2ndLt Earl H. Pete Ellis recalled a farewell dinner for a group of officers departing Cavite during his first tour in the Philippines in 1902. Phillips, Lawrence. TBS focuses on five horizontal themes of leadership: a man/woman of exemplary character, devoted to leading Marines 24/7, able to decide, communicate, and act in the fog of war, a Warfighter who embraces the Corps' warrior ethos, and The rafters which once rang with the laughter of Presidents now lie in grim disorder, Most important, Colonel Heinl suggested I contact General Lemuel C. Shepherd, Jr. Interviews Lieutenant Colonel Merrill L. Bartlett, the author of this monograph, earned his undergraduate degree at Washington State University and was commissioned via the Platoon Leaders Class program in 1963. As it matures, a heavy sediment appears on the bottom of each bottle, thus the requirement to decant it prior to serving. After fermentation, inspectors release a minimum of one third of the vintage to which approximately 20 percent alcohol in the form of brandy has been addedand the vintage passes to the open market for sale. A variety of after-dinner beverages, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, were available as well as coffee. Junior officers, especially, spent most of their evenings in the messtheir home-and to dine out or warn out more than once a week invited a rebuke from the senior subaltern. Rod Powers was a retired Air Force First Sergeant with 22 years of active duty service. Band plays The Air Force Song. Everyone says The U.S. Air Force, takes a sip of Port, and sits down. For some Marines, mess night is a rare occasion that all Marines should take full advantage of, said Sgt. FESTIVE SPICED CIDER ; prohibition against leaving the table or smoking untilafter the toasts. During the competition, Marines from the swim team were invited to attend what the British Royal Marines call a "mess night". Then-Colonel Williams attended the Joint Services Staff College, Chesham and several subsequently as an instructor at the School of Combined Operation, Framington. or repondez sil vous plait appears on the invitations at the lower left corner, along with a name and telephone number; at the lower right of the invitation, the uniform or civilian dress is specifiedit always indicates orders and decorations) to provide the committee with a final list of attendees. Vice President of the Mess: Ladies and Gentlemen, his Majesty Rama IX of Thailand. The band plays the anthem of Thailand, everyone says His Majesty Rama IX of Thailand, takes a sip of Port, and sits down. The officers drank the loyal toast to the reigning monarch according to custom; in some regiments, royal dispensation allowed them to remain seated for the toast; in others, everyone rose and a certain number of heel taps might follow the toasts. Stewards serve a small dessert, a specialty of the club, called chocolate decadence (a chocolate mousse). The award is presented by the Marine Corps Historical Foundation for what that body adjudges to be the previous years best published article pertinent to Marine Corps history. The name he holds most dear. Place one piece of orange into a cup, fill with cider, and sprinkle with nutmeg. %PDF-1.3 % The commanding officer of the barracks, then-Colonel Williams, served as the president of the mess; General Shepherd was the guest ofhonor. 0000003546 00000 n The steward carries the plate around the head table and serves it to the President of the Mess, who says: I pronounce this beef fit for human consumption and commend it to the enjoyment of the mess and our guests. The steward retrieves the plate and utensils, rejoins the fifer and drummer, and the three of them march out of the dining room to another chorus of The Roast Beef of Old England.. One young officer informed me that his platoon, through the gentle beguilement of the platoon commander, had vowed to rise at 4:00 A.M. the following morning for an extra running of the Physical Fitness Test (PFT). One disappointed observer, the daughter of Major General Wendell C. Neville, noted tartly that: The Lejeunes, you know, they never entertained. By that era, Lejeune had become a teetotaler and his good friend, Smedley D. Butler, a military prohibitionist. There, it continues to the right as diners pour for themselves. At the end of the table, a steward retrieves the decanter and places it at the opposite end of the head table. Lieutenant Jones: In 1917, the 6th Marines deployed to France and became one of the four infantry regiments in the Second Division, American Expeditionary Forces. It starts with a social hour where Marines of the mess have drinks with one another as well as meet and greet the guests. 841 Views Download Presentation. Stewards remove the port glasses and decanters. General Shepherd remembered an impressive evening. Mix 1 quart orange juice with cup of white sugar and cup of brown sugar. ORANGE FRAPPE Heinl, Robert D., Jr., Washington, D.C., 28 July 1978; and Annapolis, Although the exigencies of World War II set aside further participation with our British cousins, General Shepherd and other China Marines never forgot the comradeship and pride fostered by the institution of the mess night. 0000004429 00000 n Naval InstituteProceedings, won the 1981 and 1987 Colonel Robert D. Heinl, Jr. awards: Ouster of a Commandant in November 1980, and Old Gimlet Eye in November 1986. Bugler: sounds officers call. Everyone returns to the dining room; when the head table is seated, the other diners take their seats. And each one standing here Other portions of the mess night are included as well. Band plays Anchors Aweigh. Everyone says The U.S. Navy, takes a sip of Port, and sits down. Shocked and dismayed by the ukase, the socialite wife of the CMC outmaneuvered Daniels with authorization to use liquor in cooking. A musical accompaniment to the dinner came from the TBS Chorus, the drummer and bugler of the mess intoned: gentlemen, please join me at the bar. It proved to be the shortest gathering recorded at any mess night. Stewards: serve a small plate with a spring roll on it (cha gio). Toasting or the raising of glasses in tribute to someone or an institution as a measure of respect, is a social custom more than a millennium old. The President of the Mess pours the guest of honor on his right and passes the decanter to his left; the decanter continues to the end of the head table as each diner pours for himself. Except for the annual celebration of the Marine Corps Birthday, no social function associated with the smaller of Americas naval services is more enjoyed, admired and imitated than the mess night. (March 1957): 39-41. Doubtless the new martial music added an appropriate and enjoyable accompaniment to any mess night hosted by the Marines. He returned home an unabashed Anglophile, earning the sobriquet British Bob among friends and fellow officers. Pate to the officers of the barracks. The menu reflected a parsimonious adherence to custom and tradition, and a rigid adequacy of food and drink. In the 18th and19th Centuries, it was a common custom for the aristocracy to lay aside a mess. Had one Marine standing in front of the Company Office, waiting to see the CO for trying to pick a drunk fight with a Gunny that night. Although the attending officers drank to the health of King George V with a glass of fine Port, the battalion commanderthe President of the Messinvited the pipe major to join him in a glass of whiskey after the performance. Conventionally, their place is at the head table with the president. Those so inclined might enjoy another glass of Port or perhaps a snifter of brandy. The remainder of the participants makes up the mess. Most Marines likely shared the Air Force generals sentiments following their first mess night; I know I did. Lemuel Shepherd invited to mess of 4th Bn, Scots Guards. Navy Commendation Medal Example. Now, the specious argument of the Secretary of the Navy found acceptance and received Presidential approval. By the time I entered The Basic School (TBS) in 1963, a mess night for each class had become an institution. Members of the mess: The 6th Marines followed by a sip of punch. 1900: A bandsman rings six bells with a ships bell to indicate 7:00 P.M. or 1900. "It pays honor and respect to all the campaigns the Marine Corps has fought in. As the chilly desert wind blew sand across the improvised table, the officers of this unit conducted the affair with considerable sang-froid without the regimental commander ever knowing of it! "The president also forcescertain members of the mess to perform humorous rituals," Watkins added, "It all depends on how creative the Marine sitting in as president is". Flags were placed behind the head table. Colonel Heinl supervised the memorable event, held at Harry Lee Hall. 1810: the guests of the mess arrive; sponsors greet them and see to their liquid refreshments. Ironically, it was held at TBS, but much, if not everything, had changed. When that great prohibitionist moralizer, Josephus Daniels, took up the portfolio of Secretary of the Navy in 1913, he argued that officers should not be granted a privilege denied enlisted Sailors and Marines. "In the 25 plus mess nights I've been to since I've been a Marine, I've seen a lot of insane situations," Watkins recalls, "For example, I've seen Marines have a pizza delivered to another member of the mess during the meal". Bravely despise Champagne at Court A gentleman lived as comfortably as circumstances allowed, and the most comfortable way to live in the field was to establish an officers messa view that survived well into World War II. These recipients, and their spouses, were determined to be the guests of the mess. A subsequent tour in the Washington, D.C. area allowed me to pursue this goal. We even had a class on the subject, and I recall our company executive officers wry admonishments concerning such taboos as loosening ones tight collar or imbibing to the point of passing out at the dinner table. Members of the mess: The 2d Division, followed by a sip of punch. Except for minor variations, however, the format for this exceptional event remains wedded to a scenario gleaned from our British cousins. Pierce, Philip N. With Goblet and Sword,U.S. In any event, a junior officer with little or no private means could hardly afford to spend his leisure time elsewhere. While the Navy conducts mealtimes in the wardroom with far more rigidity and ceremony than the other services, nothing I witnessed during that tour even remotely resembled a mess night or a formal dinner. 0000000795 00000 n one part dark Jamaican rum He devoted several minutes to explain the requirement for bladder control and the planning that accompanied it. . United States Marine Corps. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Stewards: place the Port decanters on the table, and everyone charges their glass. In a large pan heat: 48 ounces cranberry juice, 4 cups cider, 1 sliced orange, and 1 stick cinnamon; allow to simmer for about 5 minutes. Following that lead about the British mess nights in China, I corresponded with Lieutenant General Victor H. Krulak and read Brigadier General Robert C. Williams charming memoir. Later, while at Quantico, Butler threatened to put the tiny municipality adjoining the base off-limitsunless the city fathers eliminated the bootleggers selling alcohol to his troops. A third member of the committee arranged for the loan of flags representing each of the foreign officers expected to attend, and a copy of each nations anthem for the director of the post band. But alcohol continued to be available to officers in their wardroom messes, a privilege that affronted Daniels egalitarian principles. The remaining officers are seated according to ascending seniority toward the head table. The next senior officer sits to the left of the President of the Mess, and then by seniority the remaining officers alternate from the right of the guest of honor to the left of the President of the Mess. Other procedures also go into the tradition of mess night. $500K 4d 04h 00m 26s : SKO The Old Lady. The Navy and Drinking,Nation98 (9 April 1914): 385-86. "It also gives us a chance as a band of brothers to socializewith one another in our best dress uniform".. Stewards: remove the small plate and wine glass. Lieutenant Jones: Sir, permission to address the mess.. ground coriander and heat over low heat until blended thoroughly. The only time lieutenants were allowed to open their mouths [at dinner] was to put food in. No stranger in the quest for hedonistic pleasureshe discarded his first wife for a younger model, an act that affronted genteel naval circles of the erait was Karmany who supposedly muttered, There may be a few good men who dont drink, but theyve got to prove it!. This Vietnamese hors doeuvre is to remind everyone that after the Marines landed in 1965, their primary mission was to root out the. A prime rib of beef was the unanimous choice for the main entre. One young officer recalled a special parade for newly-joined officers soon after joining a Highland regiment in 1939. A toast is proposed in every case, followed by the response of the Vice President of the Mess. Those officers and guests remaining quaffed their brandy or diet soda and departed. In the battleship Washington, Captain Edward W. Eberle hosteda riotous dinner for his officers, each course of which came doused heavy with some form of an alcoholic beverage. Conscientious commanding officers scrutinized their officers monthly wine bills to curtail excessive drinking, and anyone imbibing to excess would find himself seeing and ales. The band of the Royal Berkshires always paraded the main course to the thumping of a Russian drum captured during the Crimean War. 1900: a steward sounds six bells. Those officers and guests desiring to avail themselves of the bathroom facilities do so before the beginning of the dinner. Like those of us with the 5th Marines at An Hoa a decade before, these officers had their token cup of sparkling wine and a plate of whatever the battalion field mess was serving for supper. A variety of stimuli have provoked the preparation of this study, not the least of which are the disappointing mess night witnessed that evening at TBS. The Secretary of the Navy, Chief of Naval Operations, and personal friends of General Shepherd attended as well. The unit band played the regimental march and a bugler or piper sounded the mess call. Mister Vice: approaches the head table with a steward pushing a serving cart; on it is a punch bowl and sufficient glasses. In a saucepan combine: 1/3 cup margarine A contemporary reported that, following a mess night held on Okinawa in the immediate post-Vietnam era, an outraged battalioncommander held a mess night every night for a week following the unprofessional and ungentlemanly conduct of his officers at the original gathering; apparently by evening number seven, they got it right.. Combine: 4 cups orange juice, juice of one lemon, 1 large banana, 6 frozen strawberries, cup of whipping cream, and 6 ice cubes. Appropriate reference was made during the evening to the history of the other armed services, and thus the assembled Marines paid deference to the senior officers of the Army, Navy and Air Force in attendance. Lelia Montague Barnett, Washington Dinner Disasters, Barnett MSS, MCHC. I recall a rather formal dinner at An Hoa in late 1968, held to honor the departure of the regimental commander. The Vice President of the Mess checked the token place setting provided by the head steward. Glassware is arraigned beginning from the top of the setting to the right in a semicircle: water glass, port goblet, claret glass, white wine goblet, and sherry glass. Reminds diners of the Marine Corps service in France during World War I. 0000071116 00000 n -Mess Night. Exceeded only by to the Marine Corps' birthday, mess night is one of the Corps' most celebrated traditions. Cigars appeared and the president of the mess lit the smoking lamp; however, ashtrays had not been provided. A mess night as a traditional social gathering became codified during the commandancy of General Shepherd (1952-1956). Even the errors in grammar continued faithfully from pamphlet to pamphlet! U.S. HOT BUTTERED CRANBERRY CIDER 0000003321 00000 n Sheehan, J. M. Wardroom Mess,U.S. Brandied peaches ended the repast. I did one in 02, at Camp Lejuene it was one of the best Marine Corps experiences I had. Stir: 2 tbs. Passing of the Old Marine Barracks,Washington Evening Star, 16 February 1908, part 4, p. 2. Daniels grew fond of relating the tale of a young officer who never drank before entering the Navy, where his messmates taught him a fondness for the loathsome habit. Following a similar, celebratory dinner a couple of years before in the islands, Smedley D. Butlerobviously in his cupsserenaded the nearby jungle foliage for the remainder of the night; a future CMC, Ben H. Fuller, thought the spectacle so outrageous that he recorded the incident for his personal papers, labeling it Butlers Bawl., Even after four decades, General Holland M. Smith remembered the conduct of the officers mess in nearby Olongapo and Colonel Lincoln Karmanys strict compliance to the social niceties of the mess. The latter officer once served on detached service with the City of Philadelphia as its Commissioner of Public Safety, and undertook a determined program to rid the municipality of vice and demon rum. Band: plays The Marine Corps Hymn; at the completion of the music, officers and guests respond with the Marines and drink the punch all at once. In later years, when guest nights occurred less frequently, such evenings became increasingly boisterous and drunken. But except for a token glass of fizzy wine and a slight improvement over the rations usually offered each evening, nothing appeared to suggest a mess night. Predictably, the young man became a drunkard, and Daniels vowed to end what a later generation would surely call substance abuse. "Mess nights are the means for a unit to foster an event that allows Marines to celebrate and be themselves, while still following the rules of the mess and maintaining good order and. Colonel Robert D. Heinl, Jr., shared Williams love for fostering history and tradition in the British military style. 0000070908 00000 n Almost two decades ago, the author of this study challenged a new generation of Marines to codify this enjoyable and important tradition. The following morning, Colonel Davis summoned his adjutant and instructed him to arrange a similar gathering hosted by the 4th Marines, and to invite the officers of the Scots Guards. The soup course had disappeared over the years, while the fish course remained only as a small seafood cocktail drowning in catsup. President of the Mess: Mister Vice, the U.S. Air Force., Vice President of the Mess: Ladies and Gentlemen, the U.S. Air Force.. Several wines appeared throughout dinner. four parts lime juice 0000037567 00000 n The new tradition flourished and gained in popularity thereafter. 24-27. This course reminds diners of Marine Corps deployments to the Caribbean between the Spanish-American War and World War Two. The invitations used the phrase the honor of your presence.. Quickly embraced by the rest of the Corps. The adjutant, proud of his distinguished regiment, summoned the young officers to the mess one afternoon. Jurez y 18 de Marzo Col. Centro, C.P 96360 Nanchital, Ver. USMC dietitians established the single system for product identification based on a stoplight system. --non alcoholic wines and beers should also be available. Typically a specific set of Rules of the Mess will be published in advance, mainly so you can plot and plan to exploit them. This study of a popular and time-honored military and naval social custom is long overdue. The place cards were checked against the seating diagram. Section IV,. The Marine Corps officers' introduction to anything resembling today's mess night came through service at sea. No matter his or her rank, the chaplain is always seated at the head table. President of the Mess: Mister Vice, the regiment., Vice President of the Mess: Ladies and Gentlemen, the 6th Marines., Band: plays six bars of Mademoiselle from Armentieres.. We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; the Chicago native asked. Raspberry or red currant syrup into 6 oz. two twelve-ounce cans of frozen lemonade concentrate Finally, consumption of alcohol is down considerably from the heights of bygone years. A final member of the committee supervised the stocking of the anteroom bar; specifically, the committee provided the following guidelines: --the usual alcoholic beverages should be available, including beers one pint of peach brandy Instead of dinner jackets, officers wore mess kit, an outfit appearing first as a uniform with the gunners in the 19th century. NON-ALCOHOLIC KIR Stewards: remove carafes and punch glasses. The new commanding general, normally Spartan and disinclined to partake liberally of mess life, did not advocate conspicuous luxury; instead, he merely suggested no reason to undergo unnecessary privation: Let us all be as comfortable as possible, he advised his staff. While his earlier treatment appeared in the pages of theMarine Corps Gazette, no one appeared willing to undertake such a project. Moreover, the social and gender practices of the Marine Corps have changed radically. Each of these recipients was presumed to be a paying participant in the affair. Unlike Americans, Britains responded to each toast by draining their glasses and sometimes throwing them over the left shoulder so that no lesser toast might be drunk. Toasts were always drunk with Port wine, and in bumbers. This unusual name for a wine glass had its origins from the continental custom of always toasting the Pope first,au bon Pere, which in its convoluted form became simply bumper. In the Book of Navy Songs (Naval Institute Press, 1955), a doggerel proclaims most proudly: Make it a bumper, comrades,