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Some stories may allude to a special cheer found on the mess decks on Christmas Eve while tied up in San Diego. They will be laced with wisdom and pride on the job that was accomplished. Everybody did it. There can be no end to the stories that can spill from the memories-at peace, at war, at dock, at anchor, underway, or in the yards, the lowly job of mess cooking is one that fires brightly on who was doing what, when, where, and how things used to be done. Even today, if there is ever a case when the job of the mess cook is not appreciated and revered, one may simply ask: “Where would the Navy be without them?”
-----Everett Ward, YN3, 1967 - 1970
