Odd military dining experiences

[Griff Murphey]

I did not have complaints at Fort Sill Army ROTC advanced camp about the food as much as about the water. It was heavily chlorined, when we could get it. Spec 4s dumped Clorox bottles into the water buffalo trailers and lister bags. Great Kool Aid, burned as it went down.
C-rats... What can you say? Best part, the crackers and peanut butter.
Camp Hansen officers' open mess, Okinawa... Generally good food, interesting with the Okinawan cooks - they would cut the grapefruit up and down, making it very hard to get the segments out. One time they served an oyster stew. Hard to find the oysters... One marine officer remarked, "Let's see if I can snag the duty oyster as he swims by..."
Naval vessels... If you were close to the time breakfast closed, forget ordering. Better remember to fold your napkin neatly and put it back in the napkin ring (which had your name on it) because if it was left lying on the table it would be stuffed into the napkin ring as imaginatively as possible to look as messy as possible. You had to use the same napkin 3-4 days in a row.
Strangest meal on a ship: USS DURHAM, as we picked up 3500 refugees, called by the 1MC from a sea of filthy, scared, and sick humanity, to a perfect tex mex meal in the wardroom, complete with white jacketed mess attendants. Then... Back to work.
Strangest meal off of the ship: Col. Singh of the Singapore Army had invited us... many of the officers of 1-4, to dinner at his spacious pre-WW-2 British Army officer's bungalow. Picked up by a Singapore Army Mercedes with driver popping a "Monty" salute. He and 1-4's XO, Maj. "Iron Mike" McGowan, had gone to Army Command and Staff College together. Rice with tiny tropical fish in it, very hot. Chaplain had tears running down his cheeks... no amount of Tiger beer could sooth our palates. Broiled chicken was brought out and eyes brightened ... Real FOOD! We loaded our plates to the gunwales, uh oh... it tasted like it had been soaked in perfume. Ahh... we had to eat it all once our plates were loaded.
Call me a chauvinist officer pig, but the officers clubs were sure nice. Fun to play the slots out in the Far East. Good times. One day I hope to see the Cubi Point O club bar again... At P-cola.