PMO Marine goes above and beyond for Thanksgiving
CAMP FOSTER, OKINAWA, Japan(Nov. 22, 2005) -- Fifteen turkeys, 10 hams, 560 dinner rolls, 32 pies and heaps of side dishes, drinks and other desserts might seem like a lot of food, but for one Provost Marshal’s Office Marine, it’s just enough.
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/0/99742F0A1FAFF614852570C00064D593?opendocument
Submitted by:
MCB Camp Butler
Story by:
Computed Name: Lance Cpl. Erin F. McKnight
Story Identification #:
20051121132122
CAMP FOSTER, OKINAWA, Japan(Nov. 22, 2005) -- Fifteen turkeys, 10 hams, 560 dinner rolls, 32 pies and heaps of side dishes, drinks and other desserts might seem like a lot of food, but for one Provost Marshal’s Office Marine, it’s just enough.
For Master Gunnery Sgt. Paul A. Lee, 35 gallons of peanut oil, four deep fryers and two large ham smokers are just enough to prepare an entire Thanksgiving feast for more than 600 PMO Marines, Japanese security guards, master labor contractors, and government and civilian employees across Okinawa.
For the past two years, Lee, the provost sergeant for Marine Corps Base Camp Butler PMO, has devoted himself to organizing this holiday treat.
“They labor all year,” said Lee, referring to his PMO Marines. “At least for one day, we can take off our chevrons and say ‘Hey Marine, I’m doing this for you. Thank you.’”
Lee does a lot of the work for this dinner, such as overseeing it and preparing the hams, but to bring his efforts to fruition, he enlists the help of Master Sgt. Milton Miller and Jennifer Young. Miller, operations chief for PMO, prepares the turkeys, while Young, administrative officer for PMO, coordinates with the wives to bring side dishes.
Representatives from different Marine camps will pick up dinner trays from Camp Foster’s PMO and return to their home base with the meals, Lee explained. This way the Marines can sit down at their offices and enjoy a holiday meal together.
Cpl. Samuel Childress, operations non-commissioned officer, MCB Camp Butler PMO, said he thinks the dinner is great for young unaccompanied Marines.
“(Lee) realizes that being separated from family and friends back home on the holidays is one of the toughest things to go through,” Childress said. “It’s very selfless of him to organize this. It helps out the junior Marines who, for the most part, don’t have any family here.”
Lee also organized an all-ranks PMO ball, which is open to all of PMO, not just Marines. This is the first time in 12 years PMO has come together as a unit to celebrate the Marine Corps’ birthday, explained Lt. Col. John Troutman, provost marshal, MCB Camp Butler PMO.
“(Lee) has really taken the bull by the horns,” Troutman said of his right-hand-man. “He’s really the PMO birthday ball chairman. I would say he’s done 85 percent of all the coordination involved.”
Troutman said he appreciates the hard work Lee has done to organize the ball and is thankful for the opportunity for PMO to spend an evening together in celebration.
“These MPs work long hours and hectic schedules in an organization that never sleeps, and we appreciate the time for camaraderie,” Troutman said.
Troutman said he has known Lee since Lee was a “young gunny,” and has always noticed the best qualities in his senior enlisted advisor.
“He’s got lots of initiative, is devoted to accomplishing the mission and always looks out for the best interest of the young Marines,” Troutman said.
Childress said coordinating the Thanksgiving dinner is just one of many ways Lee looks out for the Marines under his charge.
“He always goes the extra step—the extra mile—for his Marines and shows he really cares,” Childress said.