Per Cod

ON THIS DAY IN 1999…

I was looking forward to my first cooked meal in 6 months. We’d been living on field rations since the fighting started (in Kosovo) and the only fresh food we’d had in 6 months was the occasional loaf of bread. Our field rations were good, don’t get me wrong, but we all really wanted something else for New Year’s. And we were in for a treat too; turkey!

They organised to have it cooked in a local restaurant (what was left of it, that is) and we were all really exited. I don’t think anyone who hasn’t been in a situation like we were can ever really understand just how exited we were, I mean we were delirious. Like a bunch of kids in a candy store.

But just as the turkey was about to go in the oven, a bunch of mean ole’ rats started having a go with our Millennium feast. Oh well, we heated some water and had yet another day of FR.

I went home on leave a week after and mom had the turkey ready and waiting.

I laugh every time I hear Prince sing, “Gonna party like it’s 1999…”

Happy New Year all!