SAN ANTONIO — On Thanksgiving, hundreds of families across the city open their homes and their tables to men and women going through basic training.
“Operation Home Cooking” is a longstanding tradition and this is its 50th year.
The Smith family has hosted trainees at their house for 20 years. For a lot of the trainees, this is the first Thanksgiving they’ll spend away from their families.
Larry Smith and his wife are both retired air force veterans, so this tradition means a lot to them.
“We know what it’s like to be away from our loved ones during Thanksgiving. It’s my wife’s favorite holiday, so that gives us another opportunity to share Thanksgiving with someone else,” Mr. Smith said.
The Smiths say they still say in contact with some of the trainees they’ve hosted in the past. The trainees will return to the base tonight after a day full of food and fun.
At Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, more than 700 trainees celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday at the dining facilities.
Dining and Cooking