Let Him Eat Cake

When most people retire they dream of lazy days in Florida, or spending quality time on the golf course, or finally digging into those house projects they have put off for so long. But retiring Army Col. Henry Moak had a slightly different retirement dream: eating a 36-year-old military-issued pound cake.

We know what you’re thinking ... why?  "I would eat it any chance I could get, but not all of the meals came with pound cake," Moak explained to CNN before opening it at his retirement party.

In short, it was always his favorite, and it simply seemed logical to enjoy the canned treat one final time as he bid adieu to his long Army career. He had been saving the particular cake since 1973, when he received it while serving in Vietnam.

Anticipation built as Moak used a vintage P-38 can opener to break the vacuum seal, and he must have been getting a bit nervous when he declared, “I won’t eat it if it’s black and moldy.”

Yet much to his delight the cake still looked edible. The ceremonial sword used to cut his real retirement cake was used to dig the pound cake out of the can and into his hands.

Moak took his first bite, and onlookers no doubt held their breath in anticipation.

The verdict? “It’s good, it’s still kind of moist,” he declared.

And all is right with the world.