1 Left hand holding a ghost leg?

2 That White Power Salute is disturbing.

3 John Larroquette's dad getting  chow?

4 Aleutian Islands?

5 They were indeed the greatest generation, the likes of which will never be seen again.  For that moment we can be thankful.

6

I'll bet  the Germans served theirs up with  bacon sprinkled sauerkraut.

 

Wunderbar!

7 The authentic Peruvian teapot on the left must have been won by some G.I. in a knife fight.

8 Aleutian Islands? Oh, you're right. Attu on December 9th. They must be standing inside the furnace to be that warm.

9 Ten years ago, President Bush surprised the troops in Baghdad.  First-hand account in the link in my name.

This year, I heard we got Susan Rice. 

10 Ten years ago, President Bush surprised the troops in Baghdad. Obama to surprise the cast of Glee this year?

11 When stationed in the extreme north of South Korea our mess hall put on quite a spread. They rotated 3 security platoons thru (plus REMF pukes) during the day and each sitting was reloaded with fresh chow. Actually an awesome DMZ/JSA Thanksgiving.

12 I am so ashamed of us babyboomers. We pissed away that generation's sacrifices. The Victor David Hanson piece in below thread describes perfectly where America is today, stuck in the middle. May GOD grant us the resolve, means, and time to get America back from the brink.

13 I miss the thanksgiving meals on the ships they put on one hell of a spread did the same on xmas

14

This year, I heard we got Susan Rice.

Posted by: Bomber at November 28, 2013 11:35 AM (jhZgz)

 

You should be thankful. At least you didn't get her boss. Are you on your way home?

15 >>>I'll bet the Germans served theirs up with bacon sprinkled sauerkraut. I think the Germans had a different use for their ovens.

16 oh oh soldier boy there has a razor sharp elbow

17 uh, man, the same generation which fought WWII created the Great Society and all those welfare programs of the 1960s


In 1965, the oldest boomers were starting college.  Find another meme

18 >>> You should be thankful. At least you didn't get her boss. Are you on your way home?

I didn't see her either.  Heard she was in Kabul earlier this week.

I'm in Bagram, waiting on a flight. 

19 During our Thanksgiving meal in Vietnam (which was pretty damn good), the media decided to fuck things up with cameras and idiots asking cretin questions. Then, they got to this little sawed off built like a fireplug staff sergeant. This guy had 18 years in the Corps plus Army grunt time in Korea. They were taken off guard when he told them to leave the guys alone in super salty language, and when one idiot asked him how he felt being in Nam on Thanksgiving phrases like "suck my dick asshole" spewed forth. Nowadays, with 18 years in and "only" a Staff Sergeant, he would be forced out (no retirement) or anger management and gender diversity studies.

20 Uh-oh, Wally's going to have "The Talk" with us.

21 In 1965, the oldest boomers were starting college.

They didn't bother to resist anything while they were being ass-raped over the next 40 years, they just turned around to ass-rape the next generations.

Very noble.

22 where's vic? he could tell us what thanksgiving during the civil war was like

23 When I was in Germany, higher ranking NCOs who lived in base housing (of which there was not much) would host single soldiers on Thanksgiving. 

It was really nice, the one year I went.  I didn't know the guy well, but he  and his wife were gracious hosts to a handful of us guys, and all we had to do was show up.  I may have brought a bottle of wine, I don't recall. 

Still, after all these years it is one  of my more indelible Thanksgiving memories. 

24 Many of the combat veterans I knew who served in WWII and Korea said that the Generals liked to brag about every soldier getting a thanksgiving dinner, regardless of where they were, but most of them ate C rations. Some 4th ID vet's did say they had theirs in January after they were pulled off the line.

25 18 you made it bomber, now get your ass home brother

26 23 BurtTC at November 28, 2013 11:44 AM (BeSEI)

It's a good tradition, this is the first year we have not gotten a single soldier who couldn't get home squared away in a while.

27 22 navycopjoe at November 28, 2013 11:44 AM (JFrBt)

He's visiting the Tomb of the Unknown Saracen....

28 23 we did that when we were in Italy I had so many friends bring me over when I was a little sailor that you have to return the favor means a lot more than people think

29

I'm in Bagram, waiting on a flight.

Posted by: Bomber at November 28, 2013 11:42 AM (jhZgz)

 

Outstanding. Hope you can stay with your family for a long, long time.

30 >>> Hope you can stay with your family for a long, long time.

Was scheduled to be here till early next year.  Kids still don't know I'm coming home early, so early Christmas surprise for them.

31 Safe travels Bomber.

32 19 -

Heh, true, but  an E6 with 18 years in is a lot more  impressive than it looks on paper.

It means he spent a lot of time during those 18 years pissing off all the right people, but  they thought enough of him  NOT to force him out. 

Please accept a Semper Fi, and Happy Thanksgiving, Bill, from a  former Army grunt. 

33 Have a safe trip and an awesome surprise, Bomber!!

34 what you get us? what you get us? what you get us? what you get us? welcome home daddy what you get us? what you get us? what you get us? what you get us?

35 It's Thanksgiving, not Hang Shit On Everyone Day.

36 Bomber I'm glad to hear it.

Safe journey and happy days.

37 where's vic?
he could tell us what thanksgiving during the civil war was like

Posted by: navycopjoe at November 28, 2013 11:44 AM (JFrBt)

I thought he had already put in his 20 by then...

38 Thanks Bomber, and safe travels to you. BurtTC, as a spouse who has prepared many Thanksgiving and Christmas meals for singles overseas, it means so much more to me-it's the least we can do for those willing to leave family and friends behind, and go into harms way. So thanks again for helping us feel needed!!

39 Side note. Capua, Italy is so old, even Italians call it old. Very cool place.

40 God bless Bomber. Safe travels

41 and please, boomer grinches, lighten up Francis

42

Bomber,

 

Nobody ever said this to me when I was in, except my parents, but thanks for serving in the Nav.

43 oh since the vets are here..... let me be the first to say GO NAVY, BEAT ARMY

44
My late Dad said one year in Korea the cook made a fake turkey out of carved and molded Spam. That was his favorite GI Thanksgiving story.

Because of our recent losses we're not celebrating this year. Maybe we'll do something on Christmas. I do plan to cook on Easter if possible.

45 Where Eagles Dare is up in MilChannel. Clint Eastwood kicks ass.

46 Now you guys have me wanting to drag out my Dad's WWII memoir. I know there's incredible stuff in there about Christmas, can't remember about his Thankgiving in '44, need to check. He would have been around Metz, I think....

47 ot: good god I have to root for green bay my shame horrifies me

48 BurtTC: The first retirement ceremony I had to march in was a huge event, including a couple of First Sergeants and Master Sergeants, a couple of Gunnys, and a very proud Corporal who got his twenty in. After pass in review and all the other troop and stomp stuff, the senior guys were slapping him on the back. He was probably senior to them at one time.

49 They didn't bother to resist anything while they were being ass-raped over the next 40 years, they just turned around to ass-rape the next generations.

Very noble.

Posted by: HeatherRadish™ at November 28, 2013 11:44 AM (hO8IJ)

That's too lucid, profound, and intelligent to comprehend.  You are, without a doubt, the smartest person on the internet.  I'm in awe.

Here's your sign, and the 'ass-raped' reference says a lot about you.

50 Kewl for you, Bomber. And it's right about here that I gotta go get ready to go over the river and through the woods to the kid's house for food and football and bouncing the g'kids on my knee and throwing various balls around the back yard. Y'all have a great Thanksgiving and try not to trash your respective places, 'k?

51 48 my retirement ceremony we got drunk I mean can't walk, blind in one eye, don't know if I pee'd myself DRUNK my wife has a video of my crazy sister and me in choker whites singing 'in the navy' karaoke my life goal is to find and destroy all copies of that

52 Flying troops to Italy tomorrow and bringing back a plane load Monday. Best part of my job. Bomber if you are on our flight stop by the front office and say hi.

53 53 a paid weekend in Italy ugggggh must be rough yeah, i'm jealous

54 Have to mention this Heh, my 90yo WWII Navy vet uncle is over for thanksgiving, he just asked " you guys have any Jarrett traps? I just saw a Jarrett run behind the fridge" then he spent a minute explaining the whole 'Valerie Jarrett is really a rodent' thing to uninformed family members. The explanation, of course, included AoS

55 Thanksgiving, 1944: On Thanksgiving Day we received word that the kitchen truck had arrived and was going to serve a real turkey dinner with fresh-baked bread. Our platoon occupied a stout old rock house about 1,200 yards, through narrow winding streets, from where the kitchen truck was to dish out dinner. The enemy shelled our little town lilke clockwork and some decided that it wasn't worth risking running to the kitchen truck to get the turkey dinner. Being the new member of the group [and 19 years old], I either volunteered or was delegated or both, I can't quite recall, but I got four or five of the men's mess kits and headed for the kitchen truck....

56 55 my 90yo WWII Navy vet uncle is over for thanksgiving vic's your uncle?

57 22 where's vic? he could tell us what thanksgiving during the civil war was like Posted by: navycopjoe at November 28, 2013 11:44 AM (JFrBt) Deep-fried salt pork and hardtack?

58
And it's right about here that I gotta go get ready to go over the river and through the woods to the kid's house for food and football and bouncing the g'kids on my knee and throwing various balls around the back yard.

Posted by: BackwardsBoy, who did not vote for this shit at November 28, 2013 12:08 PM (0HooB)

Enjoy it while you can, Morons. Cherish the good times.

They only last so long.

59 Happy Thanksgiving Hoard.  I am thankful that another day has arrived without a game of Global Thermonuclear War.

To all the vets, thank you.

You can blame The Great Society on folks like my grandmother.  Born in 1880s, lived into the 1970s.   Old-school Democrat.  Just loved FDR and all that "social justice" crap.

60 Thanksgiving, 19944, cont: When you are under harassing fire you can usually hear the enemy gun fire and five or 6 seconds later you can hear the shell whistling in, just enough time to duck into a doorway and protection from flying shrapnel. As soon as the incoming shell exploded I would dash down the street toward the kitchen truck until I heard the next round being fired after whcih I would have 5 or 6 seconds to find adequate cover....

61 60 Jimbo at November 28, 2013 12:15 PM (V70Uh)

"Economic feedback mechanisms should be outlawed...except for the rich....fuck them"

//Populist retards

62 of course Obama has essentially outlawed economic feedback mechanisms on everyone.....

hundreds of billions of funny money propping the Dow up constantly...

"nice job Barry"

63 here's a blast from my past speaking of Italy, this is my town where the navy let me live my place was around the center of the scene http://tinyurl.com/mu4sf98

64 1944 cont: After successfully running this gauntlet I returned with Thanksgiving Dinner for me and my buddies. The turkey, trimmings and fresh bread were a welcome respite from our usual "C" rations. Heavier action follows....quite the holiday season...

65 64 here's a blast from my past
speaking of Italy, this is my town where the navy let me live
my place was around the center of the scene

http://tinyurl.com/mu4sf98

Posted by: navycopjoe at November 28, 2013 12:21 PM (JFrBt)


Gaeta?

66 Thankfully daughter the younger made it back from deployment just in time. Daughter the elder is stationed in Germany and is at Oma's (grandma) house cooking them a good old fashioned American Thanksgiving dinner. Son will pop up any minute now to claim his turkey leg. Life is good

67 64 oooops wrong one its this one http://tinyurl.com/lt9fzyn

68

Gaeta?

 

 

NCJ ran the Gaydar in  Gaeta.

69 la madd Sardinia although I lived in palau

70 Flying troops to Italy tomorrow and bringing back a plane load Monday. Best part of my job. Bomber if you are on our flight stop by the front office and say hi.

 

Posted by: Alf767 at November 28, 2013 12:09 PM (97jsO

 

maybe it can work out....best of luck to both.

71 Happy Turkey day everybody.

Godspeed Bomber, and a safe journey.

And... beat Navy.

72 Germany, Thanksgiving 1994 cont: After Thanksgiving our platoon was subjected to a long, heavy artillery barrage which lasted 15 minutes or more. This experience made the harassing fire seem pretty benign. The enemy was getting mean. It battered our area of town mercilessly and reduced much of it to rubble. We always suspected the enemy left a forward observer behind in a concealed position, because often we would move from one side of town to another for security reasons, and the enemy fire moved with us.

73 Certainly not a hardship by kind of funny.  While at tech school at Keesler AFB in Mississippi they chow hall served rolled turkey on TG.  On display were several beautiful turkeys but they were not to be eaten.  The two star came in during the meal and was puffing out his chest and exclaiming what a wonderful meal was being served.

A CMSgt went up to the general and started grousing about the crappy turkey we were being served and wondered why there were turkeys for display but not to eat.  The general stared at him in horror as the CMSgt continued to berate the meal.  Angrily the general went into the kitchen and we heard yelling and crashing of pots and pans.  Immediately the  contracted kitchen staff came running out with real turkeys on platters and delivered to each large table.  It seems the contract employees were in the back cooking up turkeys for themselves to take home while the airmen were given the rolled turkey.  There was much laughing and clapping as turkey after turkey flowed out of the kitchen.

74 Shouldn't there be some incoming elbows?

75 Thanksgiving, 1994, cont. We were on the first floor of an old rock house when the barrage began and three pushed a heavy table against the wall beneath a window and crouched under the table for cover. The barrage promptly blew out the window and showered the room with rocks, broken glass and shrapnel. No one was hurt but our ears were ringing from the concussion for the rest of the day.

76 Posted by: Ammo Dump at November 28, 2013 12:35 PM (GgPam) O.M.G. Do contractors steal from the troops like that a lot? Any chance the bastards got fired?

77 Thanksgiving, 1994: Luckily our vehicles escaped damage because the troopers had parked them in the most secure spots they could find, and to their credit, they chose well. The enemy wasted a lot of shells and failed to demoralize us. In fact it made all of us more resolute to pay them back at the earliest opportunity. After Thanksgiving we found ourselves on German soil faced with the almost impossible task of penetrating the formidable German border defenses. These strategic defensive features uncluded the "Switchline" located between the Moselle River and Sarr Rivers and the Seigfried Line located just east of the Sarr River.

78 77 Posted by: Ammo Dump at November 28, 2013 12:35 PM (GgPam)

O.M.G. Do contractors steal from the troops like that a lot? Any chance the bastards got fired?

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at November 28, 2013 12:41 PM (GDulk)

Not sure how widespread it is but in the early 70s in Korea we airman got the duty to ride shotgun on the Korean contractor garbage trucks.  The Korean company actually paid the US government for the right to hall trash off of the base.  However, some of  the Korean garbage men would steal anything that wasn't nailed down  hence having airmen ride shotgun on the garbage trucks.

Really felt sorry for the garbage men though.  Their breakfast was dipping their hands into the pink gunk which was in the 55 gallon drums of crud they were hauling  away from the chow hall.  Yikes!

79 Meremortal, thank you for sharing TG 1944!

80 Posted by: JeanQueenie at November 28, 2013 12:53 PM (82lr7) You are welcome, here's a little more... The objective was to cross the Saar River and breach the formidable Seigfried Line thus rendering Germany vunerable to swift attacks and advances, tactics which the 3rd Cavalry and Third Army had so successfully executed in the dash across France. The end of November and first of December was not the best time to handle the task of breaching the massive defensive features before us. The gravel and dirt roads were so saturated from constant rain and drizzle that our heavy-tracked vehicles soon turned those roads and lanes into quagmires. Negotiating passage under these conditions became quite frustrating. It seemed the only relief to the frustration was to cuss the elements and the enemy. I never realized that we had such a large number of experts in the knowledge of choice cuss words. If there wasn't a cuss word strong enough to describe the situation, they would make on up.

81 Posted by: Ammo Dump at November 28, 2013 12:52 PM (GgPam) Have to admit that I was assuming American contractors (for whom hunger wouldn't be the issue)

82 82 Posted by: Ammo Dump at November 28, 2013 12:52 PM (GgPam)

Have to admit that I was assuming American contractors (for whom hunger wouldn't be the issue)

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at November 28, 2013 01:20 PM (GDulk)

American contractor at the chow at Keesler AFB and Korean garbage contractor at Kunsan AB.

83 It seemed the only relief to the frustration was to cuss the elements and the enemy. I never realized that we had such a large number of experts in the knowledge of choice cuss words. If there wasn't a cuss word strong enough to describe the situation, they would make on up.

LOL!  We don't know aaannnyone like that now, do we??? 

Thanks again. 

84

Darn you, DiT (or rather, kudos again, your posts are crack to a WWII addict, ya know!), now I've got to read everything here .....

 

But before that:

 

* rickl, thanks for your comment on my comment - issue is, I'm talking here about actual siblings and their siblings - just cannot ruthlessly cut them out of my life; they're all very nice people, and I've already dropped contact way way below what I would naturally seek and enjoy ...... of course this just makes me even MORE furious with the state of things .... as for non-family friends, the toll there has been great, too - and I'm not sure any of them has any idea what's going on .....

 

* andycanuck, thanks for those links, but - the brother in question, actually trained in the earth sciences (!), is pretty hopeless.  If he has this bizarre, Terrett's (sp?)- like response to a few tornadoes, somehow linking them to "climate change" and even worse snarking about the absurd implied strawman (that reasonable, American-kinda people WANT TO ELIMINATE THE WEATHER SERVICE!! ELEVENTY!!) - there is no point in trying.  Which is why I basically don't. 

 

Just to complete the picture - he's a "gun nut" from way way back (that is, not that long ago, when guns were no big deal, even in CA and urban areas) - but, for example, he no longer listens to the only national gun-related radio show "because of the politics".  !!!! The mind boggles.  Hmmm, gee, maybe that's because, I dunno, the "politics" of "gun control" is, in fact, 99.5% a left-lib Dem phenomenon?  And he makes snarky (well-founded in this case) mocking comments about "gun control" as readily as he drops the idiocy about "climate change".

 

So - the perfect book-end to the sister and her husband (he's also a gun-owner who poo-poos the alarm at his local gun store even as the state legislature is literally doing the crazy stuff they're talking about!).  Devout, very active Catholics, and non-fans of teachers' unions from their kids' school years - and they'd literally probably kill themselves before voting for anything other than a Dem - yes, the party that in CA is pretty much a subsidiary of the teachers' unions, and as freakishly radically pro-abortion as any entity on the planet, and with a pretty good dose of fashionable anti-religious bigotry to boot.

 

(looks skyward in despair and amazement)

 

85

Sorry for the WOT, guys (Wall Of Text .... that "War on Terror" thing is kinda over, ya know, having morphed into a "War on Freedom, Prosperity, and Rule of Law").

 

My only war-time T-giving story.  One of our war zones, 2006.  The food was ridiculously good, in general.  So for T-giving, they had shrimp cocktail.  Having had no prior reason to be wary of the sanitation practices of the contractor, I tried some.  Next day was only the second time I'd ever had food poisoning in nearly two years in-country (other time was ALSO not local food, but food from a commercial vendor that operates with AAFES/PXs in the war zones).  Pretty bad.  Email went around said over 100 people had gotten sick.

 

I do recall though, that day was a particularly fun one at the table with the young'uns (both other civilians and some young soldiers).  A couple of us old guys regaled them with tales of T-giving in wars past (much like this post), focusing on the Civil War and the extraordinary efforts made to get T-giving chow to the Union troops.  And of course added our usual lecture about how their grandfathers/fathers often ate cold C-rats in a muddy hole, whereas we had "steak/lobster night" every few weeks.

 

 

86

I may be pulling my "willow" shift here, but ..... thanks so much Meremortal, love those excerpts from your dad's recollections.  Awesome.   And thanks again, Dave in Texas, for another great WWII post.  And sorry again for my verbose comments above.

 

87 Posted by: Ammo Dump at November 28, 2013 01:24 PM (GgPam) Ah, in which case I hope they were fired with prejudice. Stealing from the people protecting them is unconscionable. I can't imagine the mindset thatwould be okay with stealing from one's own military people like that.

88 Thanks for the post Dave.   My youngest is in the "Stan today. We DO have a lot to be thankful for!  Happy Thanksgiving to All!  GOD bless our TROOPS!   REDHORSE!!!

89 #66, 64 dear Mrs. navycopjoe: Youtube Break.com LiveLeak PopModa ThePirateBay... Just sayin'...

90 Amen to the prayer that God bless our troups and bring them home safe. That is my prayer every Thanksgiving and Christmas. Thank you to all my brothers and sisters in arms, those of us who've been there never forget what you are doing every day.