the little book the Tabasco company sent out with bottles of Tabasco sauce. Wish I still had that Tabasco C Ration Cook Book.

Jerry Liles

Vern Humphrey

04-14-2013, 07:33

Clark Howard

01-17-2014, 06:18

The Navy Fleet Air Support mess hall on the west side of the airfield at Danang served meals that rivaled any that I have ever eaten, anywhere. The Army chow tent at Tien Phouc served a standing rib roast on Tuesdays that was truly excellent. The breakfast served in the SAC Alert Facility at Plattsburgh NY would make a lumberjack weep for joy. I still prefer C's to MRE's, but Lurp rations beat both. Regards, Clark

John Sukey

03-04-2014, 06:08

A story my father told me. They were traveling in French 40 and 8'sers during WW2, 40 men or 8 horses.
When the train stopped for a while the enlisted men immediatly got out and built small fires to cook their C-rats. One of the doctors appropriated one of the fires and set his can on it to cook. He neglected to puncture the lid. The men said nothing. When he opened the lid, he got sprayed with grease all over his glasses.

GerryRA

03-27-2014, 04:56

Don’t have any war stories, but a variety of chow tunes.

In Basic at Ft. Jackson, we had a Hawaiian cook. Not just pineapple ham, but pineapple juice, pineapple Jell-O, pineapple pancakes, pineapple ice-cream, pineapple sauce. Only time without pineapple was C-rats on bivouac. I never had pineapple before – great stuff. After that my Mom sent me cans of pineapple in my Care packages.

I was detailed as the Old Man’s driver and dragged in too late for supper (franks and beans). The First called the mess and told them to feed me. They fixed me fried potatoes and some of the OM’s veal cutlets!

In another outfit, on the day before payday when no one could afford to eat on the economy, we always had liver and onions. Yuck!!!

One of the guys in my squad was another Hawaiian – no pineapple for this boy. His Mom used to send him gallon jars of pickled squid – suction cups and all. When he opened that – whew - did it clean out the barracks!

Later we had a Mess Sgt. that thought his job was to make up for whatever else the Army was doing to you. Just like Mama, but no hugs. We could have all the fresh milk we wanted, but had to take equal servings of white and chocolate.

Best chow I ever had was as a civilian on TDY to Andros Island. Breakfast at the Navy mess had eggs to order – even real scrambled – bacon, sausage, real ham, pancakes, French toast, waffles, donuts and pastries. And grits – Andros is south of the Mason-Dixon Line! Lunch and dinner always had 2 entrees, plus hotdogs, burgers and fries, and Jell-O, puddings, pies, cakes, and ice-cream. All you could eat or carry away. My per diem was $5.00 and I had change left over.

broom jockey

04-01-2014, 12:11

Hands down, the best meal served to me was at Oakland, CA. It was steaks (T-bone) and all the trimmings and all you could eat. My last military meal as we were mustering out after a year in 'Nam.

leftyo

04-02-2014, 11:02

cant remember what it was, but remember being impressed by the food, and the facilities at Clark AFB, second -ate thanksgiving chow at MCRD san diego once , was excellent. 5 out of my 6 years in the Navy were on ship and all the food sucked! my first ship was an LST, and we did all we could to acquire MRE's from the jarheads. best shipboard meal was mid rats PB&J!

madsenshooter

04-12-2014, 11:49

Best chow was at the tanker alert facility at McConnell AFB. With 3/4 crew members being officers steak for breakfast was the norm and holidays were really something. It was way above the normal chow line. I was the gopher/clerk at the facility for awhile. Slept there in a private room, ate there, had lots of time for the recreational pursuits offered. Best job I had while in, then my good APRs got me a bad job with the SAC Drug Rehabilitation Center. I hope that old commandant died a lingering and painful death!

Fred

04-19-2014, 03:58

I hate to say it - but good old SOS (toast with sausage gravy) was my best meal always. It was about the only food that would stick with me.

I loved that the best too! Only I always had it poured over a big pile of taters and eggs. Man, it just didn't get any better than that!!!

40mmgunner

08-23-2014, 07:14

A half century ago, as one of the last 40mm Bofors gunners in the US Coast Guard, I served aboard an Ocean Station cutter out of Boston, MA (see you-tube USCGC "Bibb", Ocean Station Bravo). As Ocean Stations were in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, we could and sometimes did make port in any country and return to station again before returning to the USA. Thus our WO Storekeeper had a wad of cash to pay for reprovisioning/replenishment. Several times, before leaving Boston, he would take an informal poll of the crew and ask if we would eat beans and Wonder Bread for the first few days at sea so that he could afford a steak and lobster feed, usually just after we had left Canada (fresh lobster). On The Big Day: Steaks to order, two lobsters, fresh-baked bread, butter/melted butter in soup bowls, seconds if available -- then four weeks of pounding into 40-foot seas, 20-degree temperatures, 60 mph snow storms and 16-hours of darkness in the winter. As a 20-year-old who was going to live Forever, I remember the chow ----------------------------------------

Boydo

12-31-2014, 12:38

In february 2011 i was rotating home through kuwait from afghanistan on my way home for R&R. Had been eating mostly MRE's and chow made by Afghans for nearly 9 months. Hadnt had a cold glass of real milk since i left the states. When i got off the plane in kuwait i headed to the chow hall and got a plate of spaghetti and a cold glass of milk. I killed the plate of spaghetti and probably 3/4 of a gallon of the best ice cold milk i had ever drank. I puked it all up before i got back to tent city. Best meal i have ever had.

gpw_42

02-06-2015, 07:39

Nov. 10, 2007, Marine Corps Birthday, in Ramadi, Iraq. The Army brigade I was part of, 1st Brigade, 3ID, was OPCON to the MEF which ran Anbar Province, and they really did their birthday right. The chow was typical, but the Guiness and Miller Light were the absolute highlights of the meal. I think they were the 2 best beers I ever had.

Steve