04 APR 13

More War Stories ...

Unsung Heroes ...
It might seem that posers, claiming to be hero soldiers, all served in Special Ops. Truth is ... ain't that many Special Ops troops in the world. Real heroes just do their jobs, with competence, in trying times. These guys are the engineers, mechanics and cooks who service every combat unit in the forces.

The ones who I remember best are the cooks ...

The mess sergeant who, of his own volition, hauled a silver-bullet of hot chocolate through the Ft. Devens Tactical Training Course on a very cold, wet day in May 1967. He found us in our bivouac area, in the snow, and saved my life ... I swear.

Then there were the cooks at the 8th RRFS, Phu Bai, Vietnam. During the 1968 Tet Offensive, while those not engaged in intercept and analysis were hunkered down in bunkers and trenchline, the cooks were at their stoves, upright and cooking ... making hundreds of bacon and egg sandwiches, which they delivered to the operations building in the midst of a barrage ... along with a silver-bullet of fresh hot coffee. A meal much appreciated by us, eaten with great relish.

Cold War Berlin ... Site 3, Teufelsberg Dining Facility.
A cook who, actually, loved his job and took great pride in what was served to his shift workers. A Friday Mids Meal ... deep fried red snapper the main course ... off-duty soldiers lining up at the door, having driven the 15 miles from the barracks, at 2 AM, to get there, just because it became known that this cook was working and was serving red snapper.
An FSB legend.


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