- December 13, 2025
-
-
Loading
Loading
Even in the 110-degree jungle of Vietnam in 1971, Thanksgiving was celebrated.
“The helicopters came in on Thanksgiving and dropped off a turkey dinner,” said Richard Greenberg, a former U.S. Army platoon leader in the 101st Airborne Division and a current Del Webb of Lakewood Ranch resident.
“Turkey, gravy and mashed potatoes — kind of the last thing you really want to eat — but it’s so important,” Greenberg said.
Greenberg served two years in the U.S. Army. His return home was bittersweet because of the poor treatment he received after his tour.
The country was upset over the war, and it trickled down to the men and women who served. At the time, they weren’t viewed as American heroes by some.
“It stung,” Greenberg said. “I went through the rest of my life saying, 'I want to do something for veterans when I retire.' Meanwhile, I haven’t retired yet.”
Greenberg does construction consulting for lenders that take on big projects. He’s also the president of the Del Webb Lakewood Ranch Association of Veterans and Military Supporters, AVMS for short.
The nonprofit’s biggest fundraiser each year is Operation Thanksgiving, which supplies Thanksgiving dinners to active duty military personnel stationed at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa.
Peggy Hufford’s husband, Jerry Hufford, was the former AVMS president up until his death in 2022 from a massive heart attack. Jerry Hufford served four years in the Air Force as a hurricane hunter. He made the initial connection with MacDill and the AVMS.
Peggy Hufford has never sat on the board, but she always was, and remains, an active member of the group. She had a good laugh thinking back on that first Operation Thanksgiving.
“Even though it was our smallest Operation Thanksgiving, it was by far the most fun,” she said.
There were barely 100 homes in Del Webb in 2019, so it was a small group. They threw a packing party, formed an assembly line and boxed up 50 turkeys and all the fixings. They decorated and delivered the boxes, too.
“It was so heartwarming to see those soldiers,” she said. “Some of them were crying. They were so appreciative.”
Her husband made one request of the soldiers: Pass on a photo of your family enjoying their Thanksgiving meal. Hufford said every single one obliged. AVMS members were able to see all the photos during their next meeting.
The following year was the thick of the COVID pandemic, so Operation Thanksgiving transitioned to gift cards. Social distancing made it necessary in 2020. In later years, it was just easier for both the volunteers and the enlisted personnel.
The majority of active duty members stationed at MacDill live off base, so it’s much more convenient for them to get a gift card and buy what they need from the Publix closest to home.
Greenberg noted that food insecurity is common in the lower ranks.
According to the 2020 Status of Forces Survey, junior enlisted service members are at the highest risk for food insecurity, and nearly a quarter of active duty service members had experienced food insecurity over the past year.
In July 2022, the U.S. Department of Defense published, “Strengthening Food Security in the Force: Strategy and Roadmap” to address the issue.
Operation Thanksgiving raised over $20,000 this year, which translates into 425 $50 Publix gift cards and a $1,600 donation to Operation Warm Heart, a nonprofit that provides emergency financial assistance to airmen, sailors, soldiers, Marines, Air Force civilians and contractors.
