Somewhere out in the field there are soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines, Coast Guard and Reserves too, and somewhere out there it is their Thanksgiving, and they are pulling the duty.

They might be in a unit orderly room on Charge of Quarters, or MPs and SPs and SFs (shore patrol, Navy and security forces, Air Force) on the beat. They might be deployed, out at a Forward Operating Base.

Or, they might just be in a muddy field somewhere in Europe – Germany, Poland, the Baltics, Romania. Or on deck watch in the Mediterranean, the South China Sea. Or, it could be Africa. Really, they might be almost anywhere.

If they are really “in the field,” as in, out in a field somewhere, the vehicle will make its way out to where they are in the chill weather, the rain, or the tropics. The vehicle has vacuum cans with whatever serves up as turkey, mash potatoes, maybe sweet potatoes. The pie may be a bit soupy and crushed. Coming out of the cans, ladled up by the cookhouse team, it will be what’s for dinner at Thanksgiving in the field.

It will be better than the despised but consumable MREs (Meals Rejected by Everyone).

Imagine Thanksgiving in the Pacific for the troops in 1944, or in Belgium and France, running up against the coldest winter in 50 years. Or, try to imagine it right now.

I think about the troops overseas at Thanksgiving, many in danger’s path in Europe, Korea and the Middle East, and Africa. Alaska, too, might as well be overseas.

I remember dinner served to paratroopers by a Green Beret mom. Mother Marilyn, the long-serving wife of Capt. Ron Sinclair, made all the young troopers feel at home seven or eight time zones away from home.

There was another holiday meal in the field served from vacuum cans. Lukewarm, soupy turkey, and goopy dessert. It was festive.

In the Antelope Valley, this  year’s Veteran Community Service Award went to the Honor Guard Team of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3000 in Quartz Hill. The award is a partnership with Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger at the annual Senior Expo hosted by High Desert Medical Group.

The team ensures that any veteran the group hears about will receive a full honors military ceremony for the family when the veteran has died. They often stand in when active duty personnel cannot show up with bugle and flag.

Team Leader Ron Guyadeen almost died of embarrassment when he saw his name on scrolls congratulating the team. People devising scrolls want a name so the elected official or council knows who is being honored, but for Ron there is no “I” in “Team.”

“We are pretty low-key,” said Guyadeen, Air Force veteran. “We don’t do this for recognition. We do it for the veterans and their families.”

With Thanksgiving upon us, some other teams, non-profits and people make up an incomplete list in unranked order, to be grateful about:

* The Board of Vets4Veterans, and its volunteers who work all year year, unpaid, to help the nonprofit provide housing, emergency shelter, groceries, education assistance, therapy and training for vulnerable veterans making their way back to civvie street.

* Point Man Antelope Valley, and AV Wall Committee, guardians of the Antelope Valley Vietnam Memorial. With the support of community volunteers, the AV Wall just finished a triumphant Veterans Week presentation in Rosamond of the half-scale tribute wall of the Vietnam Memorial with its 58,000-plus names of the Americans killed during one of America’s longest wars.

* Coffee4Vets, its Board, and Juan and Atherine Blanco, who team with founding host Jin Hur, and new host at Crazy Otto’s Restaurant, Navy veteran Charles Hughes. The Tuesday weekly coffee klatsch provides so much information needed by veterans, and the camaraderie that comes with coffee and scrambled eggs.

* Mental Health America of Los Angeles with Military Resource Center in Palmdale, a non-profit that has housed hundreds of veteran families since its 2011 founding.

* Homes4Families, a non-profit building 53 homes in Palmdale as a “Veteran Enriched Neighborhood, ushering in ownership for vet families who otherwise could not buy in the overheated real estate market.

* John Parsamyan, Army infantry vet of the 10th Mountain Division in Afghanistan, with his wife Mary and family. They have sacrificed much to run a shop training program for Vets4Veterans prospects who move from military to civvie success.

* Tony Tortolano and Fred Barthe, veteran sidekicks who will drive vets to appointments, visit at hospital, help any way they can. Tony is Palmdale “Veteran of the Year,” and Fred relentlessly pitches for Honor Flights to get World War II, Korea and Vietnam vets on no-cost trips to Washington D.C. to visit capital memorials.

* James Mumma at Veterans Peer Access Network, soon to move into the Veterans Enriched Neighborhood developed by Homes4Familes. A Marine veteran of Desert Storm, Mumma is teaming with Jin Hur of Crazy Otto’s to ensure needy veterans get the turkey dinner, and taking hot meals to homeless veterans.

* Christine Ward, tireless veterans advocate in the office of Rep. Mike Garcia. Ms. Ward, one great Dodger fan, consistently hits the ball securing earned benefits for veterans who had already been written off.

* Edwards Civilian-Military Support Group This non-profit, its board and volunteers form a vital community link to Edwards Air Force Base and donates to support the troops at the Flight Test Center of the Universe.

* Blue Star Mothers of Antelope Valley, packing care packages with funds they raised at Vince’s Pizza, and finding money to place veterans legacy headstones at Lancaster cemetery.

* Bombshell Betty’s Calendar for Charity, Spirited and soulful retro fashion mavens who run car shows and calendar sales to raise money for veteran charities.

These participants in altruism have been in community for years, but there are many more who consistently support those who served in our nation’s military. Happy Thanksgiving, all.

Editor’s note: Dennis Anderson is a licensed clinical social worker at High Desert Medical Group. An Army paratrooper veteran, he embedded in Iraq with California National Guard to cover the war for Editor & Publisher magazine and local media.