the picture

[shockingelk]

This is ridiculous. Mess halls do not make platters of food befitting of a Norman Rockwell painting.

This photo is 100% PR.

[htuttle]

1. They might if they know the Shrub is coming...

In another thread, someone mentioned that on Canadian TV, it showed Bush just picking that up, saying, "nice bird", then putting it back down again. It was already made by the time he got there.

He didn't bring the turkey in the photo. He IS the turkey in the photo.

[Mikimouse]

2. Oh, now, be reasonable! Look at all those happy faces in the

background. Silly cynic! nothing to see here, now move along. (sarcasm off). Hi SE, long time no see postings, or have I been in my usual state of unconsciousness?

[louis-t]

3. Gee, I wonder who ended up eating that turkey?

I assure you it wasn't any enlisted men. Maybe it was plastic anyway.

[olacan]

4. After

23 plus years on active duty I can say that I have seen spreads like that during this time of year. They go all out or the troops at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

[CatWoman]

5. Have to agree with you, Olacan

[Insider]

10. and jumbo shrimp cocktail too

that was always nice during the holidays

[Fridays Child]

13. On a base at the front?

I just asked my husband if that's how Thanksgiving dinner looked at Tan Son Nhut. He laughed and told me, "Not a chance!"

[newyawker99]

6. How appropriate!

A turkey serving the turkey! :puke:

[Deja Q]

7. The soldiers' faces speak not just volumes, but libraries

They don't appear to be happy campers.

No, this is a very good picture. Although it's a photo op and it's utterly vulgar, crude, tasteless, and offensive, it's got some merit. Anyone with a heart won't look at dimshit* for too long without vomiting and their eyes will wander to the soldiers. The soldiers in the background are telling a far truer story. I'm amazed they didn't order the soldiers to look happy and grateful that their 'fearless leader' would be so kind!

I hope the soldiers live through this hell and get back home without repercussions from dimshit's* hapharzard lust of vengeance and oil and death. The "commander"... well, perhaps I'm too overwrought with emotion, I'm not going to say a word about him*. x(

[Fridays Child]

8. The turkey shadow was photoshopped onto his jacket.

It looks that way to me, anyway.

[Fridays Child]

11. Actually, the more I look at it...

I think bush was photoshopped onto a pic of GIs and, then, two more GIs were photoshopped over his left side. Look how bored those guys in the background appear to be. And look at the skin tones. The background GIs have a yellowish cast while bush is all ruddy and pink.

[maggrwaggr]

12. the color variations are easily explained but

the people farthest away from the flash appear yellowish green because they're more exposed by the flourescent lights. Up close to the flash, everyone appears more pink, and then white as they get closer.

But the shadows are very odd. They don't really match! There's a shadow from one soldier's chin on Bush's arm, which does not match AT ALL the shadow from the turkey. The directions are completely different.

It does look suspicious to me, too.

[elperromagico]

19. And if you look closely,

you can see "Badge Man" on the grassy knoll shooting at JFK's motorcade! :P

[OldSoldier]

9. Yes they do!

And the dining facility supervisor makes it. They put one turkey, dressed to the nines just like the one dumbass has in his hands, on the salad bar as a festive holiday decoration. (At Fort Drum, the dining facility supervisor made this turkey at home and brought it in, so it could receive the extra-special attention it deserved. They usually just use the oven on the range for this turkey and cook the ones for the troops in their standalone ovens.) They have a big contest, with cash prizes to the winning facility, among all the dining facilities on post to see who can do the best holiday dinner, and this centerpiece is a huge part of the total points awarded to the facility.

I will agree that the photo is 100-percent PR: the dining facility supervisor would kill anyone who picked up this platter under normal circumstances.

Oh yeah: about the turkey the troops eat: it's not on a platter, but the mess sergeant has two ways to serve it. If he or she is a bit of a showman, he'll stand on the serving line with a carving knife and hand-carve the bird for each diner. If the mess sergeant would rather work the dining area, they'll carve it into a steam-tray pan in the kitchen. It tastes the same either way.

[htuttle]

16. The life of a mess hall cook

I suppose that if I had to make sh*t on a shingle day after day after day, I might not mind the chance to show off once a year.

Of course, if there's no mess hall nearby, I don't think they get to eat like this. This photo op was right at the airport base, so that wasn't a problem.

[Dees]

14. I don't recall any jumbo cocktail shrimp in my

C rations our platoon ate somewhere in the Iron Triangle on Thanksgiving Day 1965 Lai Khe Vietnam

[Zorra]

15. Those people in the background?

The folks pretending to be soldiers?

They are all Secret Service. I doubt that there is one real soldier in that room.

[remfan]

17. This administration is 100% PR

so it stands to reason that any photo of it would be too.

[ThomWV]

18. How Dare He

How dare that little **@^(!_$#^**er wear a jacket with the word Army on it!

He disgraces every thing he touches.

Thom