Thanksgiving Day, 1974

Thanksgiving day 1974 was a day like many others. Only this one was very different. From November of 1974- December of 1975, I was a 1st. Lt. stationed in South Korea as the XO of a Nike Hercules Missile unit. The admin area was in a valley and the radars were on a mountain two miles to the south while the missiles were on another mountain two miles to the north. Being new to the unit, I was feeling a little homesick. Then the platoon leader of the missile unit asked me to join him and the men for a Thanksgiving dinner at the missile site. So, I put on my winter greens, shined my shoes, commandeered a jeep from the motor pool and made the short drive up the hill. The mess hall had provided a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner with a turkey, dressing and all of the sides. As I sat around the table I felt a great feeling of comfort and companionship. We were all there to do a job and our commitment to the successful execution of that job was always paramount in our minds. But this was a special day and we all enjoyed the event.

So, I say to all of the service men and women on this Thanksgiving Day, thank you for your service. I hope that you remain safe and can soon return home to your family, friends and loved ones.

If you have a friend or relative who is in the military or is a veteran, please take a minute on this Thanksgiving Day to say “Thank You” for your service.