Its a time for old sea stories, speeches and jokes, as well as ovations; but most importantly, it is a time to strengthen the customs and traditions of our Corps.. The combination of these temperance attitudes served to dampen any enthusiasm for formal dinners as most observers, like Mrs. Barrett a decade before, could not imagine formal dining without aperitifs and wines. FESTIVE SPICED CIDER included. Pepper (to taste) 8 slices of dry toast. Serve in 6-ounce mugs with 2 tsp. Remove the spice bag and add a fifth of Port. Everyone for the rest of the night became "You do this, and RugbyGuy0089 go drink one (grog) for Chesty/Smedley Butler/A.A. He serves the guest of honor first, then the others seated at the head table, and finally the President of the Mess. Naval Institute Proceedings63 (June 1979): 41-48. A variety of after-dinner beverages, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, were available as well as coffee. In the eighteenth and nineteenth century, it was a common custom for the aristocracy to lay aside a pipe of port for each male member of the progeny. Constant reference to the origins of our tradition of themess night to Eighth and Eye intrigued me. 1910: a bugler sounds adjutants call and the band plays Sea Soldiers. The members of the mess and guests, less those seated at the head table, proceed into the dining room, find their seats and stand behind their chairs. The other officers followed and spent the remainder of the evening reading, playing cards or billiards, or returned to their rooms. Slowly add the flour, stirring constantly, to form a brown roux. In a saucepan combine: 1/3 cup margarine Like a mess night should be, it was an evening to remember. Marine Corps Mess Night : r/USMC - Reddit Much has changed since mess night devotees such as General Lemuel C. Shepherd, Jr.; Brigadier General Robert H. Williams; Colonel Angus M. Tiny Fraser; and Colonel Robert D. Heinl, Jr., formalized and institutionalized the custom of formal dinners. (June 1936): 842. 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. The Secretary of the Navy extended his unpopular dictum to stations ashore, even into the quarters of the officers. 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. 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. In some regiments, the senior subaltern or senior dining officer enforced such rules by levying small fines. 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. Humor was added to the all-Marine event by levying charges on anyone, with the exception of members of the head table, who violated the rules of the mess.. Roots of the United States Navy Tradition Formal dinners in wardrooms afloat and. Marine Corps Mess Night Tradition - liveabout.com Sugarcane or honey added a sweet flavoring. MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE ALBANY, GA -- The U.S. Marine Corps prides itself on traditions that have been around since the Corps was established in 1775. These nonalcoholic aperitifs are pleasing alternatives for the pre-dinner cocktail hour. Bugler: Sounds officers call, and everyone returns to the dining room. All members of the mess attended, including the battalion or regimental commander and the married officers. As I read them over, the historian in me became increasingly challenged: the narratives appeared to have been copied from the same source. The grog is a bowl filled with a concoction resembling punch. Fortitudinewas the motto of the Marine Corps during the early 19th Century; it means strength, fortitude, or even guts. Drain excess fat and set aside. Early in 1977, the headquarters of the III Marine Amphibious Force on Okinawa organized a mess night to honor its popular commanding general, Major General Joseph Koler, Jr., on the occasion of his detachment. Following the Marines' significant number of fines and trips to the grog, issued by the president of the mess, Del Toro took to the stage to emphasize the . 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. 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). Instead of dinner jackets, officers wore mess kit, an outfit appearing first as a uniform with the gunners in the 19th century. The mess committee elected to forego the ritual cigar because the facility is a no smoking building, as are most government buildings. 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. Huntley, VA, 7 June 1979. DVIDS - News - What a Mess Night Early Marines received rations of rum, at sea or ashore, but often the amount doled out was diluted with water to avoid drunkenness. A new generation of Marines must come to grips with these and other changes, while still perpetuating one of the Corps most enjoyable traditions. Another member of the committee undertook the task to provide suitable decorations for both the anteroom and dining room. Mess nights are formal events for members of a Marine Corps unit. 1900: A bandsman rings six bells with a ships bell to indicate 7:00 P.M. or 1900. On the morning of the dining in, the committee met at the officers club to review final preparations. Krulak, Victor H. 17 August 1978. It is served with a Cabernet Sauvignon (Shafer Hillside Select, Stags Leap District, California 1991) at room temperature (60 degrees). Stewards: remove the main course and white wine glass. 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.. As Guy Crouchback, British novelist Evelyn Waughs amusing character in Sword of Honor, learned rather quickly. Mess night: Marines celebrate one of Corps' oldest traditions Vice President of the Mess: Sir, all officers present.. 2 tsp. Whatever else we might have learned from the company executive officers class on mess nights, the requirement to remain at the table once dinner had begun appeared absolute. General Shepherd remembered attending a formal dinner in France in 1917, hosted by the 115th Battalion Chasseurs Alpine. The signal for dinner might be chimes or simply the mess corporal announcing gentlemen, dinner is served. The commanding officer, or more likely the senior dining memberprobably a bachelor majorentered the dining room first, followed by the other officers in strict order of seniority. When General Shepherd asked Colonel Heinl to write a guide for Marine Corps officers, he suggested a section be included on the tradition of the mess night. Abolition of the Rum Ration,U.S. Our presence seemed to indicate formal initiation into the ranks of such icons as John Quick, Dan Dailey, Smedley Butler, John Lejeune and Chesty Puller. Best Mess Night fines? : r/USMC - Reddit The term "grog" can describe many different kinds of alcoholic drinks. 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. Naval Institute Proceedings96 (July 1976): 86-88. SHARE. two quart bottles of ginger ale Scenario: this gathering was hosted by the students of the Marine Corps Command and Staff College. The final toast of the evening was to their famous regiment and its raising by King Charles II in 1662. President of the Mess: Mister Vice, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II., Vice President of the Mess: Ladies and Gentlemen, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.. The evening bears no resemblance to a drunken party, in most instances. No veteran of Belleau Wood, Saipan, or Frozen Chosin could have been more proud to be a Marine. At the end of the dinner, the senior dining member simply got up and left the room. Doubtless the new martial music added an appropriate and enjoyable accompaniment to any mess night hosted by the Marines. The adjutant, proud of his distinguished regiment, summoned the young officers to the mess one afternoon. 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. Stewards served a salad next, groaning under a heavy layer of bleu dressing, followed by coffee and desserta gooeyslice of cheese cake smothered with syrupy, cherry sauce. (Volunteering) is a hallmark of Marines, Gillan said. ; prohibition against leaving the table or smoking untilafter the toasts. At the end of the night, Marines raised their glasses to toast and honor those who have fought and died for freedom in various wars. The latter summoned us to dinner with a short selection; perhaps it was officers call, adjutants call, or some such. Sterling Fessenden, the chairman of the Shanghai Municipal Council, apparently orchestrated the donation in 1927, and the grateful Marines dubbed their new musical group The Fessenden Fifes. The bandsman of the Green Howards, another British Army regiment in Shanghai, taught the Marine musicians to play the instruments (one base drum, eight side drums, ten fifes and two piccolos). 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. 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. Sadly, the young officers of this TBS class had not attended a mess night. Pate to the officers of the barracks. Purpose a. As leaders of Marines, we are obligated to ensure that these high standards are passed on to the younger Marines who will take their place among the Corps leadership once weve moved on.. The maintenance of traditional discipline, gallantry, and love of God, country and Corps are the Marines bonded duty, according to Robinson. The contents should be non-alcoholic as to not dampen the spirits . one-half gallon of dark rum He estimated that more than 50 officers from boththe sea services attended, captured Chinese banners taken during the Boxer Rebellion decorated the dining room and a Filipino orchestra played a mixture of Spanish love songs and American ragtime melodies. He is the editor ofAssault from the Sea: Essays on the History of Amphibious Warfare(Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1983; reprint ed., 1985 ed., 1985), author ofLejeune: A Marines Life, 1867-1942(Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1992; reprint ed., Naval Institute Press, 1996); Officers: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Everyone takes a sip of Port. Band plays Anchors Aweigh. Everyone says The U.S. Navy, takes a sip of Port, and sits down. This nonalcoholic alternative is a suitable after-dinner libation, especially during chilly weather. President of the Mess: Mister Vice, the U.S. Army., Vice President of the Mess: Ladies and Gentlemen, the U.S. Army.. Jofin Parker, Camp LeJeune 1 gallon apple cider 1 cup light brown sugar 6 oz can frozen lemonade 6 oz can frozen orange juice 12 whole cloves 6 whole allspice 1 tsp ground nutmeg 1 - 4 cinnamon sticks In large crockpot, combine cider, sugar, lemonade and orange juice. Now, the specious argument of the Secretary of the Navy found acceptance and received Presidential approval. Used to such affairs, most of the Leathernecks who participated remained nonplussed if not bemused by the lack of post-dinner high jinks and the heavy weight of so many senior officers. At the left of the plate (which is removed just after the serving of the first course) are the forks: seafood, salad, dinner, and dessert in that order from left to right. Dining In - Navy Some officers, if they could afford it, might have a glass of Port or a snifter of brandy; most could not, however. Traditional roast beef was followed by rum sherbet, and a salad of champagne frappe. 1815-1900: Members of the mess, spouses, and guests partake of refreshments and meet the guest of honor and the guests of the mess. Band plays The Army Goes Rolling Along. Everyone says The U.S. Army, takes sip of Port, and sits down. A vintage Port is held in wood for 22 to 30 months, then bottled. Marines of the mess sit down to a formal dinner, normally Prime Rib. Tie cloves . Smith, Holland M. with Percy Finch, Coral and Brass (New York: Scribners 1949), p. 34. 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). We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; For a time after the Crimean War, the short jacket and tight trousers (overalls) became the liberty uniform for enlisted ranks. Perhaps the most strictly controlled of all wines, government officials mandate the location of the vines and its maturation. 99 prohibiting the consumption of alcoholic beverages aboard the ships of the U.S. Navy came into being and remains in effect to this day. 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. Stewards: serve a salad of fresh fruit. Lieutenant Col. Nathaniel K. Robinson, president of the mess, said the event was a time to reaffirm our common bond as Marines., Mess night, a tradition as old as the Corps itself, has historically been a time when those who execute policy have an opportunity to meet those who make it, Robinson said. Fraser, Angus M. GentlemenDinner is Served,Marine Corps Gazette41 In the years following my own Marine Corps career, the institution of the mess night (or a Dining In or similar affair at which spouses attend) waxed and waned. and ales. 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.. Baldwin, Hanson. Chaplain: offers a brief, non-sectarian grace. Stewards remove the port glasses and decanters. The beverage gained in popularity such that by 1762, every Royal Navy ship bound for the West Indies contained at least one pipe of Port or 56 dozen bottles for the enjoyment of the officers mess.