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 Author  Topic: Earl Richmond
DD

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message   Posted on: Feb 23, 2008 - 12:43pm
I've interviewed several PT boat vets over the past five or so years. One of them was Walter Kundis, a Gunner's Mate aboard PT 524. Here's a story he told me about food:

"Skipper Wolf acquired a parrot as a pet, for a pack of cigarettes from one of the natives. Everyone was elated and his crew couldn’t have been happier until he told us where the parrot would be housed. Rather then keep the bird in his stateroom, Wolf choose to place the parrot in the gun armory, where all our small arms were stored. This gave the parrot a number of places to perch from and no protection for the guns stored there. I spoke to the Skipper about his decision to keep the parrot, suggesting he move it to another location. He refused and continued to house the parrot across from his stateroom in the armory.

A few days after the Battle of Surigao Straits, the Skipper suggested I take the boat and scrounge some food while he and the Exec went aboard the tender for a briefing. After the lines were cast off, I took the boat to where most of the other ships in the harbor were anchored.

Going past a (LCI) Landing Craft Infantry we were attracted by the smell of fresh bread being baked. We came alongside and asked if we could make a trade for some Japanese souvenirs such as invasion money. They indicated they had all those things.

The cook on the LCI noticed the Skipper’s parrot on the bridge and said he would like to have the bird. I asked him what we would receive in trade. He stated a steak dinner for every man on the boat to include all the canned vegetables. I told him it would be a deal if he would also add to the menu fresh bread, cake, and some ice cream, (made with powdered milk). He agreed. After releasing the parrot to the LCI cook we proceeded back to the tender with our goodies.

After we were secured to the tender, the Skipper and the Exec came aboard. In the meantime our cook Durna began to prepare the food we had just acquired. It was the policy on the boat that one of the crew would assist him in the preparation, cleanup, and then the serving of the meal to the rest of the seated crew. It just happened that those duties were my responsibility this day.

After everyone enjoyed the steak dinner along with the ice cream and cake, the Skipper stated that he was well pleased with our efforts and even suggested that I should be sent out again, because of my super talent in acquiring this great meal.

He then mentioned that I should save some scraps for his parrot. When I stated, "You just ate your parrot," his first response was disbelief. This was followed by anger and swear words, (directed at me), when I told him it was his parrot that was traded for the food. On an 80 by 20 foot PT Boat, living space was always considered close quarters, but for the next couple of days, it was like living in Hell."

Hoped you enjoyed one of Walter's many stories. I will post mor eof his and the other veterans as time permits.

If someone gives me instructions as to how to post pictures on this forum, I have literally hundreds of images I scanned that were sent to me by various PT boat vets from the different theaters of war including the Aleutians, Mediterranean, English Channel and of course the South Pacific.


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DD

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message   Posted on: Feb 23, 2008 - 12:51pm
Here's another food related story, this one told to me by Parker Miller, who served as a Radioman aboard PT 27, then transferred to AVR Crash Rescue Boat #3 in the Pacific:

Our skipper would have me jig with flags or the signal light and find some skipper out there that would be more than happy to take a speed run or two while, his crew was getting its belly full of good chow and a fresh hot water shower.

Pulling alongside we would take the top brass, especially the engineering officer, for a joy ride - a speed ride letting them handle the wheel etc. [Upon returning] the top brass would give orders to the different crewmen give [us the] royal treatment.

Wow! Fresh water, steaks, eggs, turkey, an orange or apple...real food. It beat the mangos and searats. Our little 24-volt hot plate wouldn’t even boil water let alone heat up a meal. Our Skipper always wanted to make sure that we got whatever we wanted. ‘Feed my men, let them shower, give them anything they want’.”

Hope you enjoyed one of Parker's stories.


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EARL RICHMOND

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of EARL RICHMOND  Posted on: Feb 23, 2008 - 2:53pm
THANK YOU DD FOR THE STORIES.SEEMS WE ALL HAVE ONE OR TWO TO TELL.I LIKED TO "HEAR" THEM ON HERE.A FEW OF US VETS HAVE A STORY OR TWO TO TELL AND INFO TO GIVE.MAYBE WE SHOULD TELL THEM ON HERE BEFORE WE CAN,T.REMEMBER AT SOME TIME OR ANOTHER WE "OLD TIMERS" WILL HAVE OUR NAME ON THE LAST PATROL LIST AND WE SHOULD AT LEAST LEAVE SOME REMEMBERANCE OF WHAT WE DID.C.J. LOOKS LIKE YOU STARTED SOMETHING GOING.THANKS. EARL

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Frank J Andruss Sr

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Frank J Andruss Sr   Send Email To Frank J Andruss Sr Posted on: Feb 23, 2008 - 3:13pm
My good friend Wallace Mcneish was Chief Gunners Mate on PT 374, and he told me how their cook would make frozen ice creme in ice trays and leave them down below. Each crew member got so much. Wallace used to love ice creme so he used to trade his Ciggarette allowance for the ice creme. As he did not smoke, he said he always had plenty of ice creme to eat. Seems the cook was very popular with the crew and could turn Spam into many different items. Funny, to this day Wallace hates Spam and refuses to eat it. Powered eggs was the order of the day along with hot cakes and some type of syrup, which Wallace thought was pretty good although sugary. He can remember the skipper rushing out to meet capital ships to beg and get fresh meat or veggies. Some of the guys on the Destroyers wanted rides on the boats as they never saw PT BOATS before, so the Skipper made a deal with the Captain.

He would give some of them rides for some fresh veggies, meat and potatoes. Not only did the 374 crew get all of the above, but a cold case of Beer to boot. That was a special day for all of them. A nice cooked meal by Cookie, washed down by some cold beer.


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EARL RICHMOND

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of EARL RICHMOND  Posted on: Feb 24, 2008 - 6:24am
SOME OF MY RECIPES; FOR 18 MEN
PANCAKES;
10 CUPS SIFTED FLOUR
2 CUPS DEHYDRATED EGGS
2 CUPS SUGAR
SALT
3 CANS REGULAR CREAM OR 2 CANS SWEET CREAM
ABOUT 3/4 LB MELTED BUTTER
1 1/2 CUPS BAKING POWDER (ADD JUAST BEFORE FRYING)

MAPLE SYRUP;
1 1/2 PINTS BOILING WATER
2 TIMES AMOUNT OF SUGAR
BRING WATER TO A BOIL AND REMOVE FROM HEAT AND POUR IN SUGAR .AFTER MIXING ADD TWO TABLESPOONS MAPLE FLAVORING.STIR WELL.

ICE CREAM;
EGGS
CORN STARCH
SUGAR
CREAM
VANILLA FLAVORING
BEAT WELL TILL SMOOTH AND NOT TOO THIN BATTER.PUT IN FREEZER TRAYS AND LET ICE



earl richmond

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Frank J Andruss Sr

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Frank J Andruss Sr   Send Email To Frank J Andruss Sr Posted on: Feb 24, 2008 - 8:37am
Earl:

I can't wait to copy these recipes and have my wife try them out. It will give me a real feel for what it was like to eat on a PT BOAT. When I have completed this, i will let you know how everything was. I will have her follow everything to the letter.


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Frank J Andruss Sr

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Frank J Andruss Sr   Send Email To Frank J Andruss Sr Posted on: Feb 24, 2008 - 8:39am
Earl

By the way what is the quantity of mixture for the Ice Creme. How many eggs, how much of one item?


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EARL RICHMOND

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of EARL RICHMOND  Posted on: Feb 24, 2008 - 9:21am
GOOD MORNING FRANK THE ICE CREAN MIX WAS A MATTER OF TASTE AND A SMALL QUANTITY AS WE ONLY HAD,I THINK,3 FREEZER TRAYS.SO YOU MADE THE MIX FOR THE THREE TRAYS.I THINK I ONLY USED ONE EGG AND MAYBE A TEASPOON OF CORNSTARCH AND ABOUT ONE OR TWO DROPS VANILLA.IT WAS A MATTER OF TASTE AND QUANTITY.BON APETITE' LET ME KNOW HOW YOU MAKE OUT.DON,T OVERDO THE MI9X OR IT WILL BE TOO SWEET.YOU CAN SUBSTITUTE LEMON OR CHOCOLATE OR DISOLVED JELLY FOR DIFFERENT TASTES.JUST HAVE TO FIGFURE OUT WHAT WORKS BEST.
EARL

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Will Day

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Will Day   Send Email To Will Day Posted on: Feb 24, 2008 - 9:26am
DD: There are several prior references on the Message Board as to how to post photos. Dick, the moderator, is the acknowledged expert...

Will

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Frank J Andruss Sr

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Frank J Andruss Sr   Send Email To Frank J Andruss Sr Posted on: Feb 25, 2008 - 1:52am
Earl

Yesterday, I gave the recipe for ICE CREME to my wife, who when she was out got some of the incredients needed. Together we followed your advice and whipped up a batch. Put it in the freezer, puled it out and tried it. Not bad, not too good. Tried it again, with my wife using a bit more flavoring, making the mixture not as thick this time around. A few hours later, out came the trays for another test run. WE DID IT!! The Ice Creme tasted prety darn good and I can see why in the SOUTH PACIFIC this was a favorite among Crews. It was a thrill for me to eat something that was eaten by PT BOAT CREWS who were lucky enough to have a Cook that could make this stuff. We will try it again using different flavors. Thanks Earl so much for the recipe. I hope others on this message boad will try it. It is good stuff..........


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