MEMORIES: When James Mattis Gave Away His Dinner. “A young soldier, probably no more than 18, was at our table. He was starving and devoured his beautiful dinner in just a few minutes. I will never forget the moment when General Mattis took his own untouched meal, cleared the young soldier’s plate himself, and gave him a fresh plate of his food. Mattis went without dinner that night, not making a big deal out of it, keeping the table laughing, and making sure all those young warriors were attended to.”