The best meal from Uncle Sam

[Oxmix]

Best was the last. Just returned from Nam and going thru out-processing at Oakland. 2am, steak and french fries.

Unfortunately, my out processing meal at Oakland in 1969 was possibly the worst meal I ever had, and believe me the Army had lots of bad meals. The steak was so tough, I could not cut or chew it. I figured it was Sam's one last chance to screw with me.

On the other hand, possibly the best meals I ever had were at the Navy mess hall in Naha, Okinawa, and Air Force mess halls at Yoza Dake, Okinawa and Ona Point, Okinawa.

Regards

Ox

[30shtur]

Henderson Hall, VA was the only place I had a good steak. Every other base had well done (dry and hard) steaks on steak night.

[JohnMOhio]

Walker AFB New Mexico 1960-63, day time mess hall was nothing to rave about. Especially at the end of the fiscal year, got down to a lot of hot dogs and or cold cuts on Sundays. However the 3-4 AM cooks for us on the midnight shift had the best meals. Had your choice of regular meal or a breakfast meal. I have to say the Spanish Omletes were the best ever. Once in a while we did have steak that was adequate. Pork Chops were great also. However, I don't ever recall them serving Lobster or Crab at any time on base. If you wanted that, you had to go into town for them. Altus AFB, OK. on a short TDY of 8 weeks was the best when it came to day shift mess hall, could not get over that they had multi choices for the noon and evening meal. However, the water at that base was horrific. Made several trips into town looking for bargain on firearms. Talked to a lady that lived there all her life and when I mentioned the water, her description said it all. It tasted like a wet hound dog smelled. It smelled like it tasted also. Tried it just once. Only drank soft drinks and or milk while there.

[armorkav]

Any meal I got from uncle sam was the best meal ever! Because it was free, on the Tax payers dime. Quit yer whinin'

[shootinrandy]

Oh Brother!!!! I honestly don't remember a best, But sure as heck the Worstsssss, Had guard duty at Sabre Army heliport, Van picked us up late, Mess Sgt heated us up left over chili mac and all four of us came down with "acute gastritous", Army slang for food poisoning.Three days of pure misery. Lo and behold about 6 months later, pretty much the same thing happened. Can NOT stand to look at the stuff . 2/17 air cav food was definitely the worst on post.

[Art]

Don't you believe that, at the Rock Pile, in the rain outside, two cold storage eggs and canned bacon, on a paper plate, with a plastic fork, just yummy!

LOL, my old daddy was in the "old" SeaBees, Einiwietok and Samar in '44. He said being custodians of the refrigerators steaks and cold beer was a very good thing. He didn't tell me about the bad stuff at Samar, being bombed on a regular basis by the Japanese or the paratrooper attack.

[jon_norstog]

What was the best meal you had on base, aboard ship etc?

-Jeff L

The six months before I enlisted, May '66, I had been broke, hitchhiking around, spent a little time in the Haight and a little time in Alameda Co. jail. I got accepted into USCG in Feb, then had to wait it out. And I had to hitchhike back to Idaho to my induction center even though I was in CA, maybe 10 miles from the boot camp at Govt. Island. That last trip i just about starved and was in fact hallucinating. Too broke to buy food, too proud to beg, too honest (or stupid) to steal.

So the best meal(s) I had in the service were in boot camp, gained 15 pounds back the first week. The food was great and there was all you could eat. **** on a shingle! Dog's breakfast! Steak! Eggs! Mash potatoes!

I gained 40 pounds in 8 weeks. I looked like a truck horse when I "graduated."

jn

[pelago]

winter of 67 in the Arizona, army huey dropped of a bunch of chow on our firebase, beer on ice, steaks, charcoal grills, potatoe salad, salad makings, dressings the whole deal enough chow for 100 guys

we ate til we popped, good american beer cold also and real steaks with bones in em, tons of em

army delivered this fantastic food to the wrong spot

[C5M1]

Steak and eggs to order, every morning for two weeks in the officers mess. Camp Evans, early 1971.

regards, dennis

[joem]

Grilled steak and warm beer after Tet in 68. After living in a bunker and C Rats it was the best tastein meal.

[Johnny P]

Have a friend that was at 29 Palms in the early 1960's. He said for some strange reason he had an absolute craving for beer and hash brown potatoes, and ordered it every time he got into town.

[Big_Al]

That would have been our brigade artillery -- I was with the First Brigade, 5th Infantry Division in '68 and '69. The brigade was OPCON to 3rd MarDiv.

If memory is correct, that would have been 5/4 Artillery. I was in the 75th Support Batalion, 1st Bde, 5th Infantry Div.
Camp Red Devil, and Quang Tri Combat Base.

The best meal I had was at the Air Force Transient Mess at Danang Airfield. Travelling to and from Quang Tri the C123, or C130, always stopped in Danang, and the Air Force chow line was excellent! There was a choice of entres, you could go back for seconds (unheard of at Red Devil), and REAL milk!!! And to top it all off, when you were done you left your tray on the table and Babysan came and picked it up.
Man, that's high cotton, there!

[Vern Humphrey]

If memory is correct, that would have been 5/4 Artillery. I was in the 75th Support Batalion, 1st Bde, 5th Infantry Div.
Camp Red Devil, and Quang Tri Combat Base.

The best meal I had was at the Air Force Transient Mess at Danang Airfield. Travelling to and from Quang Tri the C123, or C130, always stopped in Danang, and the Air Force chow line was excellent! There was a choice of entres, you could go back for seconds (unheard of at Red Devil), and REAL milk!!! And to top it all off, when you were done you left your tray on the table and Babysan came and picked it up.
Man, that's high cotton, there!

You remember rightly -- at the time Camp Red Devil was built, I was HHC Company Commander and did a lot of the building -- and was given a rifle company (A-1/61 IN) later as a reward. But I had to extend my tour to get it.

[Big_Al]

You remember rightly -- at the time Camp Red Devil was built, I was HHC Company Commander and did a lot of the building -- and was given a rifle company (A-1/61 IN) later as a reward. But I had to extend my tour to get it.

Are you a member of The Society Of The Fifth Division? 1/61 is well represented at the re-unions.

http://www.societyofthefifthdivision.com/

I was just a Spec 5.

Welcome Home.

[Vern Humphrey]

Are you a member of The Society Of The Fifth Division? 1/61 is well represented at the re-unions.

http://www.societyofthefifthdivision.com/

I was just a Spec 5.

Welcome Home.

Never been to a reunion of the Brigade -- years ago, the 1/11th had a reunion and I was invited.