More than 300 soldiers at the U.S. base in Yokosuka, on the outskirts of Tokyo, lined up for a Thanksgiving dinner, complete with turkey, gravy, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and corn bread.

Many young soldiers on their first mission abroad rushed back for seconds saying that the food reminded them of home.

[Chauncee Hepburn, Soldier from Virginia]:
"It was delicious. It was...tasted like home...a little bit. It was great, I enjoyed it."

After the Thanksgiving dinner many soldiers were able to share some time with the families back home via the Internet.

A partnership between Internet software company Skype and the United Service Organizations - a nonprofit organization with a mission to deliver comfort, morale and recreational services to the military – made it all possible.

William Gilden dialed his family back in Charleston, South Carolina from a public computer on base.

William's older sisters Suzanne and Sarah were overjoyed.

They all smiled and waved at one another, celebrating their reunion on Thanksgiving eve in Japan.

This is Gilden’s first mission abroad. He has been away from his family for almost six months.

[William Gilden, Soldier from Charleston, South Carolina]:
"I miss Thanksgiving at home, but here at the USO, thanksgiving food was just like at home. The mashed potatoes were really good. They were actually real potatoes unlike (what) the navy cooks.”

David Kaufeld was able to see his nephew Jay and niece Haley waiting for his return in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

[David Kaufeld, Soldier from Grand Rapids, Michigan]:
"It was real nice you know, just being able to see them and talk to them, you know, because over here you don't really get that much.”

The dinner and Skype sessions were also held at Camp Hansen on the southern island of Okinawa as well as on Guam.