MOS 3371 COOKS
My name is Cpl Lee Hodge. I was with 1/1 H&S company, Cooks section, from January 10, 1969 to January 10, 1970. At 18 years old, I wasn't a hero and I wasn't a saint. Our job was by no means was a glamorous one. We were just Marines trying to deal with situation handed us. Situations that sometimes were humorous, sad and some were damn right hairy. Today there will be times when I'll hear a noise, or there will be a smell or I see something and I can shut my eyes and I'll be back there. Those of you have been there, know what I mean. Our days would start at 0-dark-30. Get ready for breakfast, make a fresh 15 gallon pot of hobo coffee (two or three cans of coffee, just enough to make your hair curl. Put into 15 gallons of boiling water. Take it off the burner and let the grounds settle, (mmmm, good stuff). Eggs, bacon, or sausage, or both, cream beef, (shit on a shingle) and so on. After breakfast clean it up start on lunch, then dinner. Get up the next day and do it again, day in day out. I know a year of being a cook in Viet Nam cured me of ever wanting to take it up as a profession. I personally would like to thank all of the Marines who served on mess duty. It was you guys that made our job tolerable.
Thanksgiving, 1969, a lot of you guys will remember. Maybe not if you were in the front of the line, but if you were in the back of the line at dinner you might. Everybody was going to have a hot turkey dinner for Thanksgiving. So we started off early cooking turkeys (22 cases comes to mind for some reason) mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing the whole shot. We got every thing ready to send to the field nice and hot. Now I believe there was supposed to be H&S co. and maybe one line co. in the rear.
Come dinnertime, low and behold every swing d--k came in and we had sent all the chow to the field. Damn, what a mess, we ran out fast. Thaw out frozen steaks, ya, that will do it. Nope, we ran out, cut up frozen roasts. Did you ever try to cut a frozen roast? We had a couple of cases of roasts, knifes, axes, hammers and we went to it. It wasn't a very pretty site. You put a frozen roast on one of the stainless steel table and take a knife and hammer and smack it. What do you think happened? The s.o.b. would shoot across the table onto the floor. Then you have to go and catch it and do it again. All in all I think everyone was fed. I still don't know who got their signals crossed on that one. I don't know where all food went we sent to the field, but someone ate good.
I was nineteen when I got out of the service. Came home and married my high school girlfriend. We have been married 25 years and have two kids ages 20 and 16. Now I am a machine builder and have been with the same company for 23 years.
If you were with 1/1 H&S Cooks, email me with additions and corrections. It's part of your history and heritage, so it's your website, too.
(photos are thumbnails, click on them for larger image)
 |
Front view of Mess Hall with banana tree 'landscaping'. Bananas from these trees tasted good. -photo from Mike "Mickey" Enochs |
 |
Cpl. Ray Lents was a cook, a good artist and friend from California. I remember that mud right where Lents was standing was real deep. His back is to the 3-legged tower. Across the LZ is Alpha Co. area. I am standing on the road that circles the compound. My back is to the main gate . A bamboo tree line was to my left. The corpsmen's hooch was behind and back a little. -photo from Lee Hodge |
 |
Cpl. Dan Seifred from Cooks Sec. to the left and an unknown Motor T Marine. This is the path from Cooks Sec. that went all the way to Motor T. -photo from Lee Hodge |
 |
Lee Hodge at China beach. -photo from Lee Hodge |
 |
Dan Sefried (with the cigar) and unknown. Back two are Rob Molden & J.T. (Herk) Villenff and D. Dalton. -photo from Lee Hodge |
 |
Dan Sefried in front of Cooks hooch, 1969. -photo from Lee Hodge |
 |
Leroy (Smile of the moon ) Kennedy in the officer's mess. -photo from Lee Hodge |
 |
Lee Hodge having a relax. -photo from Lee Hodge |
 |
The burner shack. Cpl Ray Lents, standing. -photo from Lee Hodge |
 |
The 4-legged tower. -photo from Lee Hodge |
 |
The 3-legged tower. -photo from Lee Hodge |
 |
From the back of a 6X6, crossing the Cau Do(?) bridge, returning from a supply run back to the battalion via the 'back way'. -photo from Lee Hodge |
 |
In '69 When 1/1 was up with 1st Marines, Mess sergeants hooch and a burner man. -photo from Lee Hodge |
 |
Pat and Joe from Regimental COMM with me. -photo from Lee Hodge |
 |
Cooks with unauthorized beverages. M. Fagan, unknown, Lee Hodge. -photo from Lee Hodge |
 |
1st Marines Regimental Mess Hall. -photo from Lee Hodge |
 |
Lee Hodge Short-timer calendar. -photo from Lee Hodge |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
A Marine named Kitchen had just come off mess duty and was going back out with his company. Booby trap put shrapnel in his ankle, so they brought him back to Bn for medevac. His third Purple Heart. -photos from Lee Hodge |
 |
 |
(left) L/Cpl’s Bragg and Kutchener(?) acting as air controllers. (Far right) Dan Sea with back to truck. |
