Ahead of Veterans Day, we're recognizing our American troops. A lot of them will spend the holidays far from their families — but hopefully not far from a good meal. Of course, if you’re in a war zone, finding that good meal gets a lot harder. That was the situation for Charles Hedrick, who served in the Marines during the first Gulf War. After he volunteered to go to the front lines, he wound up in a metal shipping box (below) in the Saudi desert not far from Kuwait, where the fighting was happening.
Charles and the four other guys living in that box were told to await orders. After a few weeks, they heard a rumor about a civilian settlement nearby where they could do laundry. So they set out walking into the desert with their guns and their dirty laundry. The experience changed him forever. We hear Charles's story, and then veterans call in to tell us about their memorable meals in combat — from fishing with grenades in World War II and rooftop barbecues in Vietnam, to bartering with Girl Scout cookies in Iraq after the U.S. invasion.
This episode originally aired on December 31, 2012, November 9, 2015, November 7, 2016, and November 9, 2018. It was produced by Dan Pashman, Anne Saini, Aviva DeKornfeld, Gianna Palmer, and Dan Dzula. The Sporkful team now includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Kameel Stanley, and Jared O'Connell. This update was produced by Gianna Palmer.
Every Friday, we reach into our deep freezer and reheat an episode to serve up to you. We're calling these our Reheats. If you have a show you want reheated, send us an email or voice memo at hello@sporkful.com, and include your name, your location, which episode, and why.
Interstitial music in this episode by Black Label Music:
- "Bandstand Extended" by Jack Ventimiglia
- "Can You Dig It" by Cullen Fitzpatrick
- "False Alarm" by Hayley Briasco
- "Broken Castle" by Bijou Basil
- "Asphalt Gods" by Kenneth J. Brahmstedt
- "New Hot Schtick" by Jack Ventimiglia
- "Marimba Feels Good" by Stephen Sullivan
- "Pong" by Kenneth J. Brahmstedt
- "Can't Bring Me Down" by Jack Ventimiglia
Photos courtesy of FlickrCC/Manhhai, FlickrCC/Dvids, Charles Hedrick, and Gabe DiMaio.
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