CAPITAN, N.M. (KRQE) – For the second year in a row, Army veteran and now Capitan, New Mexico Mayor, Ron Lowrance says he knows a thing or two about being away from family during the holidays. This Thanksgiving, Lowrance traveled over 6,000 miles to cook up a feast for over two dozen Navy sailors. Lowrance saying, it’s all about giving back.
“My military’s service I never got to come home for Christmas or thanksgiving either because we were always doing something,” said Capitan, New Mexico Mayor, Ron Lowrance. After cooking up the feast for 20 sailors last thanksgiving, Lowrance was asked to return a second time around. “We are starting a tradition. We want you to come back out and cook for us for thanksgiving and I said oh okay,” said Lowrance. It wasn’t a tradition, but now I think it’s starting to become one,” added Lowrance’s son, Tanner Lowrance.
Disconnected from friends and family back home, Tanner says he’s glad his father could make the journey, making his and the rest of his comrades’ Thanksgiving day a lot more festive. “Knowing that he is willing to make that trip out here and showing that he cares about not just me and all the guys out here that are staying home and not having their family’s come out, it kind of brings everyone together a little bit more,” said Tanner. Running out of Turkey last Thanksgiving, Lowrance says this year he went a little bigger. Cooking up a feast, including two turkey’s, one giant ham, mashed potatoes and his son’s favorite dish. “It’s going to be the sweet potato pie oh my god man that stuff is amazing,” added Tanner.
Aside from the Thanksgiving feast, Lowrance says he’s also been cooking traditional New Mexican meals, including frito pie, enchiladas, breakfast burritos and of course green chile. As for whether he’ll continue the tradition next year, Lowrance says it looks like it’s already become a tradition.
