Thursday, November 23, 1972, Thanksgiving Remarks

OFF THE RECORD NOVEMBER 23, 1972 REMARKS OF THE PRESIDENT TO OFFICERS, MEN, AND DEPENDENTS AT THANKSGIVING DINNER IN SEQUOIA GALLEY CAMP DAVID, MARYLAND We didn't want to interrupt your Thanksgiving dinner, but Mrs. Nixon and Julie and I wanted to wish you all a happy Thanksgiving. How is the food? Enough? We wish you the very best. I was thinking back to some of the Thanksgivings when I was in the service, before all of you were born. One was in the South Pacific. I remember on that day we did get turkey, but they didn't have the thing that we really missed: We didn't get the real kind of potatoes. I used to eat potatoes in those days. My wife still eats them. I looked over this and I under- stand that you did. I always found in those days -- I don't know who does the cooking. Is it a Navy mess? Navy. Well, I don't want to cast any aspersions at any other branch of the service, but at least during the days that I knew it, the Navy had the best food. The Marines, they must certainly have been able to fight, because they couldn't cook. The Army had bad food; I mean it didn't taste very well. The Air Force did pretty well, but I found an interesting thing was that those of us who were in World War II remembered if you really wanted to get something special, you always went to the Seabees. The Navy was the Seabees, and the reason for that was that the Seabees -- there was a shortage of any good food. I mean, out there you were lucky to get some Spam or something of that sort, but now and then a steak or some beef would float in or come in from Australia, or some good food. Some way or other, the Seabees would either steal it or trade for it, one way or another. So we always did like to eat with them because they would make things. I just want to say we do appreciate your service to the country. We are particularly sorry that some of you fellows are away from home, that you have to miss Thanksgiving dinner at home. We hope that perhaps next year you will be home. But we appreciate your service.