Punch Bowl Ceremony

The history of the "Punch Bowl" ceremony has become obscured with time. It is thought that during the years of the west ward expansion, Cavalry Troopers would share their spirits with one another thereby insuring that all fellow troopers had something. The alcoholic spirits usually consisted of what ever an individual trooper’s taste was, and that when mixed with other alcohol created a powerful drink known as "GROG".

The comradeship developed over the decades and through the various wars and campaigns usually entailed the rare opportunity to share "liberated" spirits with each other.

Today’s "GROG" or punch bowl ceremony is more symbolic. It encompasses the age old custom of sharing with the history of a unit.

 

(examples of what would be found in the "GROG" would be spirits of where or when the unit fought, i.e. :Rum from campaign in Cuba, Whiskey for Indian Wars,... )

I have good memories from unit Dinning-In (2/35 INF, 18 April 1996)

Dinning-Out(3/22 INF, can’t remember date)

(only remembered the date of 2/35, since I found the program)


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