Thanksgiving 1953

We were living at MEMQ P was about 3 months old, B was almost 2 years old.

Sargents in the Marine Corp. didn't earn that much money. Allotments came the first of the month not just before Thanksgiving. We had invited another couple to have Thanksgiving with us and of course I was buying and cooking for all of us.

My trip to the commissary was an adventure. We were stationed at Cherry Point, NC without a grocery store anywhere within 30 miles except the commissary. You know military invented the long lines everywhere all the time. I was standing in this long line with a 2 year old and a 3 month old baby. When it came time to get a turkey at the meat counter the little private behind the counter couldn't see me for looking at the Colonel behind me. The private picked up the first turkey he could get his hands on, wrapped it up and threw it at me. I bet the thing weighed 20 pounds and was going to cost me the entire amount of my funds for the whole dinner. I pushed the basket to the back of the store trying to figure out what I was going to do. I just happened to be in the frozen food section in 1953 there wasn't much in that section. I looked down and there was a frozen duck for about 1/3 of the amount of the turkey. A duck I had never tasted a duck much less cooked one. You can quess what I did the bad little sargents wife dumped the big old expensive turkey in the freezer and took the duck. That wasn't the end of the problems with that dinner. When I was making the dressing I didn't have any broth to use in the dressing as the duck was still cooking. I looked everywhere for something to use besides water (that wouldn't have any flavor). I had bought some canned orange juice to give to the baby. I added that to the dressing for the duck and I couldn't have planned it better the orange flavor just made the duck.

Now I am looking foreward to this Thanksgiving, B called tonight he is coming for Thanksgiving. The rest of the family is going to McKinney. I'm really excited about Thanksgiving.