[revwardoc]

Jerry,

That first story about the dirty airman brought back some memories. Whenever there was a holiday, I used to do extra duty so that the married guys could spend time with their families. Figured it was the least I could do since I was single and my family was thousands of miles away. At Thanksgiving, our chow hall would prepare a truly incredible meal; roast turkey with ALL the trimmings. A GI's family would be allowed to eat at the chow hall for an extremely reasonable price, so it was packed with wives and kids.

One turkey day, I was given a half-hour break from working on a C-141. I had spent the entire morning doing all the grung work; lubing the landing gear and the horizontal stabilizer, refilling engine oil, feuling, etc, etc., and I was just like that airman, dirty, smelly, and tired. I was in line at the chow hall in front of some CMSgt's family and his wife started saying, out loud & long, that I shouldn't be allowed in the chow hall on Thanksgiving Day in that kind of condition, and that he, the CMS, should order me to leave.

The CMS asked me where I was from; I told him and that I was working so others could be at home. He turned to his wife and said to her that I was 3,000 miles from home and family, volunteering to work, and to shut up otherwise he'd shove a turkey leg in her mouth! She turned all red and did what she was told, and he shook my hand.