Pass the Turkey: Thanksgiving During World War II
Remembrance and Records: World War II Through Archival Collections
Over the next year, in commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, Joyner Library Special Collections will be highlighting items from the East Carolina Manuscripts Collection that relate to the conflict and the individuals who served.
The American holiday of Thanksgiving is historically a celebration where family and friends gather to give thanks for the good they have experienced over the past year. But what happens to those unable to gather as normal due to conflict? While World War II disrupted countless lives and affected the celebration of many cultural holidays, the men and women in the American Armed Forces still found ways to celebrate despite the circumstances.
For the United States Navy sailors aboard the USS Lang (DD-399) in 1944, Thanksgiving was celebrated aboard the
U.S.S. Lang (DD-399) Thanksgiving Day menu. Gordon W. Hooper Papers (#663), East Carolina Manuscript Collection, J. Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA.
destroyer in the Pacific. Sailors were dutifully served the traditional Thanksgiving staples like turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, and cranberry sauce. To commemorate the occasion, each sailor received a menu that included a brief history of the holiday, a morale-rousing poem, and the roster of the men aboard the ship. An example of the menu is archived in the Gordon W. Hooper Papers (#0663) in the East Carolina Manuscript Collection.
Those among the Lang were not alone. Wherever able, service members gathered in fellowship to celebrate and give thanks. The East Carolina Manuscript collection includes many menus similar to the one distributed on the Lang, including menus from celebrations aboard the USS Trathen (DD-530) in 1943, those part of the Headquarters Company stationed in the India Burma Theater in 1944, and those aboard USS Intrepid (CV-11) 1945, among others. While each menu varies slightly, the turkey and the desire to give thanks no matter the situation were the centerpiece.
To view these and other menus, please click the links in the article or see them in person by requesting menus from the collections listed below.
Visit the Ship’s Log, as well as Joyner Library’s social media channels, to learn more about materials related to World War II that are a part of the East Carolina Manuscripts Collection’s holdings. Joyner Library Special Collections will be displaying an exhibit of items and individual stories related to World War II during the summer and fall of 2025.
Collections with Thanksgiving Celebrations During World War II: