BBQ & History

Vernon Long, Property Assessor for Anderson County in East Tennessee, is also owner of "Vernon's Burnins Slow Cooked Barbecue" in Clinton. Never mind that claptrap from mtanji or selil; the best BBQ in the entire eastern U.S. is from Vernon's! Perfectly slow-roasted pork, with just a hint of Carolina-style (vinegar based) sauce, on a soft fresh bun -- Mmm!!

As a token of gratitude to the citizens of Anderson County, Mr. Vernon is giving his famous pulled-pork BBQ sandwiches free (along with sweet tea, lemonade, and a bag of harvest cheddar SunChips). Next Saturday (August 16th) he'll be at the Marina on Melton Lake Drive in east Oak Ridge from 5-8pm EDT.

While Man-Cub played at the park, an elderly gentleman sat down at my table. His ballcap showed a bronze star, a purple heart and a silver star, in addition to a miniature Combat Infantryman Badge. Turns out he had two bronze stars and two silver stars (the third-highest award for valor) from his tours with the 32nd Infantry Division in New Guinea, the Philippines and the Battle of Luzon. We talked about the campaign, the weapons and General MacArthur for the next half-hour -- then he showed me the "One Japanese Peso" bill he keeps folded up in his wallet (the fiat currency issued in the Philippines by the occupying Japanese government):