SASEBO, Japan –
Sailors aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) were joined by friends, family and shipmates for a Thanksgiving feast on the ship’s mess deck, November 23.
Bonhomme Richard’s Executive Officer, Cmdr. Rich LeBron, and several other officers served food, taking care of their shipmates by sharing a Thanksgiving dinner on board.
“It was a true honor and privilege to serve those Sailors standing the watch and being on duty today,” said LeBron.
Sailors and their families crowded the mess decks to share in the tradition of giving thanks. All the holiday standards were served, including turkey, stuffing, ham, and mashed potatoes and gravy, along with ribeye roast and California vegetable medley.
"I didn't expect to see the XO (executive officer) and other leadership serving food," said Seaman Ahmed Jamjollah. "The food was great and I was very surprised to see how elaborate the meal and celebration was. Being away from home is always difficult, especially for the holidays, but to spend it with good friends and see my ship's leadership spending it with us shows me how much they care about our well-being."
In preparation for the holiday, Bonhomme Richard’s culinary specialists came together a week in advance to make the Thanksgiving meal as delicious as it could be.
“It was certainly a team effort to get all the food prepped and ready for today’s meal,” said Culinary Specialist 2nd Class Johnathon Jurado, from Los Angeles. “The turkey of course is the most important, and we took special care to ensure we got it right.”
For Jurado, helping prepare the food for the Sailors on duty and away from their families back home in the states is what it means to be a family.
"Preparing Thanksgiving dinner for the crew was extremely rewarding," said Jurado. "Some Sailors may not have anywhere to spend the holiday, or may be on duty, so being able to give them a little piece of home with this dinner was very gratifying for me and my department."