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U.S. Troops Order Comfort, With Fries on the Side
Soldiers Looking for a Taste of Home Make for a Booming Business at Iraqâs First Burger KingBy Theola Labbé Washington Post Staff Writer Sunday, October 19, 2003 EFL and Fair Use BAGHDAD -- Welcome to Iraq, home of the Whopper. Deep inside Baghdad International Airport, past a vehicle search, a body search and four checkpoints, soldiers are lined up for burgers and fries. They have come by plane from Mosul, 220 miles north, for onion rings. They have picked up Chicken Royale sandwiches while picking up buddies flying back from a two-week home leave. They have begged and borrowed Humvees, making up any excuse for a trip to the airport and a reminder of what the pink mixture of ketchup and mayonnaise oozing from a fresh Whopper tastes like. To paraphrase Robert Duvallâs character from Apocalypse Now, "It "It tastes like home, yes it does," said Staff Sgt. Mark Williams, 50, from Pittsburgh, after tearing off a chunk of his Whopper with cheese. Lucky stiff - this is making me hungry! The former Saddam International Airport now houses Iraqâs first Burger King. Part creature comfort, part therapy for homesick troops, its sales have reached the top 10 among all Burger King franchises on Earth in the five months since it opened. The shiny metal broiler spits out 5,000 patties a day. -- More -- © 2003 The Washington Post Company Iâll take a Double Bacon Whopper with Cheese, large fries, and a medium Coke! Huh? Posted by: .com 2003-10-22 |
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