Frank Nitz was lead cook on LST 832. His chow was referred to as

NITZ'S GRITS

As cook in the galley of LST 832, the day which was most memorable to me was Christmas 1945. The war was ended and we had so much to be thankful for. We were so fortunate including the fact that in all the Kamikaze attacks, we did not take a hit, and on our last journey back to the Philippines from Okinawa before the truce, our convoy survived an enemy sub attack.

After our occupation duties ended and while waiting for our release to go home, we found ourselves ready to celebrate another Christmas aboard the Mad Hooligan. Very early Christmas morning, I had the watch in the galley. For hours, I worked. I made 28 loaves of bread, baked mince meat and apple pies, and started the turkeys to roasting. Finally my shift was over.

Exhausted, I went below and hit the sack, sleeping from 7 AM till 2 PM. Hungry and eager for chow, I came back to the galley, only to find the cupboard empty of all the Christmas treats. Everyone I was told, enjoyed the meal. Better yet, we were to be on our way very soon- for home.

Frank Nitz

No one had to be forced into the chow lines on the Mad Hooligan. Excellent meals were prepared by our cooks. The ships baker topped off most meals with excellent pies. Many shipmates take credit for supplementing these pies with a generous scoop of homemade ice cream. Each week a group of volunteers would crank up the old fashioned ice cream freezers to produce a product that puts today's supermarket ice cream to shame.

OUR DAILY BREAD Some of the flour that was used to make bread had tiny weevils in it. This cartoon is a reprint of one which appeared in the PORT HOLE PRESS, our ship's newspaper.