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Friday, Nov. 27, 2009

Commanders serve junior airmen Thanksgiving dinner at base

Col. Carl A. Buhler has served more than 20 years as an officer in the Air Force.

He commands nearly 4,000 airmen and civilians and oversees all operations at Robins Air Force Base. His military résumé could hardly be more impressive.

And yet, on Thanksgiving, Buhler had kitchen duty.

Thanksgiving dinner is the one day of the year where the officers roll up their sleeves and do the “grunt work.”

Thursday’s dinner at William Walter Wynn Dining Facility on Robins Air Force Base was no different.

“It’s a tradition that goes back to the (beginning of the) modern military,” Buhler said. “I try to do it every year... it’s something I really look forward to.”

Buhler, several other colonels at Robins, and two general officers — Brig. Gen. Thomas Moore, the commanding general of the 116th Air Control Wing, and Brig. Gen. Lee Levy, commanding general of the 402nd Maintenance Wing — manned the chow line.

They had plenty of people and plenty of food to serve.

Coordinators of the Thanksgiving dinner prepared 12 whole turkeys, weighing 18 to 24 pounds, 16 boneless turkeys and six hams. The menu included all of the Thanksgiving favorites — cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie.

“You got community leaders in here, you got base commanders,” said Marsha Snead, the event’s coordinator.

“This is love. This is Thanksgiving.”

Between 400 and 500 people were expected to have dinner with the Robins commanders, including Bennie Wynn, the widow of William Walter Wynn, who survived three years as a prisoner of war in Japan.

“I come out every chance I get,” Wynn said.

To contact writer Thomas L. Day, call 744-4489.