A funny thing happened in Kandahar, Afghanistan on Memorial Day: Military folks got to chow down on Southern hushpuppies, courtesy of Smithfield Chicken ’N Bar-B-Q. And Facebook had a lot to do with it.

“When I first became a Facebook fan of Smithfield’s, there was a post about how they wanted to send barbeque to Alaska,” wrote James Franks in an e-mail. Franks, 29, is an operations specialist first class for the U.S. Navy, currently serving in Afghanistan. “I posted to make a joke that if they wanted to attempt to send some barbeque to Afghanistan, I would gladly be their guinea pig.”

Smithfield’s Chicken ’N Bar-B-Q Marketing Director Richard Averitte didn’t take it as a joke. He knew the barbecue wouldn’t make it but decided to send two cases of hushpuppy mix and a bunch of T-shirts emblazoned with “Real Men Drink Sweet Tea.”

“The hushpuppy mix arrived about 10 days before Memorial Day,” wrote Franks, who grew up in both Garner and Smithfield-Selma. “That gave me time to go scrounging to find someone who had a deep fryer that I could borrow. On Memorial Day we had a little over 100 people attend our cook-out. We are a Navy command, but over here we are part of a Joint Task Force, so our cookout included men and women from all services — soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, a few government contractor civilians and even some guys from the British, Canadian, French and Romanian militaries.”

The dinner menu included steaks, grilled chicken breasts, green beans, sweet corn, the hushpuppies and cheesecake for dessert.

“It was huge to have a little taste of home over here in Afghanistan,” Franks continued via e-mail. “Once the word got out about the hushpuppies, I literally could not make them fast enough. Every time a fresh batch came out of the fryer, they were gone in the blink of an eye. ... Luckily I ran out of oil before I ran out of mix, so I still have about six boxes of mix left that I’ve stashed away for the Fourth of July.”

Care packages
Averitte is going to make sure the unit doesn’t want for hush puppies again — or anything else. “We were so touched by the soldiers’ excitement and appreciation that we have decided to adopt his unit,” Averitte said.

Smithfield’s Chicken ‘N Bar-B-Q has more than 30 locations in North Carolina as well as an online store where barbecue can be shipped anywhere in the United States. General managers and patrons from several locations are eager to donate to the care packages that Smithfield’s will ship each month.

“I will always contribute something to the packages,” said Chris Cargile, general manager of the Smithfield’s Chicken ‘N Bar-B-Q in Fuquay-Varina. “One of my staff members at a former restaurant was a Ranger and he was in the heart of the action in Iraq and Afghanistan.”

Top on the wish list: current magazines. “As I type this there is a National Geographic from July 1985 lying on the desk,” said Franks. Also wanted are homemade treats, coffee, candy, snacks, batteries, puzzles, games and anything fitness-related. “I think it’s absolutely great that Smithfield’s Chicken ’N Bar-B-Q wants to keep sending us stuff. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it, and how humbled I am by it.”

A day in the life
The war in Afghanistan is nearly 8 years old. Franks’ unit is an Explosive Ordinance Disposal mobile unit based in San Diego, Calif. “My unit is responsible for all of southern and western Afghanistan. Our mission is to first defeat the IED devices [explosives] themselves and track down the bad guys that are designing, building and emplacing them.”

Franks’ unit is located in the southern part of Afghanistan, on the edge of the Red Desert.

“It’s usually over 110 degrees,” said Franks. “There is no grass, and the dirt is like talcum powder, so it’s indescribably dusty. When you walk around every day it’s like being constantly blasted by a blow-dryer. We are a constant target for rocket attacks — a few times per week the insurgents shoot rockets at us. At any time, day or night, you have to be ready for incoming rockets and have only seconds to hit the deck and get yourself to cover.”

Averitte says sometimes people forget how tough it is for those serving. “Communicating with [Franks] on Facebook really opened my eyes,” Averitte said. “I feel honored and privileged that we can do something to make their sacrifice a little easier.”

In this case, it really is the thought that counts. “I think I can speak for most of us when I quote Trace Adkins: ‘We’re thankful for those thankful for the things we’ve done,’” Franks said.

“We don’t require gifts. We’re an all-volunteer military, and we are just over here doing our jobs. Just to know that people are back home keeping us in their thoughts and prayers all the way over here is about the best gift we could ask for.”

Franks’ unit will remain in Afghanistan until early November. For information about how to donate, visit scnbnc.com.