This recipe is of great interest to me, first because I love pasta. Second, it reminded me of a dear friend who was a true patriot during World War II.
I’ll explain.
This recipe was published in a cookbook called “Recipes on Parade: Dining Travelers at Home and Abroad—Favorite Recipes of Military Officers’ Wives.” It was published by Favorite Recipes Press of Montgomery, Alabama in 1975.
At first glance it appealed to me as I’m a former military wife (my husband served in the Air Force). In this edition of Recipes on Parade, military officers’ wives throughout the world contributed beloved recipes from wherever they were based with their families.
This recipe is listed under the heading for Italy, specifically Brindisi. It was submitted by Mrs. Lester R. Mellott, Jr, Kelly Air Force Base (AFB), in San Antonio, Texas. I imagine at some point the Mellott family was based in Italy.
As I was reading through the recipe, the name Kelly Air Force Base caught my attention (it, like many other military bases around our nation, closed in 2001).
The name caught my eye because a decade ago, I interviewed a female World War II vet who served at Kelly Field during the war.
From 2010-2020, I had a goal of interviewing and writing stories of as many World War II vets as I could find. I had interviewed a few for my local newspaper and found their stories amazing and humbling. ‘Everyone should know their stories’, I told myself.
By 2020, I had interviewed 260 vets throughout the nation and wrote nine books about them, all of which are listed on Amazon.
Born To Be Soldiers: Those Plucky Women of World War II by Kayleen Reusser is available on Amazon.
There were approximately 16 million World War II vets. Most are deceased now. The ones I had the privilege of interviewing were so kind to tell me their stories. I’m proud of the books I wrote that keep their stories alive.
Back to my vet.
Ruth Cooper Licking from Marion, North Carolina, volunteered to serve in the US Army in 1943. Her sense of patriotism was so strong that she volunteered to serve in the US Army. She always did the best job she could to serve her country.
After completing basic training, Ruth was assigned to a clerical position at Kelly Air Force Base, or what was known during the war as Kelly Field. “I kept track of paperwork for officers’ transfers and those headed overseas,” she told me during our interview.
In December 1943, Cooper received a special honor when the other Women’s Army Corps (WAC) women at Kelly Field chose her as their representative for a contest known as ‘Miss Victory’. “I was voted as the best female counterpart to a male soldier,” she said. Cooper and two other WACs from neighboring bases were recognized at a military ball during which the acclaimed Andrews sisters sang.
Eclipsing all other events at Kelly Field, Ruth met the love of her life and was married in the base chapel.
Ruth and her husband would eventually open a men’s clothing store in my town and after retirement, she lived in a local retirement home where I interviewed her.
Ruth’s complete World War II story and that of 12 other female World War II vets is in my book called ‘Born To Be Soldiers: Those Plucky Women of World War II.’
The title came from a statement Ruth said during her interview: “I always felt God made me to be a soldier.”
It was such an honor to tell the stories of these amazing women.
Thanks to all vets and their families for their service to our country, no matter when they served.
**
As for the recipe for Creamed Spaghetti, it is simple and fast to make–about 20 minutes. It is economical with the only expense being the bacon and pound of spaghetti (approximately $6.00 for both in my area). I like the fact that it is enriched with eggs and dairy with some meat, though the bacon could be left out for a meatless meal.
According to the introduction to the recipe (called a ‘headnote’), “This dish is served in most restaurants throughout Italy as pasta before a main course or as a meal with salad.”
I didn’t make changes to the original recipe, except to substitute 1% milk for heavy cream. Cooked peas or broccoli could be added for more nutrition and interest. Enjoy and thank a vet today for his/her service!
**
Creamed Spaghetti
1 pound bacon
½ cup onion, chopped
1 pound spaghetti
¼ cup butter, melted
4 eggs
Freshly grated parmesan cheese
Salt
Pepper
½ cup warm heavy cream
Fry bacon until crisp; remove from pan.
Pour off excess fat; saute onion in remaining fat.
Cook spaghetti in boiling salted water in kettle until just tender.
Drain spaghetti; return to kettle.
Toss with butter; keep warm.
Beat eggs well; stir in 1 cup grated cheese.
Pour egg mix over spaghetti; crunch bacon into pieces and add along with onions.
Toss quickly to coat well.
Add seasonings and warm cream; toss again.
Serve immediately with additional grated cheese.
Yield: 10-12
Vintage Eats of Kayleen Reusser 
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