An incident from Korean War.
The Ameriacan liason officer to Turkish Brigade (a colonel, greatly respected ans loved by Turkish soldiers) learned that in a week's time it would be a religious holiday for Turks. It is the Sacrifice Holiday for all muslims in which a sheep (a cow or a camel if you are rich) must be sacrificed to God if you are cabaple of buying one. After sacrificing you take 1/3 of its meat to yourself and family and you distribute the rest to poor who can not afford buying one.
So, the American colonel personally asked Turkish privates what do they want for their holiday (he learned Turkish by that time). Turkish soldiers are generally very reluctant to answer these kind of questions of their superiors for their respect. But 1 private answered that they genrally eat sheep in this holiday when they were at home but there is no sheep in Korea.
American colonel informed the 8th Army headquarters of the situation and arrenged that enough sheeps to be brought from Australia by air for entire Turkish Brigade (more than 5000 soldiers which means at least 500 sheeps.)
I believe no other army would or could have done something like this (as there are plenty of cows in Korea another army would just give more cow meat). And it is good to be an ally of America in a war. |