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Happy Thanksgiving from Grissom

  • Published
  • 434th RW Public Affairs
The Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and Marines of Grissom Air Reserve Base wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving.

And, as many Americans gather around their dinner tables surrounded by family and friends to celebrate all for which they are thankful, there may be a few seats empty this year.

These empty seats are nothing new to the American Thanksgiving scene as servicemembers have been called to sacrifice time away from their families, even during the holidays, since the Revolutionary War.

And, despite the unfortunate familiarity of this reality, Grissom's leadership encourages everyone to keep all servicemembers, especially those currently fighting for the sake of freedom, in their thoughts and prayers this holiday season.

Thanksgiving Day is a federal holiday currently celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November, but got its start in 1621.

A year prior to that first Thanksgiving, the Pilgrims, a group of religious separatists seeking a land where they could freely worship, landed at Plymouth Rock, Mass., after a long journey aboard their ship, the Mayflower. These early colonists experienced a devastating winter that cost them the lives of nearly half their people.

The following fall, the Pilgrims had a bountiful harvest thanks to Native Americans who helped them survive that first year. These thankful Americans, both native and new, gathered together for a three-day feast to celebrate, and an American tradition was born.

Click here to learn more about the history of America's Thanksgiving holiday.

With the holiday now firmly apart of American tradition, it is important to remember to be safe to ensure a happy Thanksgiving, and the 434th Air Refueling Wing's Safety office offers these safety tips:
  • Keep smoke detectors on every level of the house, in every bedroom and in the halls adjacent to the bedrooms.
  • Test smoke detectors monthly, and replace batteries at least twice a year.
  • Have a fire extinguisher available not more than 10 feet from the stove on the exit side of the room, and make sure that you know how to use your fire extinguisher.
  • Start holiday cooking with a clean stove and oven.
  • Keep the kitchen off-limits to young children and adults that are not helping with food preparations.
  • When cooking, do not wear dangling jewelry or clothing with loose sleeves.
  • Cook on the back burners when possible and turn pot handles inward.
  • Never leave cooking foods unattended. If you must leave the kitchen while cooking, turn off the stove or have someone else watch what is being cooked.
  • Keep Thanksgiving decorations and kitchen clutter away from sources of direct heat.
Grissom is home to not only the 434th ARW, the largest KC-135R Stratotanker unit in the Air Force Reserve Command, but also three Army Reserve units and a Marine Corps Reserve communications detachment.

From Grissom, Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and Marines routinely deploy around the world in support of the Department of Defense mission and U.S. strategic objectives.

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Public Affairs Staff

Material contained on the Official Grissom Air Reserve Base Internet Web Site is written and produced by members of the 434th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs Office. The award-winning staff includes:

Ben Mota
Chief, public affairs

Maj. Elias Zani
Public affairs officer

Master Sgt. Wendy Day
Staff writer

Tech. Sgt. Alexa Culbert
Staff writer

Senior Airman Elise Faurote
Staff writer

Senior Airman Benjamin Cowles
Staff writer