Evening star., 1943-10-21

s#s& To make sure
Pvt. McLemore. that he doesn't
forget, big signs warn him of this
rule as he marches through the
mess hall doors. And, to see that
he obeys it, an officer checks his
tray as he leaves the hall. If there
is a smidgin (why on earth do I
choose to use a word like "snidgin"
when I don't know how to spell
it?) of food on it, the officer sends
him back to the table to finish it.
So, as the chow line moves along
the cafteria-style counter like a
giant khaki caterpillar, and the
soldier holds out his tray to bs
served by the cooks, he has to make
up his mind as to what he wants,
and, more important, he has to
decide how much he wants. He
can't stand there and pick and
choose and say, We'll, let me see.
I believe I'll have a touch of this,
Cook, and bit OF this, and some
Of that, il you don't mind. No, no.
I've changed my mind. What I
really want, Cook, IS"
The cooks all serve as If they had
just been notified that they had
been entered in an international
speed-serving contest. with . 10
year furlough as prize for the one
who threw food on trays the fastest.
Let an eater hesitate and the cook
turns to some one else. Besides,
there usually is half-mile line OF
hungry CTS pushing forward to-
ward the food, and he who hesitates
is moved along as If he were a nut
or bolt on an assembly line.
Ask for Too Much.
The eyes being bigger than the
stomach. man usually asks for too
much, I understand from the vet.
Grams that it takes months, years
even, before a soldier gets to really
know his own stomach and Is able
to figure out in split second Just
how much he wants to eat at the
moment. The Army advises recruits
not to overburden their trays-that
they can always go back for a sec.
ond helping. That's sweet Of the
Army. And all of us recruits ap-
preciate the advice from the bottoms
OF our little CT hearts, but the advice
isn't very sound. After you have
stood in chow line for half an hour
you are not going to get back In
that line when the Army rules Of
etiquette forbid any cutting in When
you go back, you 60 to the foot Of
the line, and sometimes that's 4
sleeper jump.
So, the best thing to do Is try to
get the proper amount the first time
around. But even if a man masters
the art OF ordering Just enough, the
hand is still quicker than the eye.
The hands of the cooks, that Is.
Before you can stop them, before
you can see what they have dealt
out, they have piled you with q
mound Of mashed potatoes that
could accommodate a ski jump. q
slab OF meat big enough to pass for
rodeo, and enough gravy to I'LL
swimming pool Cooks consider
all soldiers growing boys, and are
determined to fill them out. Those
OF us who quit growing quite a spell
ago, and don't need further filline
out, get the same consideration A
gangling youngsters.
Find Way Around.
But there is way around all
things. Those of us who eat at the
same table fairly regularly have
worked out system of swapping
food. A man who has too much
bread and too little meat works 4
deal with the man with vice versa,
'No, Mama, vice versa isn't a dish.
The Army isn't serving us any
strange foods, so don't worry about
meo If a man licks his platter
clean, he usually volunteers to take
few scraps from a comrade who
Just can't tuck away all of his food.
But they definitely must be scraps,
and nothing more.
saw a completely conscientious
recruit chewing on bone the other
day at dinner. He was leaving MOTH
lng-nothing at all. Some one down
the line called to him: Hey, Rover,
why don't you take that bone out
In the yard and bury it?" The man
took him at his word. He secreted
the bone in side pocket and-lats
that night-in the dark Of the moon.
and when the sergeants and corpo-
rails were asleep-he buried it,
You must, you Just must, come
have dinner with us here sometime
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