Wild Game and Hardtack, anyone?

Soldiers’ Thanksgivings Across the Centuries

As an aside, SFC Blood COOKED ALL OF THIS FOOD (!!!) for this piece. Cooking one Thanksgiving meal is enough of a headache, so please take a moment to realize what cooking three might do to someone’s psyche—even if they love the culinary arts as much as SFC Blood. Enjoy!

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Thanksgiving has always been about more than food. It’s about survival, camaraderie, and gratitude in the face of hardship. For Soldiers, the holiday has carried different meanings depending on the century, but one constant remains: the meal reflects the realities of the fight, the land, and the times.

1621: The First Thanksgiving

Photo courtesy of the author.

The Pilgrims’ first Thanksgiving was not the holiday we imagine today. For starters, it wasn’t called Thanksgiving yet; it was a three-day harvest festival. Tables held wildfowl like duck and goose, venison brought by the Wampanoag, shellfish from the coast, corn cooked into porridge or bread, squash, and foraged fruits and nuts. Absent were the staples we now take for granted. There were no mashed potatoes, no cranberry sauce, no pumpkin pie. Sugar was scarce, ovens were rare, and potatoes hadn’t yet arrived in New England.

For those early settlers, survival was the mission. Their “ration” was whatever the land and allies provided, a lesson in adaptability that Soldiers today can appreciate.

1777: First Government-Declared Thanksgiving

Photo courtesy of the author.

By the 18th century, colonists had more established farms, and Thanksgiving meals often featured roasted turkey, goose, or duck, stews thickened with chestnuts, bread puddings, squash, and beans. But Revolutionary War Soldiers lived on a different diet: salted dried beef, hardtack (flour and water cooked on a stone), and root vegetables. On rare occasions, they might enjoy cider or roasted meats if supplies allowed.

While civilians feasted on roasted birds and puddings, Soldiers’ rations were sparse. Thanksgiving in camp was less about abundance and more about endurance. This is a reminder that gratitude often comes in lean times.

1863: The First Official National Holiday Thanksgiving

Photo courtesy of the author.

By the mid-19th century, Thanksgiving was becoming a national tradition. Civilians, and some Soldiers, enjoyed a more traditional Thanksgiving. While some Soldiers on the front lines were still eating meager portions, most menus included roast turkey or chicken, mashed potatoes, root vegetables, cranberry sauce, apple or pumpkin pie, and coffee or cider. In hospitals, wounded Soldiers sometimes received special meals—roast turkey, pies, and preserved fruits—thanks to donations from civilians. For troops deep in the field, even a cup of hot coffee could feel like Thanksgiving.

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The common thread across the generations is resilience. Soldiers have always found ways to mark the day, whether with a feast or with the simplest ration, because Thanksgiving is less about the menu and more about the spirit of endurance, gratitude, and comraderie.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! Answer in the comments: What was your most memorable Thanksgiving moment in uniform?