DUC PHO- Company A,1st Battalion, 35th Infantry was stationed on
bleak, muddy Hill 481 northwest of Chu Lai for over two weeks, subsisting on
C rations and not liking it at all.
"We thought that there must be a better way," said Second
Lieutenant Richard Duncan (Oxnard, Calif.), Weapons Platoon leader. So,
acting upon this resolve, he gathered about him the combined culinary
talents of his platoon to form Four-Zero’s Kountry Kitchen.
Staff Sergeant John A BoyIan (Riverside, Calif.) was appointed chief
chef, while Specialist 4 Clifford Callaway (Covina, Calif.) served as chief
KP.
Private First Class Norman Sawyer is responsible for procuring the
necessary spices and ingredients. Since the restaurant is located in his
bunker, 2LT Duncan is the proprietor major domo.
What type of meals does the country Kitchen turn out?
"Well," said SSG Boylan, "the other evening we had soup
de jour which was a bean soup, followed by breast of turkey under bullets
with a pecan and peach cobbler, coffee and cigars for dessert. That’s just
one of our meals, though. We’ve also had the foxhole dinner for two, tin
can casserole, cease fire casserole and, one morning, we had eggs
benedict."
Lieutenant Duncan says that this luxurious cooking does present a few
problems though, especially obtaining the necessary spices, onions and
sauces.
"And, every once in a while," he added, "we have had
meals burn up when we get called out for fire missions. It’s well worth
the trouble though."