8A the Cannoneer, December 5, 2013
Thanksgiving at Fort Sill
Soldiers, civilians enjoy festive meal Story, photos By Spc. Joe Dees 214th Fires Brigade The Staff Sgt. Juan Garcia Dining Facility (DFAC) opened its doors to Soldiers and the Lawton-Fort Sill community for a Thanksgiving feast with all of the trimmings. The annual tradition brought attention to the skills and dedication of the Soldier-chefs, who worked hard to create a welcoming festive atmosphere. The line of waiting guests stretched well into the parking lot while the Soldiers of the Garcia DFAC made their final checks and brought course after course to the serving line. There, commanders and senior noncommissioned officers washed and apron clad, stood ready to serve the hungry and thankful throng. Food service specialists from the 214th Fires and 75th Fires brigades, and the 31st Air Defense Artillery Brigade who work together at the Garcia DFAC worked for two months to plan and prepare their annual Thanksgiving celebration. Hundreds of hours of additional labor went into preparing the extensive decorations and food preparations to provide the 1,000 guests with the best Thanksgiving experience possible. “We put in a lot of work and extra effort to try and be as welcoming as possible so the Soldiers who can’t be at home for the holiday can feel like they’re at home,” said Spc. Robert Taylor, 3rd Battalion, 2nd ADA food service specialist. “We get to learn and practice new skills
while playing host to our fellow Soldiers. Seeing their satisfaction makes all of the work worth it.” The Soldiers’ hard work, dedication and skills were evident with every conceivable surface filled with incredible, and mostly edible, decorations. Cakes bearing unit insignias, dedica-
“If it wasn’t for this I wouldn’t have a Thanksgiving meal, so this means a lot and the whole thing just makes me feel like I’m home.” Pfc. Ragan Curvin Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 214th FiB tions and unbelievably intricate decorations stood beside ice sculptures, carved fruit ornamentations and even an old-western cityscape complete with figurines painted with food coloring that provoked guests to reach for cameras or stare in absolute awe. “Thanksgiving is not just about food, it’s about being with family, and even though I’m here alone, the DFAC’s hard work has made me feel at home, like I’m with my family,” said Pfc. Keith Soreghen, 168th Brigade Support Battalion. The holiday celebration was also an opportunity for Soldiers to bond with members of the Fort Sill community, enjoying their Thanksgiving dinner alongside absolute strangers, sharing stories and holiday cheer.
Maj. Gen. Mark McDonald, Fires Center of Excellence and Fort Sill commanding general, greets Soldiers at the Staff Sgt. Juan Garcia Dining Facility’s annual Thanksgiving feast. The Garcia DFAC staff fed more than 1,000 guests. While many of the Soldiers were there alone or with friends, others brought their families with them. Pfc. Micah Massey, 168th BSB, feasted with her boyfriend and his family. “I am thankful for this meal and those who worked to provide it,” said Massey. “This allows me to spend Thanksgiving with both his family and my Army family. It is a one-of-a-kind opportunity.” Diners were captivated by the extensive decorations and homely surroundings, but also satisfied by the wide variety of delicious foods
Food Service Specialist Spc. Tricialynn Blair, 2nd Battalion, 5th Field Artillery, prepares a decoration for the annual Thanksgiving feast. The staff of the Staff Sgt. Juan Garcia Dining Facility hosted more than 1,000 guests for a festive Thanksgiving meal.
served by smiling commanders and senior NCOs wearing aprons, food-preparation hats and full dress uniforms. “It was nice to be greeted and served by the officers and NCOs, it really lets you know that they care and makes you feel at home. If it wasn’t for this I wouldn’t have a Thanksgiving meal, so this means a lot and the whole thing just makes me feel like I’m home,” said Pfc. Ragan Curvin, Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 214th FiB. The Thanksgiving holiday was not only celebrated at Garcia DFAC, part of the
Fort Sill community deployed to Southwest Asia also celebrated the holiday with turkey and football. The “Steel Warriors” of the 1st Battalion, 14th Field Artillery held an battalion flag football tournament before enjoying their own turkey dinner and connecting with family through a “holiday shoutout booth” provided by the battalion communications section. The meal’s success at achieving the goals set forth by the Soldiers of the Garcia DFAC cannot be measured by the amount of food prepared, photos of
decorations taken or even number of guests served, but only by the satisfied smiles and thanks given by all who benefited from the labor and dedication of those who made the feast possible. “This was a great success,” said Sgt. Richard Buycks, food service specialist, 2nd Battalion, 5th Field Artillery, “even better than I expected. You can see it in everybody’s smile and that makes all of the hard work well worth it. I no longer just feel like we did a good job, I know we did, and these Soldiers should be proud of it.”
Lt. Col. Mark Mays, 168th Brigade Support Battalion commander, serves food to a diner at the Staff Sgt. Juan Garcia Dining Facility. Commanders and senior noncommissioned officers served Thanksgiving dinner.
Annual holiday feast an Army tradition By Chrissie Reilly Communications-Electronics Command staff historian There’s no place like … the dining facility? While the culinary accomplishments of the Army are not typically associated with gourmet fare, the Army has been feeding troops since the Revolutionary War. As part of its mission to feed its troops, the Army has served up Thanksgiving dinner all around world for more than a century.
Humble beginnings President Abraham Lincoln and Sara Josepha Hale, editor of Godey’s magazine, are responsible for the contemporary manifestation of Thanksgiving. Based on an actual historical event, the modern celebration was invented in the 19th century. It evolved from a regional day with modest edible offerings into a celebration of middle-class America and bountiful food. According to social historian Elizabeth Pleck, as the Civil War divided a nation, Thanksgiving sought to instill a cohesive identity, no longer associating the day with just a New England celebration, but encompassing all Americans. In her 1999 work, “The Making of a Domestic Occasion,” Pleck argued, “… nostalgia at Thanksgiving was a yearning for a simpler past”located in a pastoral and old-fashioned landscape. The “New York Times” article “From Sheridan’s Army” that appeared Dec. 1, 1864, lauded the hearty servings of turkey, goose and duck as well as the side dishes prepared for the Union troops “real
old-fashioned Thanksgiving din- took on an additional role of helping to assimilate waves of newly ner.” settled immigrants to the United The frontier States. One way individuals adopt“The Great Source of ed a collective identity was though Amusement: Hunting in the serving together in the Army. Frontier Army” illustrates where World War I is not often rememSoldiers spent Thanksgiving and bered for its impressive dietary made a big difference in what they highlights, but menus from this era ate for dinner. survived and list a variety of foods In his 2005 article on the topic, that were far more than basic James Potter outlined the way rations of beef and beans. hunting was a common pastime Maj. Louis Wilson of the for both enlisted men and officers Quartermaster Corps wrote in stationed in the American West. 1928 “not only must the Soldier be “By supplementing the diet and fed, but fed properly!” providing recreation,” Potter World War II argued, “hunting improved the lives of frontier Soldiers.” A unique aspect of World War II In the 1860s and 1870s, even if rationing meant food went to the enlisted troops lacked the time in military first, and to the open martheir days to enjoy the sporting ket for civilians second. aspects of hunting, they benefited Under Secretary of War, Robert from a culinary standpoint. The Patterson, wrote in “The holiday season, especially, was the Quartermaster Review” in 1945, time hunting became more urgent. the Army’s food requirements While forts on the East Coast accounted for 12 percent of the had access to railroad transport of country’s food supply. a wide variety of foods, those out The “Signal Corps Message” a west relied on their own devices to military newspaper printed at Fort create more lavish holiday meals. Monmouth, N.J., reported in the “Boiled beef and salt pork” were fall of 1944, the War Food the standard Army fare, and no Administration restricted the sale one wanted to subsist on these at of turkeys to civilians until the Thanksgiving. Quartermaster Corps had fulfilled In 1874, a correspondent from its requirements. Poultry producFort Sill, reported a hunting party tion was reportedly so great, howof 12 men provided the canteen ever, that there would not actually with 156 turkeys, while a group of be a need to restrict the sales. officers contributed 60 turkeys, The military needed “plentiful five deer, two wildcats and a bear. helpings of white meat and dark At Fort Lyon, Colo., a few years meat for every man in the service.” later, the 1871 Thanksgiving feast But the Army didn’t only serve men. centered around buffalo. The Women’s Army Auxiliary Progressivism and the First Corps (WAACs) at Fort Des World War Celebrating America as Moines, Iowa, enjoyed a “gala holia nation was a focal point of early day for 7,600” on the Army post. Thanksgiving festivities. The “Register,” the local newspaDuring World War I the holiday per, printed Nov. 27, 1942, reported
many WAACs received boxes of gifts and nonperishable food from relatives back home. This was the first Thanksgiving in the history of the women’s army, and offers a unique perspective on a holiday typically associated with women spending hours preparing a meal. In addition to the thousands of WAAC Soldiers who celebrated Thanksgiving on the Army installation, many civilian guests joined them. Consumer studies professors Melanie Wallendorf and Eric Arnold attest that the holiday celebrates “not just a moment of bounty, but a culture of enduring prosperity.”Their work on this phenomenon, “Consumption Rituals of Thanksgiving Day,” illustrates that while Thanksgiving might be a uniquely American holiday, it was well-known in Europe as a major event. During World War II, the British hosted a celebration for U.S. troops in Westminster Abbey.
The Cold War Maj. Gen. Kirk Lawton, Signal Corps officer and Fort Monmouth commander, expressed his gratitude in 1953: “This year has marked the cessation of active hostilities in Korea and the return of thousands of Americans to their homes and families.” The installation expected a large number of Soldiers, upwards of 5,000, to vacate the base during the Thanksgiving weekend. Elaborate meals were available for those individuals who remained on post. The Soldiers enjoyed a free dinner, while guests of service members and Department of the Army civilians purchased their meal for a nominal fee.
“The Monmouth Message” reported all Thanksgiving dinners could be purchased for less than $2.50 per person.
Feeding today’s Army Spc. Scott Grohowski recalled Thanksgivings he’s had during his enlistments with the armed services. He’d had Thanksgiving dinner on the USS Essex as a Marine, in Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, and plenty of bases in between. “It was some turkey and standard Thanksgiving day sides on the Essex, with a lot of crab and lobster,” he said. “On Bagram, it was a big to-do at the chow halls. Fresh carved turkey, roast beef, ham at their own carving stations; plus all the sides and then some. It was huge, and definitely seemed like they put a good bit of effort into it.” Compared with some of the bases in the United States, he thought the meal at Bagram was more elaborate and tasted better, too. Karen Stowers, a staff writer for the Army Times reported that in 2010, 144,854 pounds of turkey was consumed in Iraq for Thanksgiving alone. The Defense Logistics Agency supplied more than 270 dining facilities with Thanksgiving fare in 2011. Menus need to be planned months ahead to make sure all deployed troops are able to have the special meal. Whether prepared in garrison facilities or at mobile kitchens in remote sites, officials use supply chain infrastructure to provide food to service members as well as State Department employees overseas.