Here it is, the day after Thanksgiving and still feeling the effects of over indulging as I seem always do on this annual venture in to gluttony. No matter how resolved I set out not to over do it I fail miserably. It will be different next year, I'll lay off the Pumpkin Pie, and the stuffing...yeah right. Who am I kidding, unless I get sent back to Vietnam between now and then, odds are the scenario will be the same. Thank GOD!
There was a time it was not about the parade, black Friday, football or food (well maybe a little - the food that is). The traditional Turkey Day festivities in 1965 were reserved for the folks back home and the military that were far from the war that surrounded us in Danang RVN. You see it was just another day, nothing out of the ordinary, depending on where we had to be and when we had to be there breakfast, lunch and dinner was a hit and miss situation. What was it to be today? The bartering would begin with myself. I'm working nights (12 On - 12 Off) I need the sleep, so I pass on dinner for an hour more sleep, and hopefully supplement the box-lunch with C-Rations till breakfast. This would be the daily routine, working 12 hours a day with only one day off a month off, I can assure you that sleep won out over food on most day's.
I honestly can say that I recall almost nothing of that Thanksgiving. I may not have even given it any thought had it not been for a friend. We did not know each other while we were there but crossed paths within the last year or so. We met at a Veterans Christmas Party about this time last year and we stay in touch regularly. It did not take long for us to uncover what we had in common besides Danang. In the early day's of the war berthing was a huge issue for the support troops. Before we had a permanent place to hang our hats temporary quarters would be a APL (Barracks Barge) or APA (Attack Troop Transport).
The USS Navarro APA 215, a WWII Attack Troop Transport ship, once seen action during the invasion of Okinawa was still active during the Vietnam era. In the winter of 1965 she was berthing support operations personnel and would later be landing U.S. Marines along the coast of Vietnam. Anchored in Danang harbor this last Thursday of November would be a celebration for her crew and the resident transients who were far away from family and friends. It had to be memorial event. Then I remembered; a copy of the Menu I sent home to my girlfriend later to be wife. I wondered, what did she do with it? My friend would get a big kick out of seeing it after all these years. After 42 years of marriage I could count on one thing for sure, the woman who virtually kept every birthday card, most likely had to squirreled it away some where.
The woman's amazing! absolutely AMAZING! There they were, every letter, card and interesting little tid-bit that I thought was important at the time, neatly tied up in a shoe box. I’m also very grateful that she decided to separate the artifacts from the letters when she stored them. I really think I’d had a real problem wading through all the mushy love letters - the one or two I did have the courage to read, were in today’s vernacular OVER THE TOP. Ah-Ha I found it, so let’s just close this box and get it to the scanner. Then I heard from the top of the basement stairs "what cha doing down there?" I could only envision a conversation about then and now regarding the letters as I impulsively shouted “nuttin honey". Whew, that was close!
There was a time it was not about the parade, black Friday, football or food (well maybe a little - the food that is). The traditional Turkey Day festivities in 1965 were reserved for the folks back home and the military that were far from the war that surrounded us in Danang RVN. You see it was just another day, nothing out of the ordinary, depending on where we had to be and when we had to be there breakfast, lunch and dinner was a hit and miss situation. What was it to be today? The bartering would begin with myself. I'm working nights (12 On - 12 Off) I need the sleep, so I pass on dinner for an hour more sleep, and hopefully supplement the box-lunch with C-Rations till breakfast. This would be the daily routine, working 12 hours a day with only one day off a month off, I can assure you that sleep won out over food on most day's.
I honestly can say that I recall almost nothing of that Thanksgiving. I may not have even given it any thought had it not been for a friend. We did not know each other while we were there but crossed paths within the last year or so. We met at a Veterans Christmas Party about this time last year and we stay in touch regularly. It did not take long for us to uncover what we had in common besides Danang. In the early day's of the war berthing was a huge issue for the support troops. Before we had a permanent place to hang our hats temporary quarters would be a APL (Barracks Barge) or APA (Attack Troop Transport).
The USS Navarro APA 215, a WWII Attack Troop Transport ship, once seen action during the invasion of Okinawa was still active during the Vietnam era. In the winter of 1965 she was berthing support operations personnel and would later be landing U.S. Marines along the coast of Vietnam. Anchored in Danang harbor this last Thursday of November would be a celebration for her crew and the resident transients who were far away from family and friends. It had to be memorial event. Then I remembered; a copy of the Menu I sent home to my girlfriend later to be wife. I wondered, what did she do with it? My friend would get a big kick out of seeing it after all these years. After 42 years of marriage I could count on one thing for sure, the woman who virtually kept every birthday card, most likely had to squirreled it away some where.
The woman's amazing! absolutely AMAZING! There they were, every letter, card and interesting little tid-bit that I thought was important at the time, neatly tied up in a shoe box. I’m also very grateful that she decided to separate the artifacts from the letters when she stored them. I really think I’d had a real problem wading through all the mushy love letters - the one or two I did have the courage to read, were in today’s vernacular OVER THE TOP. Ah-Ha I found it, so let’s just close this box and get it to the scanner. Then I heard from the top of the basement stairs "what cha doing down there?" I could only envision a conversation about then and now regarding the letters as I impulsively shouted “nuttin honey". Whew, that was close!
I must have been impressed with the spread since I thought enough of it to save the menu. The menu included everything that the Surgeon General deemed healthy at that point in time. If the EPA were to get hold of this today they most likely would declare it an environmental impact zone. That would be immediately followed by the Attorney General violation of church and state law suit since one other page included a passage from the prophet Issiah . In the end it was a well worth risk I'm sure. The thought of C-Rations or a Box-Lunch on Thanksgiving would violate some tenet of Culinary Code of Conduct. Not to mention that of a Higher Authority. Looking back at it and reflecting on the gratitude I have today with things far more plentiful I can only conclude that I had to be considerably more grateful under the given conditions.
So today, I find myself brooding and as lunch rolls around and the reality of Thanksgiving at some place other than home looms heavily. Oh NO, NO leftovers! Considering that all I had to do is stuff my face, NO dishes, NO cleanup, NO garbage, and I get to maybe watch some football. These are the similarities to my Thanksgiving in 1965. Except for the locations, the folks in attendance, 47 years, couple of time zones the major difference is TODAY. I look around and see the many gifts which have been bestowed upon me I clearly see why I'm thankful. The BIG problem is - what the hell am I going to do for lunch?
So today, I find myself brooding and as lunch rolls around and the reality of Thanksgiving at some place other than home looms heavily. Oh NO, NO leftovers! Considering that all I had to do is stuff my face, NO dishes, NO cleanup, NO garbage, and I get to maybe watch some football. These are the similarities to my Thanksgiving in 1965. Except for the locations, the folks in attendance, 47 years, couple of time zones the major difference is TODAY. I look around and see the many gifts which have been bestowed upon me I clearly see why I'm thankful. The BIG problem is - what the hell am I going to do for lunch?
