Sumo and I got up at 0400 and relieved Reb so he could get some sleep before heading to China Beach. He would stay overnight at Battalion Headquarters and return on Saturday afternoon.
The routine for Friday’s “Southern Meal” * hadn’t changed, and we managed to serve over 300 dinners. The heat kept some people away from eating a full meal, and the Carolina Chowder was a popular option for Marines not wanting to stand in line or sit in the mess deck.
The supplies which I had requisitioned earlier in the year were trickling in, and we now had new utensils and kitchen knives. The process was slow and random . . . it made no sense. Filling out the requisitions was tedious, but I learned to reorder anything we received by using the order codes from the supply receipts of the items delivered.
Reb had set up a row of metal ammo cans with solvent (outside the galley), and each one held burner parts (copper lines, valves, burner caps, etc.). It was an organized way of keeping the burners clean and ready. We discussed building a shack or workshop for burner maintenance because we would need to keep the oven heating units and equipment dry during the monsoon season.
The evenings were peaceful just before dark, and that’s when I usually enjoyed writing to Jenny about the daily events and activities. Her class at San Diego State would end in a few weeks, and then her address would change again. Although I worried a lot about having the current address to post letters to her, she always kept me informed, and we never lost each other during the transitions. Jenny was one step ahead of me in the mail department.
* See previous blog, “The Southern Meal” February 23, 1968
I am a retired restaurant manager. My wife Jenny and I have been married for 50 years, have three grown children and two teen grand kids.
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My Vietnam Experience 