Veterans Day

[Carrot Top]

Tomorrow is Veterans Day in the United States - the day that we set aside to honor our veterans of war.

That the wages of war in this world have been terrible is an undisputed fact.

But there are stories of food and of sustenance that are of interest that come from these times from the men and women that were there - wherever "there" happened to be.

I can think of the stories of hardtack during the Civil War. And the adage that "an army marches on its stomach". There has been a recent discussion of MRE's on eGullet - used as a matter of course by our military and then in the aftermath of the devastation of New Orleans to provide nourishment to the hungry. Some of my favorite stories have to do with the ways that our lives have been broadened by the exposure of foods from other countries, due to the fact of deployment rather than travel for pleasure (which is not always done by everyone in this world for many reasons, some financial, some other). America was enriched in the sense of being exposed to European foods in a massive way during WW2. The foods of Southeast Asia, the tastes and wonders, were brought back to the US after Korea and Vietnam.

Other countries may have experienced the same sorts of introductions to foods from "other places" brought home by their own veterans.

The way of sharing our foods is common to us all, no matter where we come from.

There is so much to offer when we break bread.

I would like to invite any veterans, or anyone who knows stories of foods that come from these times, to tell us of your tales. Write carefully, of course. We must write and think carefully when these things are discussed. Let's talk about the good that the food brought, or the interest, or the love.

In food we can find connection to others. In this connection perhaps there is hope.

And some pretty darn good stories of carousing in bars on weekend leaves, too, I bet.

Edited to add a final note: I do not "really" expect to hear people write in their memories (though I do most assuredly hope for some stories) in this time of ultra PC where everyone is considered suspect of some dread error in life if they have participated in humanity's wars upon each other.

This is merely my own way of setting a place at the table for those who were there, and of offering a listening ear about the sustenance there is to be found in food and its ways, even during terrible times.

Edited November 10, 2005 by Carrot Top (log)

[Chris Amirault]

I'd also be interested to know about anyone's exposure to the foods of the Middle East in more recent times.

[jsolomon]

I'd also be interested to know about anyone's exposure to the foods of the Middle East in more recent times.

←

I'll be finding out about one of my Army buddy's experiences this weekend as he just returned from Iraq.

Mmmm... beers with Timmy.

[Carrot Top]

MFK Fisher and potatoes:

How to Cook a Wolf

[Pontormo]

Well, the Monty Python routine of Spam, Spam and Spam does originate in the U.S. contribution to the British diet during WWII, a debt repaid by the Saturday Night Live routine of Cheeseburga, Cheesburga, Cheesburga.

[Carrot Top]

There you go. Multi-cultural exchange at its best.

[Pan]

I am lucky enough not to have any memories of living through a war on my home soil, but I would like to point out that, as I understand, canning was invented in order to effectively feed Napoleon's armies.

[snowangel]

My mother recalls when she was a child, and her family owned a corner grocery store, back in the days before supermarkets. They really knew their customers. This was back in the day when groceries delivered, and would even go inside the house and put the perishables in the fridge when they delivered if the homeowner wasn't home.

She remember he dad talking to someone who shopped there weekly, and this was a customer who never ever bought or drank coffee. The rationing coupons came out, and she bought coffee. "If it's rationed, it must be good" was her rationale.

As a grocer's daugther, she ate well throughout the war, but at times it was scraps of meat that they butchered on site. What was leftover from the deli (cutting edge in the late 30's/early 40's.

[srhcb]

My friend Yach was an army cook in Vietnam.

One afternoon his outfit came under heavy enemy rocket fire. All the soldiers sought shelter except Yach, who proceeded to calmly and carefully cover up all the food being prepared and put lids on all the cooking vessels and turn down the burners.

His CO was so impressed he put Yach in for a medal for courage under fire, or some such thing.

Actually, Yach says, he had been partaking of copious quantities of some of SE Asia's native herbage via non-oral means, and was so stoned that when the shells started exploding around him all he could think of to do was "save the food".

SB (Yach tells the story better because he stutters)

[srhcb]

On a more serious note, a former employee of our engineering company who we called Uncle Ed was a Japanese POW for the entire duration of WWII, having been taken prisoner on Wake Island at the start of the war.

Much of Ed's time in captivity was spent in camps in Japanese occupied mainland China. The stories of the hardship and suffering the prisoners endured were unimaginably horrid, especially concerning the food. They suffered from disease and malnutrition, and even those like Ed who survived had related health problems throughout the rest of their lives.

Ed was very active in veterans organizations, and never passed up a chance to speak at schools and civic functions about his experience. One story he always told was about the annual Christmas gift the prisoners received from the Japanese. They were each given a fresh apple as proof of the beneficiance of the Emporer and people of Japan.

Ed said that considering the food they were forced to eat all year it was very difficult, but he had always refused to eat "Hirohito's Apple".

Uncle Ed passed away about ten years ago, but I try and tell some of his stories every year on Memorial and Veterans Days.

Thanks Ed

SB

[Carrot Top]

Thank you for sharing those two very touching stories, Steve.

And thoughts sent - to Yach and Ed.