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Thanksgiving In the Service

Discussion in 'Vets and Friends' started by Adonia, Nov 22, 2018.

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  1. Adonia

    Adonia Well-Known Member
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    Out of 4 years in the Air Force during the 1970's, I spent 3 Thanksgivings away from home with 2 of those overseas. The best Thanksgiving while in the service happened was when I was in Korea. We used to eat at what they called the "Alert" chow hall which set up for those pilots on the "Alert" board who always ready to go at a moments notice and this particular thanksgiving day something neat happened.

    The Wing Commander came down to the chow hall with some his immediate lieutenants ( a Major and a Captain) and they all put on Chef's caps and aprons and proceeded to serve us maintenance airmen and the alert aircrew people our turkey dinner with all the trimmings.

    I thought that was pretty special that they did that, and it is something that happened to me during my military service that I have always remembered with fondness. So, to that Colonel (whom I never thanked back then), I thank you now and let me tell you that your actions that day were greatly appreciated.
     
    #1 Adonia, Nov 22, 2018
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  2. HankD

    HankD Well-Known Member
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    At Griffiss AFB in upstate New York it was great duty to be stationed there as the base was overly populated by civilians (about 3 to 1 when I was there).

    There was also great relations between military and civilian at Griffiss and many of those airmen staying over were invited to feast with civilian families.

    However the one TD I was there on base and not on leave the chow hall had a very decent Turkey dinner.

    Although they were renown for their miserable "tube steak" (hot dogs) and "brogan and onions" (liver).
     
    #2 HankD, Nov 23, 2018
  3. Reformed

    Reformed Well-Known Member
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    My first Thanksgiving in the Air Force was while I was in tech school at Keesler AFB in Biloxi, MS. The chow hall did a good job. My second Thanksgiving was at RAF Chicksands, England. The officers and senior enlisted personnel did the serving at the chow hall. My third Thanksgiving was while I was flying a mission on an RC-135 out of Kadena AFB, Okinawa. Our Thanksgiving meal consisted of the first generation of MRE's. We actually had a version of turkey. It was horrible!
     
    #3 Reformed, Nov 23, 2018
  4. Adonia

    Adonia Well-Known Member
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    Hey, I was there for school too. My AFSC was 328X0 - Radio/Nav. What were you there for?
     
    #4 Adonia, Nov 24, 2018
  5. Reformed

    Reformed Well-Known Member
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    207X1 Morse Systems Operator. Finished my career as an A207X1 Airborne Morse Systems Operator.
     
    #5 Reformed, Nov 24, 2018
  6. Reformed

    Reformed Well-Known Member
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    My barracks was right at the west end of the Triangle at the top of the runway, leading to gate 7 and d'Iberville Road.
     
    #6 Reformed, Nov 24, 2018
  7. Adonia

    Adonia Well-Known Member
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    My first barracks was one of the ones to the left as you came in the main gate. I went to U Tapao Thailand right out of tech school, but ended right back at Keesler after we got kicked out. I was then living at the Locker House, do you remember that place?
     
    #7 Adonia, Nov 25, 2018
  8. Adonia

    Adonia Well-Known Member
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    When I got back to Keesler as permanent party I was assigned to the radio shop for a few months and then was transferred to work over at the 7th ACCS (Airborne Command and Control Squadron) when they came to Keesler. That was the airborne command post which consisted of a capsule which slid into a C-130. I was just a ground repairman but got to fly in the capsule when we went TDY. Are you at all familiar with it? All those guys had just come from overseas and boy were they a crazy bunch! I stayed 328X0 my whole 4 years. After Keesler I went to Okinawa and got to work on the F-4's. Got plenty of TDY to Korea and the Philippines from there with the 18th TFW.
     
    #8 Adonia, Nov 25, 2018
  9. Reformed

    Reformed Well-Known Member
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    Wasn't that the place used as a brig by the LE's? If it was, then I do remember it.
     
    #9 Reformed, Nov 25, 2018
  10. Reformed

    Reformed Well-Known Member
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    When I was stationed at the 6949th Electronic Security Squadron at Offut, I got to see the 707 version of the airborne command post quite often, but I enlisted after the C-130 version.

    Funny story about Keesler. My roommate and I rented one of the small skiffs on the back bay that the base provided. I manned the small outboard motor and we journeyed up past the Pops Ferry bridge and into one of the creeks. The creek was so narrow that I had to get out of the skiff to pull it around to head the other way. As I stepped up on the bank I heard a loud noise and turned around only to be staring right into the cold eyes of a large alligator. I am a Jersey boy, so I never saw an alligator in my entire life. It scared the living daylights out of me. I did a Superman leap into the skiff, fired up the motor, and got out of there. It never crossed my mind to think of alligators and Mississippi.
     
    #10 Reformed, Nov 25, 2018
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