Not a war story, but an 'after' story. After two wars, actually, WW2 and Vietnam. I've told this story here before.
Background- I spent a good while working as a "useless civilian" at Fort Bragg, in the Special Warfare Center to be exact. Across the hall from me was the auditorium where SERE (Survival, Escape, Resistance, Evasion) class graduations were held.
One Friday (graduation day for SERE classes was always on a Friday then) I was at lunch with Dan Pitzer and a group of the local "ex-cons" as he called them- former POWs who lived in the area- who often spoke at graduation ceremonies, to share their experiences with the new grads. These were WW2 vets of the regular Army, Army Air Corps etc., or from various services from Korea, Vietnam and so on.
One of the regular ex-cons was Mr. Richard Darden. I call him mister because I cannot possibly imagine any other way to address him. Mr. Darden was among that small category of WW2 POWs who were genuine "guests of the Emperor." He was captured early in the war on one of the islands in the Pacific, transferred to the Japanese mainland, and spent the entire rest of war there. If you want, you can read his story- see
http://www.guestsoftheemperor.com/ .
Dan Pitzer, for those who don't recognize the name, was a former POW too- which was why he was honchoing the SERE school graduation. Dan was a retired Special Forces NCO, and had been captured in South Vietnam along with then- SF Captain Nick Rowe. They both spent years as POWs of the Viet Cong in the U Minh Forest in South Vietnam. After four years, nearing death from illnesses, Dan was released to a 'peace delegation' and returned home. A year later, Nick escaped (
http://www.amazon.com/Five-Years-Freedom-Story-Vietnam/dp/0345314603 ), only to be killed decades later by communist rebels in the Philippines while serving as an advisor at JUSMAG.
Anyway, Dan was having a light lunch that day. He ordered a bowl of chicken soup. Now you have to understand that after his experiences as a POW, Mr. Darden positively LOATHED anything oriental- anything at all. It was a well known fact among those who knew him to any degree at all.
Dan's bowl of chicken soup arrived. It was not one of the NCO Club kitchen's better efforts, I have to say. There were a few forlorn bits of various vegetables bobbing around in what looked very much like dirty gray dishwater, along with some small scraps of chicken, a few globules of chicken fat floating here and there.
And
some
rice.
It must have sparked memories of things Dan would have preferred to forget. But his reaction wasn't revulsion or disgust. Ohhh no.
Dan got a twinkle in his eye. He spooned up some of that dishwatery broth, making sure to capture a globule or two of chicken fat-- and several grains of rice. He leaned across the table toward Mr. Darden, who had not noticed the proceedings, offered his spoon, and cheerfully said, "Hey Dick, you want some rice?"
The spluttering explosion which followed would peel wallpaper in most places. Mr. Darden called Dan everything but his name and a child of God, and the rest of the ex-cons at the table just howled at the joke.
I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
lpl