NAVY CHOW

[OLDNAVYMCPO]

A few days ago, we had a post on MRE's and field rations. Today while thumbing thru some records trying to find some military documents, I ran across a menu from some special dinner aboard the USS America in 1966. I was aboard her doing carrier quals. Aboard a carrier we have a pretty extensive messing organization as you can well imagine. During the Vietnam War most carriers were populated with a crew of approximately 5,000 men.

Aboard carriers, messing was generally divided into four facilities. The officers had their wardroom, Chiefs (E-7 thru E-9) had the Goat Locker or Chief's mess, E-6's had the First Class mess and the troops had a general mess. Each mess had their own cooks and menu.

During holidays or special occasions, the cooks went all out with fabulous meals. I'm serious, lobster tails, steaks, shrimp cocktail, Cornish hens, etc...Rolls and pastries that equaled or surpassed anything stateside.

In the Tonkin Gulf, when we had the rare breaks from operations, the ship would throw a bar-b-que on the flight deck.

The ship's commissary officer was encouraged to purchase fruits, vegetables and meat products from locals in the various ports.

I remember Brazil having great melons and sausage. Greece had absolutely the worst bread, full of weevils. Potatoes take on a taste depending on the soil in which they are grown, different all over the world.

 

[OLDNAVYMCPO]

SEABEE CHOW

In the Seabees, we are usually in small detachments serving with Marines or Special Forces, we eat in their facilities or eat field rations.

On field exercises where we are together as a full battalion, we erect a "circus tent" which serves as a field mess and for meetings.

We seldom get water in cute little plastic bottles. Our water comes from a "water buffalo" and we fill our canteens for personal use.

When on a project in the middle of a forest, jungle or desert, we bar-b-que every meal or eat MRE's.

Seabees never have separate messes by rank except stateside at regular bases. In the field, enlisted eat first, officers and Chiefs eat last.

 

[paulh]

When we(USMC) were aboard ship we never ever ate so good.

 

[Lee in Quartzsite]

The third photo....always standing in line! Seems like it never ended. No wonder I still get peeved when I have to stand in line at Walmart.

 

[chiefbob81]

On the FDR (CV-42) the mess decks (fwd & aft) you could eat 22 hours a day, not good for my waist line.

 

[OLDNAVYMCPO]

When we(USMC) were aboard ship we never ever ate so good.

You obviously didn't recognize that there was a Marine Gunny standing in line in the Chief's mess.

 

[cherrypointmarine]

I was on the Midway (CV41) for a West Pac 1979-1980 . Food on the boat was good , at least until we had been floating for 8 or so weeks . Even with replenishments , the food quality suffered . On land , most navy chow halls had Filipino Chiefs in charge , and they put green peppers in everything . To this day I will not eat anything with green peppers in it . I remember they used to put boiled eggs in the middle of a meat loaf . I used to go to mid-rats a lot , get the best of both worlds , breakfast and dinner .

 

[hostler]

The best I ever ate was when I was on a Navy base or on ship. I did a WestPac in 86. Fantastic food for most of the float. I remember dumping tons of fruit and other stuff overboard the day before getting to Hawaii. Before that we had lobster multiple days in a row.
I spent a couple months on the Naval base Coronado Island going through Amphib Recon school. We ate 4 times a day, as much as we wanted. I think that was the best food I've ever eaten, but maybe that's because I was starving from all of the calories I was burning. plus it was the only bit of the day we weren't getting screwed with.
I did some training at Ft Lewis WA. I thought their food was really good considering it was Army food.

 

[paulh]

You obviously didn't recognize that there was a Marine Gunny standing in line in the Chief's mess.

Our Gunny ate with us

 

[Drm50]

When in RVn we were fed by Navy and Air Force both in 48hr
period. We ate at AFB at Danang , Monkey Mountain? I think.
Those guys got good grub compared to ours. It was like a different world. The ship, a big amphib has very good chow too.
Army chow wa terrible in most places in RVn.

 

[Harrison]

Cold rations in the field make you tough and mean. It's the Army way. Getting cold green scrambled eggs flown in on a Huey was a real treat.

 

[Rustyt1953]

I have only been in 5 chow halls and they were all good.

 

[Fishslayer]

We seldom get water in cute little plastic bottles. Our water comes from a "water buffalo" and we fill our canteens for personal use.

MMMMM...Water buffalo water! Dee-lish!

 

[hostler]

MMMMM...Water buffalo water! Dee-lish!

Water buffalo water tastes like champagne compared to ship water which had the distinct taste and smell of JP5.

 

[Fishslayer]

In 20 years I only had food that was inedible twice. Once was last day of war games and somebody put the donuts in the same conex box with the JP5 burning field stoves...

...and the chow hall at 29 Palms. Death from within!

Best chow is a tossup between RAF Lakenheath & Lowry AFB. I think Lowry had a better wait staff.

 

[hostler]

...and the chow hall at 29 Palms. Death from within!

I spent 3 months at 29 Palms (4 months if you include the CAX I did). I don't remember hating the food. I do remember the E-Club and the treacherous trip across the parade deck from the club back to the barracks at 2AM.

 

[Rustyt1953]

 

[usmc2427765]

There is an interesting scene from " The Pacific" where the Marines on Guadalcanal are down to eating captured Rice and one Marine is standing in line and produces his mess kit only to be given one scoop of rice with weevils moving in it and looks at the mess man and wants to know what this is. The mess man tells him to think of it as protein. Now we did not have it that bad in Vietnam, however there were times when it was close.

 

[LoboGunLeather]

In the Army mess halls drew rations based upon a 'headcount' record of how many people were being served at each meal. Mess hall meals were frequently disappointing, sometimes pretty dismal. "Mystery meat", "dead bread", combination spaghetti sauce/barbecue sauce, dehydrated eggs and milk, not much to recommend an Army mess back in the 60's.

In Vietnam I had the opportunity to visit Marine and Navy mess halls and always received an excellent meal. Usually two or more choices of main course, multiple vegetable selections, plenty of fresh milk, bread, and butter. I learned that they drew rations based upon assigned unit strength, rather than the 'headcount' record.

Of course, out in the bush all bets were off. C-rations, care packages from home, and Tabasco sauce were the best to be had.

Not to fault the Tabasco sauce! Many folks aren't aware that the McIlheny family (owners of the Tabasco brand) provided FREE shipments of little bottles of Tabasco sauce delivered to the troops in Vietnam. Just about everyone always had a little bottle on hand at meal time to kill the taste of the Ham & Lima Beans and other canned delicacies gratuitously provided by the Department of Defense for our young troops in the field.

Half a century later and I still have more fondness for the McIlheny family than I have for Uncle Sam.

 

[STCM(SW)]

DE's and DD's didn't have the same chow as a bird farm...
We ran out of fresh stuff fast...