Pete Hegseth serves Thanksgiving meals to deployed Navy sailors

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth spent Thanksgiving with Navy sailors stationed in the Latin American region, serving holiday meals and sharing a message of gratitude for their service.

In a video posted on X, Pete Hegseth and his wife, Jennifer, said they chose to spend the vacation aboard Navy warships with sailors supporting Southern Spear, a mission targeting terror and drug networks across Latin America.

“I’ve been deployed three times — I always think about my family and hope they come together with food and football and all that stuff,” Pete Hegseth said. “These people won’t be. We’ll get them maybe a turkey and a little cheer.”

The Secretary of War also addressed Wednesday’s attack that targeted two National Guardsmen in Washington, D.C., while offering prayers for the victims and their families.

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“Our minds are also in Washington, D.C., with the two great Americans who were ambushed and targeted,” Pete Hegseth said. “We pray for them, for everyone around them, and for their families.”

The Hegseths visited both the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford and the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Winston S. Churchill, according to the War Department.

In another video posted on X, the Hegseth family is seen serving Thanksgiving dishes to sailors.

“I give away a lot of candy at Halloween and a lot of turkey at Thanksgiving,” Pete Hegseth joked.

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The Hegseths serve Thanksgiving dinner to deployed sailors on Nov. 27, 2025. (@DOWResponse via X)

Aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford, the Secretary of War addressed the crew.

“Happy Thanksgiving from me, Secretary of War. Happy Thanksgiving from the president of the United States. Happy Thanksgiving from a grateful nation,” Pete Hegseth said.

He again pointed to the Guardsmen as a reminder of the “courage and selflessness of Americans who put everything on the line.”

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Aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford, the Secretary of War delivered a speech of thanks to the crew. (@DOWResponse via X)

“Whether it’s in our nation’s capital, on foot patrol, across our country’s hemisphere, at sea, interdicting cartels, or defending the American people — we are grateful to you,” Pete Hegseth said.

He added, “So, this Thanksgiving, on behalf of my wife and I, Jennifer, who is also here with me and will meet many of you, we simply say thank you, our deepest gratitude, and renew our commitment to you and your families.”

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The Secretary of War concluded his speech with George Washington’s 1789 Thanksgiving Proclamation and added a prayer for all deployed troops.

“God bless you, you are in our prayers, and we are grateful. Thank you. Thank you so much.”