Paratrooper Mitch Luther recently shared how he talked his way into a Vegemite sandwich during US Army basic training, despite his jar of the spread being confiscated. The Australian soldier posted it to Instagram and TikTok, where his video has since reached over 175K views. He told his viewers, “I think one of the funniest and strangest things that’s ever happened to me in the United States Army as an Australian was during basic training. And it was when Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth passed away.”
Luther explained that he was completely unaware of the news because he didn’t have access to his phone. The situation unfolded when his drill sergeants held a formation with 200 soldiers. Luther claimed, “They call forward my roster number, and I stand in front of them, and they say, ‘Trainee, we regret to inform you, your queen is dead.’ And I’m standing there like at parade rest, like, okay, I don’t know. And I realized, ‘Oh, they have no idea what Australia even is, right?’”
When the drill sergeants asked if he needed time to grieve, Luther saw a unique opportunity to score a treat from home. He stated, “I realized in that moment that I… that I had to milk this, obviously. And the reason was because they had confiscated a jar of Vegemite from me that my mother had sent me in the mail. And I knew this was my moment. I knew this was my moment to get a Vegemite sandwich out of the situation.”
Basic training leaves little room for comfort food from home
According to Military OneSource, basic training comes with strict rules about what recruits can bring. Recruits are expected to pack only the essentials, since everything else is provided. The list of prohibited items is extensive and includes food such as gum, candy, and chips.
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Items outside the permitted checklist are typically confiscated, and while it’s unclear which specific rule applied to the jar Luther’s mother mailed him, it was taken all the same. Vegemite’s place in Australian life is hard to overstate, and one Victorian prisoner even sued over the state’s prison ban on the spread.
Luther told his drill sergeants, “Negative, Drill Sergeant. I don’t need any time to grieve the loss of my queen, but I would like to make myself a Vegemite sandwich in honor of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.” Luther said the ruse worked, recalling that the drill sergeants told him, “Okay, I think under these circumstances, we can make that happen.”
According to Luther, they asked him what he needed, and he told them, “Well, I need white bread, I need a generous amount of butter, and I need the Vegemite that you confiscated.” He claimed that they asked if he could do it without butter, to which he responded, “This is culturally, this is very important that we get this right.”
Luther claimed that he was called back two hours later and was given a loaf of white bread, plenty of butter, and his unopened jar of Vegemite. He noted, “And under their supervision, I stood there in the middle of the training area, and I made myself the best Vegemite sandwich that I have ever had.”
His viewers believe Queen Elizabeth would approve
His viewers were tickled by his story, and many were supportive. On Instagram, a user noted, “I feel like her majesty would approve. She had a good sense of humour.” Another agreed, writing, “I feel like Lizzie would have found this hilarious lmao.”
@mitchluther Best Vegemite sandwich I ever had honestly
♬ original sound – mitch luther
Then there were the Australian viewpoints. One noted, “Emotional support Vegemite is essential to treat MLSD- Monarch Loss Stress Disorder.” Another laughed at the cultural misunderstanding of the importance of the Queen. They wrote, “The Americans in here being unable to comprehend how little the monarchy means in Aus is sending me.”
TikTok users were equally entertained. One person wrote, “This story is GOLD!!!! Well done!!!” while another said, “This is one of the funniest things I’ve ever heard. I love you so much!” A third thought he could have had more fun, suggesting, “Dealt with it in the most Aussie way too. should’ve asked for an emotional support kangaroo.”
Luther’s account is his alone and couldn’t be independently verified. Still, it shows how much Vegemite means to many Australians. As the spread marked its 100th anniversary, The Guardian reported that Bega Group’s general manager of brand marketing and innovation, Matt Gray, described it as “a national treasure, woven into the fabric of Australia.” Vegemite isn’t the only Australian staple people defend fiercely, as an American food writer learned when she took a swing at fairy bread.
