What is the most memorable thanksgiving that you spent while in the military?

Thanksgiving with my Wife(exwife in '79) in Okinawa,Japan before she went back to Mississippi,buti had to eat at the chow Hall at Kadena,And they had every conceivable entree possible,including Turkey,Chicken,Hamburgers,

1971 Thanksgiving, a few weeks from 11B graduation at Tigerland. Late holiday afternoon sitting on the edge of my foxhole watching A-7 Corsairs I cracked open a can of c-rat turkey chunks that I rounded up just for the day. That was some good turkey...

The 2nd most favorite was when I was singing in the 82nd Airborne Division's All-American Chorus. My NCOIC invited all of the chorus and our families to his house for Thanksgiving. For a few hours, we were able to forget about crazy performance schedules and just be people sharing a meal in a warm, family environment.

Mine was when I was assigned to the (former) 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team out of Ft. Wainwright, Alaska. My unit and I had just finished up a field problem Tuesday morning and spent all day in recovery on Wednesday. One of my battles hosted dinner in his quarters and about 12 of us brought in food and drinks with our families. NONE OF US were where we wanted to be for the holiday (somewhere in the lower 48), but none of us would have changed this particular Thanksgiving if we could go back in time. Great food, great drinks, great music, bonding over the deployment about 18 months down the road...probably one of the best Thanksgivings EVER, let alone while in uniform.

I was in the Air Force and stationed at RAF Mildenhall, UK in the late 1980's. It was a great place to be stationed and half the base was open to the locals who worked and joined us in the clubs. There is a pub just outside the base, called The Bird In Hand, that my friends and I would hang out quite frequently. It is still there. One year, the owner of the pub invited me and about a dozen of my friends to the pub, on Thanksgiving when it was closed, for an authentic British meal. It was a great act of kindness as this holiday is only celebrated by Americans. Although the meal was not your typical Thanksgiving fare, it was nice to be with friends and new friends from a foreign land enjoying a meal and being thankful.

Thanksgiving 1988, General Stiner and his staff sat across the table from me at the thanksgiving dinner. He talked to me directly for about 20 minutes and of course the fellows around me. He took special interest in the fact my grandfather was in the 2nd 504 and seemed to know some of my grandfathers exploits. I was able to talk about meeting General Gavin on several occasions and guys like Chaplin Cule, he seemed to know the whole gang including my grandfather. Of course this whole 20-30 minutes happened while we both shoveled food in our mouths. The lead off to the conversation started with him asking me when I was born and him laughing that he'd been to jump school about the time I was born. From that day my buds who were with me treated me a little differently.

When I was stationed at Beale AFB, California working on the alert area guarding the B-52s you worked in every kind of weather. From standing in snow and ice to 90 degree weather protecting the planes. On Thanksgiving and Christmas they would let us eat at the alert billet's where the alert air crew stayed. It was very special for an 18 year old Airman to get out of the weather to eat a wonderful Thanksgiving meal instead of a sack lunch. The alert crews would welcome us into their building because they appreciated what we did 24 hours a day taking care of their aircraft.

I was diverted mid-reassignment and sent to the Pentagon. I was single and I arrived a week before Thanksgiving virtually cashless, with only one Class A uniform. The day before Thanksgiving I had to put it in the cleaners so I would have something clean to wear on Monday. I had spent the last of my money buying additional uniforms, but they were being altered and I wouldn't have them until the next Monday. Thanksgiving day I went to the mess hall on Fort Meyer for lunch. An Old Guard CSM standing at the door said that I couldn't get in unless I was in Class A uniform. I explained the situation, Class A in cleaners, no cash, household belongings were on their way to Germany, and I just wanted lunch. No luck, he was unmoved. No lunch. Went back for dinner, different CSM but the same story, no admittance to the mess hall without Class A uniform.

That was my welcome to the Pentagon, alone, no friends or family, no car, hungry on Thanksgiving and very pissed off. In the two years that I was stationed there I never went back to the mess hall. I lived on Ramen and the dollar menu at Wendy's.

Thanksgiving 1991 after returning from DSS, taking then MG Barry McCaffrey, CG 24th INF Div and the G4, LTCP Dan Speak to all the installation/post Dining Facilities to visit with the Culinary Specialists/Food service staff preparing and serving the Thanksgiving meal to the Soldiers. I was a CW3 at the time and the Division Food Advisor. My SGM battle buddy was taking the Division CSM to visit all the Dining Facilities as well. It was great to see the CG giving out coins and interacting with all the food service Soldiers and kitchen attendants.

Thanksgiving Day...1972, USS Fulton (AS-11) North Atlantic. Storm.... coming home to New London, Ct. State Pier, from La Magdalena, Sardinia, Italy. That boat was a rockin and a rollin.