[Milsurplus] Your Tax Dollars At Work, part nnnnnn

[Kenneth G. Gordon]

When I was a much younger ham, I was told a similar story by one of my Elmers who was a 
WWII vet.

He was in Alaska at some small airbase at the end of WWII. As I remember it, it was in the 
Aleutians somewhere. FAR out in the sticks.

His commander was told to get rid of everything in inventory except what was immediately 
needed for the troops to come home.

When he asked what he was supposed to do with the stuff, he was told "Throw it in the fire".

So, he had a long thin bonfire constructed down some portion of the length of the runway, lit it 
off, then had his men "throw the stuff in the fire".

He had notified the people who lived in the town to which the airbase was attached, and had 
them come out to the base. His men lined up, started throwing the stuff in the fire, while the 
towns people lined up on the other side of the bonfire and caught the stuff as it came flying 
through the flames.

Blankets, cots, clotheing, food, first aid items, radios, medical supplies, kitchen supplies, 
tents, tools, spare parts, everything possible, etc.

I don't remember all of the items, but my Elmer was quite specific at the time. I can 
remember him shaking his head as he told some of us of it.

Ken W7EKB

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