Turkey Tale

My stint in the U.S. Naval Reserve during World War II was concluded aboard the USS President Jackson, an "Attack Transport" that had been a cruise liner before the war. Our quarters were crowded and anything but luxurious, but we had to make plenty of room for the thousands of troops we and others were bringing home from the Philippines. So, on November 22, 1945, we were celebrating our first Thanksgiving after the war, out on the Pacific somewhere west of San Francisco. The "General Mess" holiday menu read: "Thanksgiving Dinner: ROAST TOM TURKEY...Thyme dressing...Spiced ham...Giblet gravy...Cranberry sauce...Mashed sweet potatoes...Buttered green peas...Sweet pickles...Ripe olives...Head lettuce with French dressing... Mixed nuts...Assorted candy...Fruit cake...Hot mince pie...Bread...Butter...Coffee...Cigars and Cigarettes"!-- really quite a scrumptious meal to please Navy crew and Army passengers alike! Later, on December 22, 1945, we radiomen up in the Radio Shack received the following message from the "Commander-in-Chief in the Pacific": "CINCPAC sends to the personnel of the Pacific Fleet and Pacific Ocean Areas his BEST WISHES for the Christmas Season, our first one in peace after nearly four years of a hard fought and successful war." We spent Christmas, then, in drydock near San Francisco, made more round trips to bring our soldiers home, and I was discharged at Great Lakes, IL, on March 10, 1946. This year (just 65 years later!) we rejoiced to celebrate Thanksgiving with loved ones at the Ole Home Place at Wallace, with sister Jean and brother-in-law Bob Larsh graciously hosting the event, and with "missionary kids" Phil and Mary Ruth Taylor (wrapping up a 9-month furlough from Brazil, S.A.) and daughter (our granddaughter) Rachel (visiting from Memphis, TN) as our special guests. We hope all of our readers had a great Thanksgiving...and we wish you all a BLESSED CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR! Surely, "In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live (eternally) through Him!"- I John 4:9. May this promise be precious to you, too!