When I went to Coast Guard Basic Training at Cape May, New Jersey, the food was - without exception - horrible.

The atmosphere was also institutional. I went through a cafeteria line pushing a plastic tray. At the food stations were recruits in their last week - service week. Each made a game of putting food onto my plate. One would use a spatula to flip two greasy fried eggs onto my plate. Another used tongs to haphazardly drop cold bacon or cold sausage links. Another used tongs to drop two very hard, very cold pieces of toast from a chain driven toaster oven onto my plate. Someone else picked up a pat of butter on a knife and used another knife to flick it through the air. It always landed on my forearm, my wristwatch, or my eggs.. I'd hear a snicker. Next I got a ladle of greasy fried potatoes seasoned in GARLIC. Lastly, a person dropped a large ladle of strawberry jam onto my eggs or my potatoes - again a snicker. Balancing my tray, I poured my own milk and coffee my lifting a knob on a large dispenser.

On Wednesdays, we had a low starch breakfast of corn bread and syrup with pork and beans. If the "pork and beans guy" missed dumping my beans onto my corn bread, the "syrup guy" dropped my ladle of syrup onto my pork and beans.

On Saturday mornings we got SOS, creamed beef on toast. After the bread entered a chain driven toaster oven, it exited as a hard toasted "shingle." Unlike the Army and Navy, the Coast Guard used ground beef instead of dried beef. The recipe was light on beef and heavy on white gravy. What the Army called "$h!+ on a shingle," I thought off as "pimples on toast."

The big meal was at noon, so the cooks could leave early in the afternoon. Menus had to be preplanned a month in advance, so dieticians could say things like "Don't serve wax beans with macaroni and cheese. Green beans would break up all that bland coloring." Once a Coast Guard Commissaryman got a meal that passed dietician review, he'd just cut up a month's menu and rearrange the blocks. Fried chicken was always served with mashed potatoes and corn. Roast beef was always served with mashed potatoes and peas. Corned beef was always served with boiled potatoes and lima beans. Ham was always served with green beans and mashed potatoes. Steak was served with French fries and corn on the cob. Each was served cold and laced with GARLIC.

Suppers generally consisted of limp gray overboiled hotdogs or "cold cuts" of bologna, summer sausage, or liver sausage with hotdog buns (hotdog rolls to Easterners) or white bread.. People referred to bologna as "horse c**k," and summer sausage was "donkey d**k."

We sat at stainless steel tables with three stools bolted to either side. Nobody spoke. Mess cooks walked about the hall, encouraging us to "Eat up and get out."

When we ate up and got out, we saw hundreds of other recruits standing toe to heel in block-long lines. Masters At Arms walked up the line calling out, "Eyes in the boat, toe to heel, keep your mouths shut, @$$ rags!" We either formed up in groups of six or more to march to our next class, or as individuals, we ran to our next class - usually "Animal Farm" (gym), rifle range, or bayonet drill.

One day, after days of dinners that I couldn't eat, I was excited to see that we were having vegetable beef soup, roast beef, mashed potatoes, and peas. "Boy, oh boy" I thought as I went through the line. Somebody put a bowl of greasy soup on my tray. Someone else dropped a slice of bread next to it. Next came mashed potatoes and roast beef. A ladle of gravy was dumped on my bread, and a pat of butter was flicked into my soup where it disappeared. I said to the grinning mess cook, "Ha, ha, you missed my arm." While the line stood still, he nonchalantly stuck 8 pats of butter in a line from my elbow to my wristwatch. After we were seated, I expressed my joy to my 5 table mates. Then I expressed my disappointment, "Ack, the soup is cold and greasy, the potatoes are cold, the meat is cold, the peas are cold. Damn!" Everybody ignored me and stared straight ahead while eating. I looked over my shoulder and saw a grim looking First Class Commissaryman glaring at me with fire in his eye.

The menacing cook, his arms crossed over his apron, said, "Let's see, you said the soup is cold and greasy?"

I said, "Sir, yes, sir."

The cook said, "I think you complained that the beef is cold?"

I said, "Sir, yes, sir."

The cook said, "And the potatoes, you said they're cold, too?"

I said, "Sir, yes, sir."

The cook said, "I believe the peas didn't meet your expectations, either?"

I said, "Sir, no, sir."

Leaning down to look me in the eye, the cook hissed, "Boy, you better find something good to say about my meal, RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!"

Confused and terrified, I stammered, "Sir, the milk is still warm."

Grabbing me by my shirt front, the angry Petty Officer dragged me to an upright support beam made of an 8 inch cant of wood. He pressed his pencil eraser against the wooden beam and pushed my forehead against the point of his pencil. He ordered me to keep the pencil from dropping. I stood at attention with my forehead against the pencil point until the galley emptied. When the cook returned and yelled "GET OUT," the pencil stuck to my head for my first few steps and then fell onto the floor.

"Toe too heel"? It was always "nut too butt" when I went through Cape May sept'77.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: asm3driscoll,

Wow!! Sounds like the food at Cape May was a LOT better then what we got when I went through boot camp in Alameda!

quote:

Originally posted by asm3driscoll:
"Toe too heel"? It was always "nut too butt" when I went through Cape May sept'77.

Yes, I've heard that also. Company Commanders, Masters At Arms, etc., said toe-to-heel. People with less power - like mess cooks, Hospital Corpsmen, and Seaman Apprentices working at the gym - used the other expression when they could. They usually followed it with "Make the man in front of you smile."

quote:

Originally posted by Ex_CG_GM:
Wow!! Sounds like the food at Cape May was a LOT better then what we got when I went through boot camp in Alameda!

and LOL.

I went to Alameda for Instructor Training School and later to a compressed Yeoman A School for Health Services Technicians and others who were doing a lateral rate change. Both were in the late 70's, early 80's. The Subsistence School was there and had a galley. The food was great with little touches like a plate of fruit samples at each meal - slice of apple, slice of pear, slice of kiwi, slice of star fruit, two red grapes, two green grapes, etc. A big meal like fried chicken, roast beef, ham, etc. was served for noon and supper. There was fruit pie at lunch and supper. A person had to be careful not to get fat while there. I don't know when the school was established there, or if it ever made meals for recruits.

Now my Mom was a good cook and I like all types of food. I went through boot camp in Sept of 65 and I thought the food was pretty darn good. I don't remember food being thrown at me or getting my tray piled with food. Guess if you treated fellow shipmate with respect you got it back. Only had one bad cook in 22 years. He was a SS1 with 14 years in and never got to retire.

quote:

He was a SS1 with 14 years in and never got to retire.

Death due to food poisoning?

--M

quote:

I went to Alameda for Instructor Training School and later to a compressed Yeoman A School for Health Services Technicians and others who were doing a lateral rate change. Both were in the late 70's, early 80's. The Subsistence School was there and had a galley. The food was great with little touches like a plate of fruit samples at each meal - slice of apple, slice of pear, slice of kiwi, slice of star fruit, two red grapes, two green grapes, etc. A big meal like fried chicken, roast beef, ham, etc. was served for noon and supper. There was fruit pie at lunch and supper. A person had to be careful not to get fat while there. I don't know when the school was established there, or if it ever made meals for recruits.

I went through boot in Alameda in 1960. About all I remember was when we had steak they were HUGE......thin, but covered a big portion of the metal dinner trays.

And since they ran us and exercised us constantly I would have eaten anything that stood still.

quote:

Death due to food poisoning?

No. When the CO would not give you higher marks than a 1.9 (Old Marking System) it was time to go.

I went through Cape May in 52 and the food wasn't like mama's is was good, hot and plenty of it. You had to eat what you took. All and all I would give them a 8

I went tthrough Cape May in 57, the chow was very good and the variety was excellent. The only complaint I had was about the salad, the mess cook who was 5x5 he always prepared the mixture waring a T-shirt with the sleeves torn out, he would slide his arms into the stainless bowl up to his sweaty arm pits and toss the salad. Our Company always enjoyed the salad until our 5th when we had Galley week and then learned how the salad was mixed. No more salad after Galley week. When I went through most all our CC were WWII Vets and they had a human side to them and showed respect even for us @u#^8+ Idiots.

My worst CG Chow was at Yorktown, Thanksgiving day 1964 when they mixed the dressing in new galvanized GI cans, for three days 160-190 of us flushed the water supply to a dribble.

TriedNTrueNTired;

Curious as to what Company you were in while at Cape May. Your name looks familiar.

I was in Bravo - 32.

Sanrayo

I entered Cape May the dark night of May 8,1957
I was in Romeo 12, our first building was at the very far corner of the base,after we Johnson waxed the wood deck to a spit shine they moved us the end of the first week to another Hotel type building directly behind the Galley and next to the EM Club, where after lights out we listened to the entertainment of the lively drunken women hollering No, don't you do that! and an occasional scuffle that got heated up with all the drunks joining in.
I do recall either Bravo 32 or Mike 32 was at the other end of our first H barracks. I had the pleasure of attending a Unimak reunion in April 2007. During the reunion we were guest on base, attended a Graduation ceremony, toured the Base, had Chow and now for me exactly 50 years later in my life here again at Cape May I thoroughly enjoyed the visit and the reflections of what the Base was then that I recalled from my vivid memories of 1957. The Chow was excellent, the dining facility was
civilian operated and very friendly. During our Reunion we went on a tour the of Cape May Base, the only landmark I recognized was the Water Tower, when I mentioned this to some Permanent Party types they informed the Tower was the same but the Tower had moved from it's 57 location. For me, it was a walk back into those youthful years of my life. Time will eventually change everything.

My first breakfast at Cape May was a memorable one. As I go through the line I said to myself this can't be all bad, they have Creame of Wheat. Being a displaced yankee what the hell did I know about grits as I sit at the table putting sugar and milk on them. I was the brunt of alot of jokes for a week or so. Still don't eat the damn stuff.

I actually put on weight while there. As a young adult who ate three big meals a day out in the real world. I don't remember not being able to get it all down.

November 40 (59)

quote:

Originally posted by TriedNTrueNTired:
Sanrayo

I entered Cape May the dark night of May 8,1957
I was in Romeo 12, our first building was at the very far corner of the base,after we Johnson waxed the wood deck to a spit shine they moved us the end of the first week to another Hotel type building directly behind the Galley and next to the EM Club, where after lights out we listened to the entertainment of the lively drunken women hollering No, don't you do that! and an occasional scuffle that got heated up with all the drunks joining in.
I do recall either Bravo 32 or Mike 32 was at the other end of our first H barracks. I had the pleasure of attending a Unimak reunion in April 2007. During the reunion we were guest on base, attended a Graduation ceremony, toured the Base, had Chow and now for me exactly 50 years later in my life here again at Cape May I thoroughly enjoyed the visit and the reflections of what the Base was then that I recalled from my vivid memories of 1957. The Chow was excellent, the dining facility was
civilian operated and very friendly. During our Reunion we went on a tour the of Cape May Base, the only landmark I recognized was the Water Tower, when I mentioned this to some Permanent Party types they informed the Tower was the same but the Tower had moved from it's 57 location. For me, it was a walk back into those youthful years of my life. Time will eventually change everything.

Thanks. We were close in time and location. Maybe that's why your name rings a bell.

Take care.

quote:

Originally posted by Ropechocker:
My first breakfast at Cape May was a memorable one. As I go through the line I said to myself this can't be all bad, they have Creame of Wheat. Being a displaced yankee what the hell did I know about grits as I sit at the table putting sugar and milk on them. I was the brunt of alot of jokes for a week or so. Still don't eat the damn stuff.

I actually put on weight while there. As a young adult who ate three big meals a day out in the real world. I don't remember not being able to get it all down.

November 40 (59)

Grits. I was raised on 'em and still like 'em. Grits and Catfish; cheesy grits; eggs and grits; sausage and grits; shrimp and grits...

Makes me wanna go home.

quote:

Grits. I was raised on 'em and still like 'em. Grits and Catfish; cheesy grits; eggs and grits; sausage and grits; shrimp and grits...

Sanrayo

I am sure we were on Base same time, possibly same building at one time. I remember we had a BM Chief, he was Hawaian, (he was a great guy) who taught line handling and marlinspike at the Boat Pier where the Unimak was moored, he sure knew his marlinspike
Sanrayo about being raised on that southern ice cream, where was home?

I was 20 years old before I knew Grits was such a well kept secret of the Southland, kind'a felt sorry for all those folks who missed out on such a culinary delicasy. Any true grit connisuer knows you don't eat instant grits, they are for the first timers, that allows all of us connisuer's of this southern tradition and delicasy not to be concerned grits will become popular and rationed. A good cook knows there are at least 3 ways to prepare this
tasty delicasy. Many a meal at home was Grits and Grunts, still cherish it today. Of course all of us true grit lover's know what the word GRITS means; Girls Raised In The South.

quote:

Originally posted by TriedNTrueNTired:

quote:

Grits. I was raised on 'em and still like 'em. Grits and Catfish; cheesy grits; eggs and grits; sausage and grits; shrimp and grits...

Sanrayo

I am sure we were on Base same time, possibly same building at one time. I remember we had a BM Chief, he was Hawaiian, (he was a great guy) who taught line handling and marlinspike at the Boat Pier where the Unimak was moored, he sure knew his marlinspike
Sanrayo about being raised on that southern ice cream, where was home?

I was 20 years old before I knew Grits was such a well kept secret of the Southland, kinda felt sorry for all those folks who missed out on such a culinary delicacy. Any true grit connoisseur knows you don't eat instant grits, they are for the first timers, that allows all of us connoisseur's of this southern tradition and delicacy not to be concerned grits will become popular and rationed. A good cook knows there are at least 3 ways to prepare this
tasty delicacy. Many a meal at home was Grits and Grunts, still cherish it today. Of course all of us true grit lover's know what the word GRITS means; Girls Raised In The South.

I am originally from Valdosta, Georgia. Still have two sisters there. I go there yearly, and will be going in October. I plan to drive, so will be enjoying some Grits on the way.

There used to be a web site for GIRLS RAISED IN THE SOUTH. It may still be available, but, I haven't seen it lately.

Viva la Grits!

P.S.

http://www.gritsinc.com/
http://www.mygrits.net/

This message has been edited. Last edited by: sanrayo,

Sanrayo,

Those are two excellent sites. I may have to sink my boat and get a hog.

A Hog is cheaper to operate, don't you think so?
Maybe you could ride with the Wild Hogs.

What kind of boat do you own?