S
ince 1982 – I have reflected every November on an experience
I had while in Beirut Lebanon. An experience
where an unknown Lebanese would forever change how I viewed America.
During this time in my life, I had the
opportunity to lead an outstanding USMC/Navy foodservice team. Whose mission was to feed approximately 1800 Marines and Special Forces ashore in Beirut Lebanon.
Since October,
our joint foodservice team had prepared, airlifted and distributed by truck hot
meals ashore to an Expeditionary peacekeeping force. (From October 1982 until February 1983 - this team would prepare shipboard and serve over 285,000 meals ashore.) In November, we were given the additional task
of resurrecting the shuttered Beirut International Airport Dining
facility. Our mission was to rebuild
and ready a place where those ashore could gather and celebrate the Marine
Corps Birthday, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
A ship's company team and with the help of the USMC
ashore resurrected the dining facility.
It is the Thanksgiving dinner – which I especially remember. It was during this meal I was approached by
a Lebanese gentleman. A lively group of
joint forces was being rotated in throughout the day for a hot Thanksgiving meal with all of the traditional
fixins.
During the meal, a Lebanese
dignitary approached me. After pausing to
look out over those gathered, he then turned to me and said with tears in his
eyes, “…it must be wonderful to have a country where something like this could
be celebrated…”
Being from the Vietnam
Era service generation, I hadn’t given it much thought up until this moment. Up until this moment, my military career had
been a job – not an adventure.
For the very
first time, his comments helped me to come to realize that freedoms we have, as
Americans are special. The freedom to
gather and celebrate such occasions.
The freedom to even disagree and still be able to give thanks. The freedom to come from different walks of
life – from different parts of the country – to join in common cause to make a
difference.
While we may disagree from time to time and worry about the course of America - we still have the freedom to gather - to join together to make a difference.
While we may disagree from time to time and worry about the course of America - we still have the freedom to gather - to join together to make a difference.
Let us this season be thankful for the this freedom - this American freedom that I have treasured each and every day since that Thanksgiving meal in
Beirut, Lebanon.
