It was a rare moment when we all had some slack time together. Doug was the company clerk, Van the mail clerk, Country worked in supply and I honestly don't remember where Tommy worked, but our schedules were all scattered. It was in the late evening, we were all layiing around getting ready to turn the lights out when Tommy said, "I sure would like a bowl of popcorn." It was like the old thing about "don't think about an elephant". In short order we were all lamenting the fact that there just didn't seem to be any popcorn in Vietnam. We laughed and moaned and reminisced about popcorn for a while, then I asked Tommy what made him think of it.
He pointed to the centerfold pinned to the wall and said there was a bowl of popcorn in the picture. We all got up and looked at the centerfold...I think it must have been the December 1965 Playboy...but it was definately a Christmas theme. The playmate was dressed in a Santa Claus hat...that was all...and in the picture with her was a Christmas tree, the Sunday Funnies (I am pretty sure that Peanuts was the comic), garlands, decorations...and a big bowl of popcorn. We crowded around the pinup and looked at all the stuff in the photo, we laughed and talked about all the holiday memories that came up. That lasted for just a little while, then Doug, the old man of the group, pointed out that we all had early calls in the morning and had better get the lights out. We took our last longing looks at the holiday setting and headed for our bunks.
With lights out and mosquito nets down, the shifting and stretching about done...Country spoke up and said, "You know, I never noticed that bowl of popcorn before." We all cracked up...neither had we.