Constant reference to the origins of our tradition of themess night to Eighth and Eye intrigued me. The young officers appeared not nearly as excited as my class, long since retired, and seemed to view the affair as simply another evolution in their passage through TBS. Those eschewing alcohol merely pass the carafe to the next person, and respond to the next toast with the water goblet. Cookbooks as early as the 15th Century referred to the habit. A guest last night in a British officers messcirca 1930s, is what approximates the mess night tradition adopted so faithfully by the Marine Corps--at least what Brigadier General Robert H. British Bob Williams prescribed for readers of the Marine Corps Gazette in June 1955, and Colonel Angus M. Tiny Fraser wrote for the same journal in June 1957. The dessert is accompanied by coffee; the place cards have been marked so those desiring caffeine-free coffee will be served accordingly. Members of the mess and guests adjourn to the anteroom for post-dinner refreshments. The Secretary of the Navy extended his unpopular dictum to stations ashore, even into the quarters of the officers. Arugha! Forty-five days to the Dining In, written invitations (in a pleasing style of calligraphy) were sent to: guest of honor; Commanding General, Marine Corps Combat Development Command; and Commanding General, Marine Corps University. Roots of the United States Navy Tradition Formal dinners in wardrooms afloat and. Other names include regimental dinner, guest night, formal mess dinner, and band night. Lovette, Leland P.Naval Customs, Traditions, & Usage, 4th ed. Naval Institute Proceedings63 (August 1937): 1169. During the tenure of Secretary John D. Long (1897-1902), the Department of the Navy even prohibited the sale of alcohol to enlisted men at stations ashore. - The Mess Night is a Marine Corps tradition designed to bring a unit together at the dinner table with an odd conglomerate of stern ceremony and light-hearted amusement. The post band played and we marched into dinner adhering rigidly to custom and tradition. This traditional beverage was supposedly served to potential Marine Corps recruits at Tun Tavern, Philadelphia, during the American Revolution. Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery expressed disgust at the state of the headquarters mess when he assumed command of the troubled Eighth Army in North Africa in 1942. John A. Lejeune refused to emulate the lavish social scene of his predecessor, and formal dinners at Eighth and Eye became somewhat infrequent and subdued affairs. In the fall of 1953, General Shepherd visited the 3rd Marines at their camp at Mount Fuji, Japan. Phillips, Lawrence. Your personal reward is so great in doing so, but the legacy and handprint that you leave, where you have been planted or assigned, is immeasurable. Conscientious commanding officers scrutinized their officers monthly wine bills to curtail excessive drinking, and anyone imbibing to excess would find himself seeing Stewards refill glasses as required. The latter summoned us to dinner with a short selection; perhaps it was officers call, adjutants call, or some such. The Marine Corps and the Coast Guard refer to it as mess night and the Army calls it regimental dinner. Soup consisted mostly of sherry, while the terrapin arrived floating in Madeira. Military Customs(Aldershot: Gale and Polden, 1952). He explained the colonel had been shocked to observe many of his officers displaying ignorance as to what utensils and glasses to use at dinner. With widely different social perspectives, and the changes that accompanying them, Marine Corps mess nights have become increasingly dissimilar. President of the Mess: Chaplain, please say grace.. Pepper (to taste) 8 slices of dry toast. Officers: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Everyone takes a sip of Port. Company guidons line the wall of the dining hall, while the colors of the regiment and its three battalions are arranged behind the head table along with the flags of the United States and the United Kingdom (a Royal Marine officer, serving an exchange tour with the regiment, is present). 29 Sep 2016| Vice President of the Mess: Ladies and Gentlemen, the President of the United States. The band plays the National Anthem. During the brief intermission, a decanter of Port has been placed on each table. The Navy and Drinking,Nation98 (9 April 1914): 385-86. Another member of the committee undertook the task to provide suitable decorations for both the anteroom and dining room. Many junior officers spent their evening stifling yawns while hoping that the colonel would go home so they could go to bed! As it matures, a heavy sediment appears on the bottom of each bottle, thus the requirement to decant it prior to serving. President of the Mess: Parade the main course.. The remaining officers are seated according to ascending seniority toward the head table. 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, Although the event is filled with of pomp and circumstance, entertainment is also a part of the occasion. Using a large skillet (12-14), crumble and brown the ground beef with the fat and salt, remove the pan from the heat and let cool slightly. co-author (with Colonel Joseph H. Alexander) ofSea Soldiers in the Cold War: Amphibious Warfare in the Age of the Superpowers, 1945-1991(Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1994); and co-author (with Dirk Anthony Ballendorf) ofPete Ellis: An Amphibious Warfare Prophet, 1880-1923(Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1996). It is served with a Cabernet Sauvignon (Shafer Hillside Select, Stags Leap District, California 1991) at room temperature (60 degrees). The punch served this time is 1775 Rum Punch.. Traditional roast beef was followed by rum sherbet, and a salad of champagne frappe. He serves the guest of honor first, then the others seated at the head table, and finally the President of the Mess. Formal dinners, consisting of several courses and accompanied by a variety of alcoholic beverages, all but disappeared from Marine Corps circles in the 1920s. Process in a blender and serve. They are intended to foster camaraderie and esprit de corps and to give Marines a chance to "reflect on our past and honor. The following day, General Kolers aide-de-camp received a telephone call from his counterpart at Kadena: Driving home from your mess night last night, the general remarked that was the best affair Ive ever attended; you call the Marines and find out how its doneand were going to have one just like it.. A guest last night in a British officer's messcirca 1930s, is what approximates the mess night tradition adopted so faithfully by the Marine Corps--at least what Brigadier General Robert H. "British Bob" Williams prescribed for readers of the Marine Corps Gazette in June 1955, and Colonel Angus M. "Tiny" Fraser wrote for the same . Interviews As the primary organizer of the mess night in Okinawa, previously mentioned, I received the advice and encouragement of any number of staff officers in our headquarters. A new generation of Marines must come to grips with these and other changes, while still perpetuating one of the Corps most enjoyable traditions. The Marines received the musical instruments to accompany a successful mess night, a gift from the American Troop and American Company of the Shanghai Volunteer Corps. In any event, a junior officer with little or no private means could hardly afford to spend his leisure time elsewhere. Several wines appeared throughout dinner. 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. The term "grog" can describe many different kinds of alcoholic drinks. 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 was, in effect, a formation, and all bachelor officers were expected to attend. --soft drinks, including diet and decaffeinate brands, must be This traditional beverage was supposedly served to potential Marine Corps recruits at Tun Tavern, Philadelphia, during the American Revolution, according to Marine Corps History Division website, https://www.mcu.usmc.mil/historydivision/Pages/Customs_Traditions/Mess_Night.aspx. Nutrition Facts : Calories 227.7, Fat 0.2, Sodium 7.9, Carbohydrate 8, Fiber 1.6, Sugar 4.5, Protein 0.5 Loaded 0% More about "military grog bowl recipes" While many claim to make a traditional navy grog recipe, there are several accepted forms. Colonel Robert D. Heinl, Jr., shared Williams love for fostering history and tradition in the British military style. Almost two decades ago, the author of this study challenged a new generation of Marines to codify this enjoyable and important tradition. President of the Mess: Parade the beef!, A steward appears with a token slice of prime rib on a plate, with a knife and fork; accompanied by a drummer and fifer playing The Roast Beef of Old England the party marches up the center of the dining room. only small amounts of alcohol. Senior captains ruled the mess in that halcyon era of tropical campaigning and a captain in those days was only one step removed from a king, Smith recalled. Stewards filled our wine glasses when appropriate, and the serving and removal of courses evolved with the panache of a sunset parade at Eighth and Eye. When we uttered that last toast, to the Corps, all the aches and pains of the endless days and nights in the field, the bruises and sore muscles from the obstacle course and the drudgery of classroom lectures melted away. The Vice President of the Mess is seated at the extreme right and farthest from the head table. 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! During the next three years, it participated in amphibious operations in the Solomons, Gilberts, Marshalls, and Okinawa., President of the Mess: Mister Vice, the 2d Division., Vice President of the Mess: Ladies and Gentlemen, the 2d Division., Band: plays six bars from Victory at Sea.. While serving as the adjutant of the 4th Marines in Shanghai in 1927, Captain Lemuel C. Shepherd, Jr., coached the regiments swimming team. Those who arrived earlyand no one arrived late could have a glass of sherry or a pink gin. Following dinner, Portand sometimes snuffwent round. easy INGREDIENTS 2 oz Dark Rum .75 oz Lime Juice .5 oz Demerara Syrup 1 oz Water INSTRUCTIONS Step one Add all ingredients to a tiki mug filled with ice and stir to combine. Coffee is poured. president and president and chief executive officer, Albany Area Young Mens Christian Association, JPEO-CBD Enterprise Fielding & Surveillance, Human Resources and Organizational Management, Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. Until 1914, wine messes were part of the wardrooms of the ships of the fleet. Top with hot. The band strikes up Stars and Stripes Forever. and those seated at the head table proceed into the dining room and position themselves behind their assigned chair. 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. The committee considered the number of foreign officers likely to attend as it planned the traditional toasts, the presence of spouses (of both sexes), and the increasing concern for alcohol abuse and driving while intoxicated. 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. The menu reflected a parsimonious adherence to custom and tradition, and a rigid adequacy of food and drink. Get a printable version by clicking here. In more modern times, every young officer received instructions on how to tell meat. As orderly officer, suitably attired in patrol dress and wearing a sword, he inspected the cookhouse to ensure the meat served to enlisted messes was not spoiled. These recipients, and their spouses, were determined to be the guests of the mess. This traditional beverage was supposedly served to potential Marine Corps recruits at Tun Tavern, Philadelphia, during the. with me shall be my brother. General Williams retained images of memorable evenings as guests of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, but failed to mention any such gathering hosted by the 4th Marines. The grog is a bowl filled with a concoction resembling punch. Garnish glasses with margarita salt of choice, serve slightly chilled to room temp. The soup course had disappeared over the years, while the fish course remained only as a small seafood cocktail drowning in catsup. 1900: A bandsman rings six bells with a ships bell to indicate 7:00 P.M. or 1900. 1915: The band strikes up Sea Soldiers and everyoneless those to be seated at the head table-enters the dining room. two quart bottles of ginger ale (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lt. Dave Hecht) Sand to represent the wars in the deserts. Heinl, Robert D., Jr., Washington, D.C., 28 July 1978; and Annapolis, Lucas, Lelia Gordon. To the accompaniment of a fife and drum, a steward brings a plate with a token piece of the main course to the President of the Mess who pronounces I proclaim this meal fit for human consumption or I commend this meal to the enjoyment of the mess. The steward retreats from the dining room to an additional musical accompaniment. Stewards remove the previous course and wine glass, and serve a salad of mixed greens with a low-calorie, low-fat vinaigrette dressing. Colonel Heinl supervised the memorable event, held at Harry Lee Hall. Pour: the mix and strawberry slush over cracked ice into a punch bowl; stir in the ginger ale. Dickinson, R. J.Officers Mess: Life and Customs in the Regiments(Tunbridge Wells, Kent: Midas, 1973). Brown the ground beef in a medium skillet over medium-high heat, until meat is no longer pink. Blood? The Vice President of the Mess moves to the head table. Sailors and enlisted Marines alike expressed umbrage upon learning that alcoholic beverages were no longer available to them at canteens ashore. 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. Vice president of the Mess: Long life to the United States and Success to the Marines. The band plays the Marine Corps Hymn and then everyone says The Marines and drinks the cup of punch (all of it). When a member of the mess violates one of the rules, fellow Marines may charge him or her with a violation. Exchanges such as recalled by General Shepherd continued as the 4th Marines served in China. Unpublished memoirs 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. At the end of the dinner, the senior dining member simply got up and left the room. Stewards: remove carafes and punch glasses. STRAWBERRY DAIQUIRI PUNCH Reminds diners of the Marine Corps service in France during World War I. But one participant, the commanding general of Kadena Air Force Base, departed the evening visibly moved by what he had witnessed. The stimulus for such an inquiry had languished for a decade or more, clues had been provided by the Marine Corps most eminent historian and it appeared as if I hadappeared as if I had to accept my own challenge. Edwards, Thomas J. President of the Mess: Mister Vice, the U.S. Navy., Vice President of the Mess: Ladies and Gentlemen, the U.S. Navy.. 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. Finally, consumption of alcohol is down considerably from the heights of bygone years. But alcohol continued to be available to officers in their wardroom messes, a privilege that affronted Daniels egalitarian principles. For he today that sheds his blood And each one standing here Prior to Danielss meddling, formal dinnersprobably resembling something like a mess night-occurred infrequently in various wardrooms. I vowed to research and write on the subject. In a saucepan combine: 1/3 cup margarine Naval Institute Proceedings67 (March 1941): 361. Even the errors in grammar continued faithfully from pamphlet to pamphlet! The Old Corps: A Portrait of the U.S. Marine Corps Between the Wars(Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1982), pp. Mix in the flour until all of the meat is covered, using all of the flour. At the conclusion of dinner, the battalion commander rose to propose a toast to the best fighters, the best drinkers, and the best lovers in Francethe Chasseurs Alpine.. Stewards: remove the main course and white wine glass. President of the Mess: Ladies and Gentlemen, the mess will adjourn for ten minutes.. While commanding the 6th Marine Division in training for the invasion of Okinawa, General Shepherd held several mess nights. The Secretary of the Navy, Chief of Naval Operations, and personal friends of General Shepherd attended as well. The rules dictating what kind of garbage you can put in the grog bowl typically limits the selection to things you're willing to actually drink. However, without a "grog bowl," some other means of punishment for infractions should be considered. Exceeded only by to the Marine Corps birthday, mess night is one of the Corps most celebrated traditions. A variety of after-dinner beverages, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, were available as well as coffee. A vintage Port is held in wood for 22 to 30 months, then bottled. The manual is based on several sources, all of which are listed in the bibliography, and summarizes the experience gained from Mess Nights presented by the Naval School, Civil Engineer Corps. His counterpart in the Second Battalion Scots Guards invited young Shepherd and his commanding officer, Colonel Henry C. Davis, to a guest night hosted by the officers mess of this famous regiment. In a cheesecloth bag, place: 14 sticks cinnamon, 8 whole cloves, and 1 teaspoon whole allspice. (Volunteering) is a hallmark of Marines, Gillan said. Stewards remove the dinner plate, bread plate, utensils used for the main course and wine glass. Tie cloves . 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. In some regiments, the senior subaltern or senior dining officer enforced such rules by levying small fines. Drawn from the aristocracy or upper middle classes, the British officer of the 19th Century would find no achievement in living in squalor while in the field. BACK TO TOP CONNECT Some officers, if they could afford it, might have a glass of Port or a snifter of brandy; most could not, however. During the dinner, the battalions pipe major played several traditional highland ballads to the tune of his own wailing on the bagpipes, and a guardsman danced. The evening bears no resemblance to a drunken party, in most instances. The adjutant, proud of his distinguished regiment, summoned the young officers to the mess one afternoon. Pate to the officers of the barracks. At the historic home of the Commandants, Mrs. George Barnetta doyenne of Washington society, well known for her sparkling repartees spirituelles at the expense of pretentious politiciansserved the Secretary of the Navy and the other guests a dinner they would not likely forget. Thus, the infamous General Order No. 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. Can whisper soft above his glass 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. They made grog by combining rum and water. 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. A butter knife appears on the right of the bread plate, which is located at the upper left of the place setting. 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.. Seagoing Customs,U.S. Marines of the era preferred instead to dilute the distilled spirit with sugar and fruit as a rum punch. Guests sometimes appeared, and the mess as a whole bore the cost of a guest of honor while individual mess members paid the cost of their guests. They also recognized current active-duty Marines who served in recent wars as well as those who are currently forward deployed. Stewards remove the Port decanters and glasses, and replace them with decanters of Fortitudine punch and punch glasses. A steward follows with a carafe of Fortitudine Punch, and the Vice President of the Mess serves everyone at the head table beginning with the guest of honor first and the President of the Mess last. Sometimes, Marines may fabricate false allegations or tease one another just to stir up their comrades. Skillman, J. H. Eating Through the Years,U.S. Mix 1 quart orange juice with cup of white sugar and cup of brown sugar. Probably the first mess night in the form we know today occurred at Eighth and Eye in the late summer of 1954. Servants served a typical English meal of several courses, and wine was not necessarily part of the dinner. Two of his essays, both from the U.S. Passing of the Old Marine Barracks,Washington Evening Star, 16 February 1908, part 4, p. 2. This signal alerts everyone that dinner begins in 15 minutes. 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. (June 1936): 842. Stewards: serve punch glasses and carafes of punch. Served hot in mugs. The evening reached its climax for many of us as we joined our seniors at the bar, snifters of brandy in hand. In the years since these and other essays have appeared in print, the tradition has suffered decline from either professional disinterest, an absence of social morays, or ignorance. 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. One member of the committee received the task to collate the responses to the invitations (R.S.V.P. Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. The End of the Wine Mess,U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings99 (November 1973): 51-55. 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. In his first night in the mess as a second lieutenant, he made the social gaff of ordering a glass of claret; the senior subaltern rebuked him with a jocular Hullo! of honey butter. Nathan Hanks Bassler, R. E. Splice the Main Brace, U.S. President of the Mess: Ladies and Gentlemen, please join me at the bar.. Some of our instructors had served in both World War II and the Korean War. He devoted several minutes to explain the requirement for bladder control and the planning that accompanied it. You give of yourself just like you are spending your adult lives giving and serving our country, he continued. Smith, Holland M. with Percy Finch, Coral and Brass (New York: Scribners 1949), p. 34. The mess committee elected to forego the ritual cigar because the facility is a no smoking building, as are most government buildings. Perhaps concluding that the new commanding officer of the ships Marine Detachment thought the elaborate dinner a regular occurrence, a Navy officer admonished Barnett: We dont do this every night, you know! Colonel Heinl remembered something like a mess night (but without alcoholic beverages) while serving in the battleship Idaho as a midshipman in 1936; a fife and drum section marched through officers country playing The Roast Beef of Old England to summon the officers to dinner. President of the Mess: Mister Vice, the U.S. Army., Vice President of the Mess: Ladies and Gentlemen, the U.S. Army.. of chilled nonalcoholic white wine. Serve with fresh speared fruit or mint for garnish, if desired. the colonel in his office. The rules of the mess are standards of etiquette which must be adhered to. Naval Institute Proceedings63 (June 1979): 41-48. Then, the band plays Stars and Stripes Forever as a signal for those officers, guests, and ladies to be seated at the head table to enter the dining room. Dinner in a British mess was the evening meal of an English gentleman. The Mess Night Committee selected Croft Porto 1991 after tasting several imported and domestic varieties. We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; These events are. FESTIVE SPICED CIDER Officers: The President of the United States. Everyone takes a sip of Port. View Profile View Forum Posts View Blog Entries View Articles View Gallery Uploads Marine Free Member. No matter his or her rank, the chaplain is always seated at the head table.
marine corps mess night grog recipe