Others were downright awful (Ham and Lima beans) and passed over left behind for the Cherries when it is their turn to pick out meals. About C-Rations. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. (Ham and eggs) they were the worst. We burned and buried the last ones in the system in1986 in the Sinai desert. The Food Service Officer (Canadian Major) thought she got a deal on them. I was a crechief on Hueys who resupplied you guys. 4.5 out of 5 stars (128) I always wanted to be in the military but because I about cut my foot off as a kid, I could not get in. The C-ration (officially Field Ration . It was such a shock to my system that I had diarrhea for a week! The photo above shows an original VN era Marlboro cigarette pack from a . unopened vietnam c-ration accessory pack with cigarettes. The standard ration pack issued to infantrymen in Vietnam was the Australian Combat Ration (One Man). loved getting the ham and eggs or beanie weenies pound cake with a melted John Wayne bar over it was heaven crackers were really funky l thought. Use the removed lid to cut 4 thin slices from the biscuit, toss the unused biscuits. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. The Red Cross also distributedletters from school children, church groups and others for us to read and respond in kind. yes crissie it was a mess kit one side flat other side had two compartments and you had silverware so to speak. Only once was stupid enough to eat the WHOLE LRRP ration at onne, swells up pretty big after the water goes down! Gun Pilot, B3, the co co package. I was an US ARMY Veterinary food inspector from 1967 to 1987. Great article, I was USMC 1966/67 Vietnam. My father told me that it was a food container, made of stainless steel, where the lid doubles as a frying pan of a sort, and the strap handle could extend into a handle for the pan (I hope that made sense..). Great site thanks for the memories. Pingback: A brief history of coffee in the US military, Your website really help me and my grandson doing a paper on me. As an infantry unit our year was pretty much the same as yours. God bless you all. He jokingly staggered back a few feet and loudly cleared his throat, while one person yelled out, Eeww, gross!. With me it seemed the meals that were my least favorite when I first arrived in country were my favorite ones towards the end of my tour. The Vietnamese will sit for hours with a homemade fishing pole fishing. Vietnam War C-Ration Cigarette Pack Lucky Strike Repro Opens in a new window or tab. He vowed to hang on to it until the day he retired, storing it in a box with other mementos. Pingback: Feasting on the Frontlines: The Vietnam War Discussing Food History. Most were tossed because they didnt want to clean them or carry the extra bulk in favor of the canteen cup which fit around the canteen and in the pouch plus it made no noise while you were walking around compared to the rattle of the utensils in your mess kit. THEY WERE STILL GOOD. We got Cs from both the old menu (1950s and early 1960s) which included such delectable stuff as ham & mothers, beef & rocks, canned bread and so forth. For the new guys flying for the first time, we never let them know how to do it. I was a cold war veteran spending my 3 years in Germany, but we were issued them for field trips, alerts and exercises. 1st tour grunt recon, etc. Saved the coke for when we would be by the tanks or APCs. On the rare occasion when we got a fresh bag lunch sandwich some kinda fruit and a couple boiled eggs it was egg salad time what a treet. Brings back memories of a distant time.. The Meal, Combat, Individual ( MCI) was a United States military ration of canned and preserved food, issued from 1958 to 1980. Thank you for taking the time to read this. Mass-2 Marine attached to the 3rd Marine Div. With this type of stove only half a Trioxin heat tab was needed to heat the meal and then the other half could be used to heat water for coffee or cocoa. Yes they did in WWI, WWII and right up to Vietnam. Vietnam War Pin Badge Reproductions. Everyone I knew always had a John Wayne (P-38) can opener on his dogtag chain and a plastic spoon in his pocket. Should you have a question or comment about this article, then scroll down to the comment section below to leave your response. Move away from the Chopper and light with matches from C-rat. Old wolfhound hereA/1/27.66,67,68..no one mentioned the hobo stove which when out of heat tabs or C-4 we would open a can of peanut butter. In Vietnam I was with Regional and Popular Force troops in Rung Sat Special Opening a claymore , take a ball of c 4, light it It was a luck of the draw right after we went through the gas obstacle coarse at basic training. I will always remember that time 1967-68 l drove a 5 ton dump and heated meals for everybody on the manifold a hot can of SOS in your belly goes a long way towards boosting your spirits. Army here, 67-70, most of 70 spent in Vietnam. I know, stupid MF but what the heck, its just ham. Barges were loaded with ammo and stores, I especially like the little flecks of OD paint mixed all through the food from opening the can with your P-38. PHU BAI, CAMP CARROLL, NAM 66/67. Semper Fi. We were at the end of the supply line so we ate a lot of C-rations. Nate Hill, Pres, TAC Tankers Assn. Helicopter Pilot. I would have beer almost every day. In the aviation community wed take a can of biscuits, poke holes in it, pour some JP4 into it, and voila a stove!! Brings back a lot of memories. As I recall, only about 30% of the soldiers in my platoon did not smoke. During the 1960s C-ration cigarettes were identical to the sample packs of four that tobacco salesreps handed out to the public. When I first got to Vietnam and was assigned to an infantry battalion in the field, I started eating Cs three meals per day. What is wrong with me? Id buy several cases in an instant. Ham and Limas was the favorite for this purpose. I was the lucky one that LIKED ham and Lima beans! Last time I tried to replace my Cs the price had gone out of sight. Among the necessities or near-necessities were P-38 can openers, pocket knives, heat tabs, wristwatches, dog tags, mosquito repellent, chewing gum, candy, cigarettes, salt tablets, packets of Kool-Aid, lighters, matches, sewing kits, Military Payment Certificates, C rations, and two or three canteens of water. I got ham and eggs. Levine named the threats as mold and deadly botulism if the sealing on the food has been broken, which isnt always visible. It's one of the most celebrated feats of World War II: On June 6, 1944, more than 160,000 troops stormed the beaches of Normandy during the D-Day invasion . Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Vietnam war C-Ration Cigarette Pack Winston Repro at the best online prices at eBay! As I remember our C rats were marked 1941 &42. I cannot tell you how happy I am to have stumbled across your post! from United Kingdom. I flew as a Crewchief on a UH-1C Gunship. My favorite was, Ham & Eggs Chopped. You are describing a military mess kit, but they were not used by most GIs in Viet Nam. No heat tablets before Vietnam. Just askin, BTW: I grew up in New Orleans and knew many of the McIlhenny family. Once I got some pancakes that had been stuffed down an elephant rubber. C-packs also contained cartons of Cigaretts, M&Ms and other favorites, Ive also created a poll to help identify my website audience before leaving, can you please click HERE and choose the one item best describing you. If you read this and you would like to try it,just give me a call at 1-800-347-2823 and i would be happy to send you a free bottle. I always enjoyed the pears and it went great with the pound cake. The accessory pack with each meal was sealed in a foil pouch. The dilemma here is that water is required for these and at almost three pounds per quart; the extra weight is a consideration. Pour out all of the heavy syrup, and 3.) Not to bad either! Patrick Douglas Erb was there from Oct.20,1970-March 15,1971. Click Here for web printable Marlboro Cigarettes from C-Ration Accessory Pack. It was reported in the media that each soldier in Vietnam had a hot meal each day. The 1st Inf Div was not allowed beer in the field due to some previous incident. Welcome back. German military outfitter Bausenwein is offering brand new, reproduction C-rations. iI LOVE C RATION WISH I HAD SOME NOW I ATE THEM EVERY DY WHEN I WAS IN NAM I W THERE FOR 18 MONTH WIT THE 101 ST ABN. I say all and families because a Military person has or had people waiting for them and worrying about them. They loved hearing how Tabasco Sauce made even C-rats mostly palatable. I can't find my links right now, but a little bit of searching should turn them up pretty easily. Tellander Sgt USMC. Our operation moved from the Air Force sector to the other side of the Air Base about a million miles away from our Mess facility. Now you could use an ammo box with a thousand rounds instead of the standard ammo box and metal feed chute limited to 300 rounds. Vintage C Ration Accessory Pack, No Cigarettes $8.00 $5.85 shipping or Best Offer Vintage 1971 Vietnam Era Military C Ration Can Fortified Peanut Butter Kern Food $14.44 Was: $16.99 $4.31 shipping Only 1 left! We got a hot meal in the jungle only after a firefight. $40 . B9719 VIETNAM ERA US Military C Ration Spoon in plastic bag IR19A - $16.35. Im writing a book which is fiction loosely based on my real experience for ages 10-14. Since your audience is mostly nam vets, Id guess ALL OF THEM remember c-rats. Moak got the drab olive can as a Marine helicopter pilot off the Vietnamese coast in 1973. The ration had to contain meat, bread, canned fruit, and some kind of dessert. Back in 1958 while flying the Pacific we had only Cs for flight lunches on aerial Tankers. Your email address will not be published. As a historian, these are important details as even food technologies change. canteens inside a canvas or nylon cover attached to web gear or ruck sacks, or the actual cans that C rations were canned. $50: VE-1123 Vietnam period shoulder bag for machine gun . Contents:12 ounces of bacon or one pound of meat (usually canned Corned Beef), two 8-ounce cans of hard bread or hardtack biscuits, a packet of 1.16 ounces of pre-ground coffee, a packet of 2.4 ounces of granulated sugar, and a packet of 0.16 ounces of salt. I too was in Berlin during the cold war. Voilatoasted cheese sandwich. The popular meals and cans of pound cake, peaches and fruit cocktail were prized and worth their weight in gold many soldiers hoarding them to barter for items during evening chow breaks; only one of each are included in every case of meals. That was the beginning of the Tet Offensive and the hot meals were few. We had C Rations to eat while in the Pentagon Oct 21st 1967 while the war protest march was going on. Right? Cs provided a good snack during night-time flight line work. Philip Morris K Ration Cigarette Pack, WWII Repro $ 4.00; Repro 1942 Lucky Strike Green Cigarette Pack $ 12.00; 1941 Repro Lucky Strike Cigarette Pack $ 12.00; Half and Half Tobacco Box, Repro $ 5.00; Zippo 1941 Black Crackle Lighter Reproduction $ 34.00; WWII Old Gold Cigarette K Ration Pack
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