Tails of a Military Cook

By De-Witt A. Herd

The military cook is the true unsung hero. Yet they are plagued the words cook. There is no shame in being in food service, even though many do bear the pain of ridicule and despair from follow soldiers. The Tails of the Military Cook can be controversial as many secrets are revealing. However, there is also a lighter side in being more important than people truly know. To the readers, here is a point of thought: military food service cooks are soldiers first. If anything happen to the support of food service, the moral will suffer. The Tails of the Military Cook opens the door of understanding and adventure. The passage within the book points out there is more to being a military cook and the soldier hidden within.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Apr 3, 2012
• ISBN: 9781469189994

De-Witt A. Herd

Biografía Nacido en el Bronx, Nueva York, he compartido en mis escritos que yo era siempre un soñador de corazón. A pesar de que aprendí muy poco durante mi crecimiento, me ayudo a auto-superarme. Fui a la escuela Preparatoria Evander Child en Gun Hill. Y me he podido superarme como Cocinero Gourmet para Banquetes, he obtenido un título en Licenciatura en Servicios Humanos para avanzar a una Maestría en Consejería Matrimonial, familia, terapia infantil, y el control de la ira. Sin embargo, todavía existe la necesidad dentro de mí de aprender más. He escrito otros libros como “Poesía en los pensamientos de un Soldado”, “Fuego Fantasmal”, y “Los senderos de un cocinero militar", y ahora “Dotados”. Dotados es verdaderamente notable en sí mismo mediante la adopción de realidad y ficción para crear un mundo a la iluminación.

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Copyright © 2012 by DeWitt A. Herd.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Rev. date: 12/16/2014

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Contents

Beginning Thoughts

Off The Street And Into A New World

Can’t Stand The Heat, Get Out The Kitchen

Who’s Going To Germany?

The M-2 Burner

The M-67 Immersion Heater

The Mobile Kitchen Trailer (Mkt)

C-Ration To Mres To T-Rations

No Respect; No Return

Kp’s Tour Of Duty

What You See Is Classified

Can Water And Powered Eggs

Combat Cook

Cup Of Joe

Working Miracles

The Conley Competition

No Time To Cook

Cooking Tour Of Korea

War Stories

Battle Scars

The Ups’ And Downs’: The Plan

Try To Look Beyond

Training Is Knowing

Military Chef

Author’s Final Thoughts

Military Terminology

Food Service Poetry

Dedicated to all military cooks’ and to those who did not volunteer but never the less continue with the abuse and lack of recognition on the accomplishment that they do. A military cook is more than a just a cook,

but the true supporting backbone of the United States Arm Forces.

ONE

BEGINNING THOUGHTS

There is no better way to praise a military cook than to understand what a food service personnel has to endure. Once the viewer see that a cook is not just a cook, they will have a better understanding, if not a more respect for what a military cook face day to day. Although things do change throughout the military history; if you look at the white uniform that a food service personnel has to wear, it was a thick cotton uniform with long sleeve, and you normally send it to the laundry as they send it back clean and heavily starch with the matching pants. Now, these days uniform is light and made of nylon and polyester. The long sleeve was deleted as short sleeve shirt and lighter pants became a military standard uniform. Although it would be great to have the cotton uniform back for a winter uniform in a field or garrison environment.

The manager has always been identified has black and white uniform with several options of wearing of the headgear. The manage as well has change over the years in food service as many do refer them as the mess steward with the older generation. Other names as the food service leaders evolves are Dinning Facility Manager, Mess Sergeant, Food Service Sergeant, The Head Mess Sergeant, Head Chef, Field or Garrison Manager, and ending in Food Service Manager. Changes do happen, whether it the uniform, equipment, the method on how to cook the food, and the menu itself are subject to change. But the only thing that has not change, even though it was considered, is the need for a cook.

Throughout the passage the readers will view something’s they know already and be a mazes on things that they did not know that will draw questions and yet gain more respect for the military cook.

TWO

OFF THE STREET AND INTO

A NEW WORLD

Many people including myself, who came from the street and joined the military and it did not matter what major city or the surroundings you came from. I am from the Bronx New York City and most of the new enlisted was from New York with our sister state of New Jersey. I remember before joining the army and being sent to Fort Dix, New Jersey. I left the street to work up-state New York in Glen Spay outside and north of Port Jarvis. I work in the kitchen as a pot washer and advanced up to chief dishwasher. This has put you in charge of the kitchen crew that may come with any given group. The place was called Camp YDI or Youth Development Incorporation. Many kids from the city whether there children or teens, comes and spend the summer for camp activities. Adult as well come to enjoy a life as a retreat and man and woman from the surrounding area like Canada, Vermont, New York City, and New Jersey to name a few. I made $25 dollars a week with room and board as I oversee the dining room and kitchen. I soon became a cooks’ aid while working under the top chef Mr. John Bosh. Mr. Bosh was a retired army cook and inspired me more to explore the world of food service. Although he retired once more from this job, I have stayed on while working with three other chef from a nearby school in Monticello where I was sent by my employers to achieve a culinary art degree. But the thing is that I was still in high school and already planning a career.

The camp had been sold three times as I work and see chefs’ come and go until they hired a local cook along with his wife. After a while I felt that I was not needed as Henry the cook used his wife and two kids to run the kitchen and dining room. But still I stayed and took inventory and pretty much stayed out their way.

Having six month to complete the culinary art school, my employer had sold the camp once more to a Christian organization but this time the name was changed to Camp Champion, school was place on hold. This organization lasted two years and resold to another Christian organization called The Light. The camps name remains the same but tension was building up as this group was more stuck-up and snooty. I decided to leave and went back to the Bronx were I finished the last few months of high school and started to work search. Within two month trying to fine work and not really educated in getting a job I look toward joining the military.

I enlisted into the army as a cook and even though like many others we just had the clothes on our backs and a Red Cross care box. This box had a sandwich, juice, and fruit. In addition to a tooth brush, tooth paste, razor, paper towel, a pen, and a pocket size writing pad.

The first tour of duty was Fort Dix,