Cookies for a Veteran

When Master Sergeant, Paul Hohn was serving his country in Iraq and Afghanistan, his Aunt LaVae Marquardt sent him ginger cookies. In her home in Milltown, South Dakota, she shaped each cookie to fit precisely in a Pringles potato chip can. Then she cut waxed paper into small rounds to place between the cookies, so they would arrive safely. Paul called these wax paper rounds, "doilies." The cookies - a reminder of home.

Paul Hohn is the great-great nephew of World War 1 veteran, George Mattas. The recipe originated from George’s sister, Amelia Mattas Mize, Paul’s great-grandmother and LaVae’s grandmother. George received boxes from home, some may have contained ginger cookies.

Paul Hohn, US Air Force, Technical Master Sergeant, 6^th Civil Engineer Squadron Explosive Ordinance Flight, is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom and the War in Afghanistan. He was awarded the Bronze star for his service in Iraq. Paul retired in 2011 after 21 years of active duty.

Prvt. George Mattas. Circa, 1917

LaVae's handwritten recipe