puppets, meatloaf and Christmas past

Grace is a writer.  She comes by it naturally.  On Dad's side of the family she's got Grandpa Thacker, who was a wonderful writer, Aunt Becky, who is a published author, even Grandma Peg wrote lovely, descriptive, entertaining letters.  On my side of the family we've got Papa who is a poet, Tyotia Lusia, who is a published author as well and me, I'm not so much a writer as an avid journaler but I like to put words on paper.

Lu has a huge project, her first.  The kids in 2nd grade have 2 weeks to put together a presentation on trees and how the world would be different without them.  They have lots of choices on how to present their reports and will be graded on participation, presentation and content.  Grace came home very excited and got right to work.  She wrote a puppet show.  Now she is going to be building a set and then filming it.  She and Ethan took a first try at it tonight for Dad and I at dinner.  I think it's really good.  She's got a fun idea and I know it will be wonderful!

 

One of Grandpa Thackers articles:

 

How Many For Christmas Dinner?

Col. Thomas L. Thacker
USAF (Ret.)

By the end of 1944, living conditions for our fighter group were the best in nearly three years overseas. We were stationed on the east coast of Italy, near the Adriatic Sea and well behind the front lines. The pilots of the 52nd Fighter Group were flying their P-51 Mustangs, escorting the heavy bombers of the Fifteenth Air Force almost daily on missions to central Europe. Except for the risk of not coming home, it was almost like going to the office each day.

Everybody was living in some type of winterized shelter, a simple building or a tent with plywood sidewalls and a brick floor. Personally, I was sharing a British Nissen hut with three other officers.

Food supplies were regular and. compared with some earlier periods, not too bad. Still too much Spam and powered eggs, but there were fresh items too. including fresh meat from time to time. On December 24 we had our turkeys and fixings for the following day. Weather had been quite foul for several days with the promise of more in the future. This was when the Battle of the Bulge was raging about 500 miles northwest of us. Despite the weather, long-range missions were being flown whenever possible in an effort to aid our struggling friends.

So, all the wings of 13-24 bombers plus a wing of B-17s of the Fifteenth Air Force were out this day against some strategic target. The fighters went too, including ours. By mid-afternoon our Mustangs were all safely home, despite the weather, and soon afterward we could hear the heavies going overhead, somewhere up in the cloud cover.

Then to our surprise, a B-17 broke through the low clouds and headed for our landing strip. For some reason, probably low on fuel, it landed, and the crew indicated that they intended to remain at least overnight. This was no problem as we were accustomed to having unannounced guests.

The scene changed drastically a few minutes later when one, then several more B-24 Liberators began arriving. They, too, were low on fuel and anticipated worse weather around the Italian spur which they would have to fly through to get to their base.

A total of 20 B-24s plus one B-17 visited us that day. With each carrying a crew of ten, we had the equivalent of an additional squadron that we would have to accommodate at least overnight. As the Group S-4 (supply), I had a real logistics problem. At most, we could provide spare cots and blankets for 20 to 25 extra folks.

I got on the telephone while my assistants went to work identifying locations where we could put all those people. Each of our squadrons could accommodate a few. Then we assigned crews to the public areas, including the chapel, and the operations briefing room. Some went into our offices. All would be bedded down if and when we located enough cots and blankets.

I remember that my first call was to the 332^nd Fighter Group, the unit just down the road. They sent everything not actually in use. The service units in the area came next on my call list, along with the other fighter groups based further away. Everybody loaned us something. By 10:00 p.m. we had everybody billeted and even had a few beds to spare.

Food that night was not a serious problem. Each squadron simply prepared for about 70 extra folks. Christmas dinner the next day was somewhat more difficult, as there was no way to obtain more holiday rations. So we decreased the portions and added whatever was available on the side. The bakers increased the number of hot rolls prepared overnight.

Actually, the total experience was an interesting exercise in emergency reaction, and the result was surprisingly satisfactory. The Liberator crews stayed with us until New Year's Day, and we were able to draw extra rations for them starting the day after Christmas. Since the weather was so bad and not much was happening, we really enjoyed our visitors and I think they felt the same.

On January 1, 1945, the sun came out for the first time in about two weeks. The lone B-17 had departed a few days earlier, and the B-24s all took off that morning. A few days later, a very nice letter from the B-24 group commander arrived, thanking us for our hospitality.

 

 

It is with great sadness we report the recent death of author Thomas L. Thacker, age 94, of Fairbom, Ohio. Tom was a member of the Friends program and a volunteer at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force for many years. He volunteered in various areas at the Museum, including the Foundation offices as a volunteer proofreader. A prolific writer, he authored 14 articles for the Journal over the last 20 years, providing colorful stories of his Air Force service as a supply officer with the 52nd Fighter Group during World War II. He remained On active duty until retiring as a Colonel in 1968, and then became a real estate broker for the next 32 years. He will be missed.

Friends Journal • Fall 2012

 

Tonight on election eve we made Mitt Romney's fav dinner in hopes that he will be our next president.  Besides getting my vote tomorrow for president he also gets my vote for favorite meatloaf.  This is a delicious recipe.  Serioulsy yummy!!

Mitt’s Favorite Meat­loaf Cakes, From Ann Romney

Pre­heat oven to 350 degrees. Com­bine the fol­low­ing ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef

1 egg

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup lemon juice

4 slices of bread in small pieces (or 3/4 bread crumbs)

or 1/2 to 1 cup of bread crumbs

2 t. sea­soned salt

Form into 6– 8 small mounds-the shape of a very small loaf of bread.

Put on a cookie sheet and bake for 15 mins. Mean­while, make the sauce:

1/4 cup ketchup

1 t. dried mustard

1/4 t. allspice

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 t. cloves

Mix together and then spoon about a 1 1/2 table­spoons of sauce on each meat­loaf cake. Bake for 30 more min­utes, then serve with the extra sauce on the side. Per­fect with scal­loped pota­toes and steamed veggies.