Pound Cake and Peaches were my favorite, Sometimes the VC beat us to the C-Packs when they were dropped in the jungle by chopper. During World War II, C-Rations included a cigarette packet of nine cigarettes. My favorite C-ration dish was created as follows: 1.) . We were supplied by air drops and you ran to the pallet to get the best c ration unit. This was so insightful to read! A can opener (called both a John Wayne or a P-38) was needed to open the cans. 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 Remember chunks of pork with an inch of grease on top. Give me an address and Ill send you one. Well presented and will share with fellow Vietnam veterans and family. For sure peaches were like gold I was one of the few guys who didnt like them and could trade them for almost anything. Using a John Wayne (a P-38) pierce a series of closely spaced holes around the top and bottom rims of the can. 4.5 out of 5 stars (128) HI ED- nam 69-70- remember c-rats well. Found four P38s still in the brown paper wrapping that I brought back from Nam in Dec. 72. Tastes just like it always did, Mikolashek mumbled with a mouthful of cake as Moak laughed and clapped. Gun Pilot, B3, the co co package. Often got Cs that had been packaged right after the Korean war. meal eggs always looked greenish . When I look at your blog in Opera, it looks fine but We used to make stoves by using a can opener to open up the two sides of a small can on both sides (which were then pushed in). I was on Google looking up information on c-rat socks as this is a new term that I just learned and that is how I arrived here. got there 170 pounds left at a 110 pounds. , Just looking at a can of Ham and MFers makes me wanna puke. Returned 13 months later via Tiger airlines to a civilian air port in LA & greeted by a lot of people flipping the bird at us. I have a few fng stories about Cs. Everyone I knew always had a John Wayne (P-38) can opener on his dogtag chain and a plastic spoon in his pocket. Within shouting distance of us was a huge Marine Mess. The cigarettes were even contaminated with bugs ! They learned quickly when the cans exploded and Messed up my airplane said the M/Sgt who was the flight engineer sitting across from the voltage regulators. So many times I got something other that ham & Lima so I made out in the bargain department. The heat tabs gave off exhaust like tear gas, which could drive guys out of a tent or bunker, so a little C-4 was just the thing burned hot and clean, and no danger of exploding because C-4 was a stable substance. Click Here for web printable Vietnam Boarding Pass. I got a flashback Ill never forget those days Sometimes I would eat the pineapples, bananas or coconuts if I could get them. 1 for 5 5 for 20 20 for 40 Keep an . I REMBER C-RATS I LIKED POUND CAKE AND RANGER PUDDINGDENNIS 4TH INF DIV 69-70, So cool, i love your post, I am from Vietnam. Other then that, fantastic blog! would love to find a rec for them now These reminiscences take me back. The popular brands like Winston, Marlboro, Kools and Salem were always in short supply and benefited the non-smokers who used them to barter. This is the official Quartermaster's description of C-Rations used in Vietnam "The Meal, Combat, Individual, is designed for issue as the tactical situation dictates, either in individual units as a meal or in multiples of three as a complete ration. I wish that cigarettes were never part of those C-rations. New Reproduction C-Rations Available. I can't find my links right now, but a little bit of searching should turn them up pretty easily. Free shipping for many products! Gen. Walter S. McIlhenny son of the 2nd company president of McIlhenny Company from his experiences with C-Rations as a soldier during WWII came up with the idea to send soldiers copies of the Charlie Ration Cookbook filled with recipes for spicing up C-rations with Tabasco Pepper Sauce wrapped around two-ounce bottles of Tabasco Pepper Sauce along with a handful of a P-38 type can openers all in a waterproof canister. PHU BAI, CAMP CARROLL, NAM 66/67. Same when I came out of the field and started eating mess-hall chow regularly. Original Vietnam era US Military C Ration white plastic Spoon.From C Ration 382314172092. Yes of course the C-Rations survived the bears. $45: VE-1225 Vietnam Boxed lock and keys. The ration had to contain meat, bread, canned fruit, and some kind of dessert. canteens inside a canvas or nylon cover attached to web gear or ruck sacks, or the actual cans that C rations were canned. after this became the way of doing it. Water was critical. It had a flavor I can not duplicate to this day. I wanted to see the reality of what the soldiers had to endure. Now I know why I lost 40 LBs. In the aviation community wed take a can of biscuits, poke holes in it, pour some JP4 into it, and voila a stove!! Warrant officer. 2nd tour, NO problem, LOACH pilot and home every night if I didnt get shot down! B-unit: (3) 12 ounce cans of bread, coffee and sugar. My older sister, younger brother and I could only imagine what those canned meals tasted like. Kevin. View history. I will always remember that time 1967-68 The Army colonel popped open an old military 'C' Ration can of pound cake from 1969 at his retirement ceremony, and dug in. I have great memories of C-Rations. In 1925, the meat ration was replaced with canned pork and beans. to a pack. c-4 was the best for heating, some 4th inf. Vietnam War C-Ration Cigarette Pack Lucky Strike Repro Opens in a new window or tab. I had a couple bites but couldnt get the rest down. But I read as much as I can get my hands on about what it was like to have served in those times. Close to Mom!s chocolate cookie mix before she put on the cooking ban to bake. I really enjoyed Meat balls & beans. I want to thank all the men and women who served in Vietnam. And my brothers. the military mess kit also comes with a military fork, knife and spoon. The only thing I miss was the instant coffee with the creamer and sugar. Sincere thanks to all of our military veterans who have bravely served our great country in times of war and ate their share of those C rations. In 1966 during the Vietnam war Brig. The next thing I got was the MREs. Years later I wonder if the paint was lead based? Check my other listings for different quantities. They Tried! We were the first army division in the first corps at that time. Service. Issued as one boxed ration per person per day. This would include various survival items and rations. But, Nuac mam still sucks ass! Stand tall and thank you for your service. Might you, or anyone else have an idea? Used extensively during World War II. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading all of these posted messages about C rations, even though Ive never tasted even one bite of food from one of those cans. I got ham and eggs. Old Marine. I ate a years worth 199LIB 11b20 September 69 September 70. Good article. Typical commercial brands issued in the cigarette rations in Vietnam were: Camel, Chesterfield, Kent, Kool, Lucky Strike, Marlboro, Pall Mall, Salem, or Winston. 1967 Vietnam c-rations box being opened for the first time in 43 years. The dilemma here is that water is required for these and at almost three pounds per quart; the extra weight is a consideration. All individual empty cans and trash were buried prior to leaving the table unless he had another use for one of the cans. Never heard of that version before. The "Honcho Club". It replaced the earlier C-ration, which it was so similar to . Listing is for 1x Pin Badges, please specify the design at checkout or a random ones will be sent out. Gotta tell you that the ham and limas were the only c rat I couldnt eat and I love normal ham and limas,but the c rat version were way too salty, we called them the heavies. I use to take chip BBQ beef and cut the lid open, set the lid back on top, put the can back in the box and light it on fire. ate a lot as a kid . "Peanut butter and crackers was the best," Orbell said. Although the meat item can be eaten cold, it is more palatable when heated. In 1975 they stopped putting cigarettes in rations which raised hell with US troops everywhere. 2.) B9719 VIETNAM ERA US Military C Ration Spoon in plastic bag IR19A - $16.35. Loved the article brought back a lot of memories. I too was in Berlin during the cold war. Canned meals for use in the field. https://charliecompany.org/2012/04/20/c-rations/ Reply With []. Reblogged this on Cherries A Vietnam War Novel and commented: Heres a blast from the pasta favorite article by visitors posted over 4 yrs. Thanks for this article and thanks all American officers and soldiers in the field of VN war. A strictly utilitarian use of C-rations for crew chiefs and gunners on our D model Hueys was to replace the M-60 feed chute with a can of Cs. U.S.A.F. $40 . Vietnam Veteran Keeps Vow, Eats 40-Year-Old CakeFriday , July 24, 2009. When I had my first taste of LRP Rations I thought it was food for angels. This isnt Larry Craft from Pittsburgh, is it? recovered jeep. I liked Ham and M..f That meant I always had plenty to eat. The dehydrated pork and beef hockey pucks were supposed to be the big thing but the dried fruit was the best part. George Newport dynamite and dirt merchant Combat Engineer. In 1988 a friend of mine who owned an oyster bar/restaurant told me that he liked the sauce and wanted to know if I would make him some for his restaurant,which my wife and I did .We hand wrote the labels on notebook paper and scotch taped them to the bottles ,and gave them to our friend. Military explosives are designed to go through combat. Beat the heck out of what we scrounged up to eat with our counterparts. Thank you so much. lol guess I was not human. Took me back,soldier. description of C-Rations used in Vietnam: The small cans included in the meal were ideal for making a stove. Cigarettes were bad for your health along with bullets. Every thing else not to bad. Brand New. $50: VE-1125 Vietnam Grenade Carrier. P-38! shows storage age and wear and is still sealed. I was there during the transition from C-Rats to MREs during the early 80s. And to you Vietnam soldierswelcome home sincerely wished to you all. As a historian, these are important details as even food technologies change. The can fit the input chute clip perfectly and provided a smooth curved surface for the linked 7.62s to feed ammo into the M-60. Every C-Ration meal contained a single four-pack of cigarettes; ten different brands were primarily offered, but like the meals, some were more popular than others. Glad to be on my way back to Goliad, TX so many of my buds were not so lucky. Sounds like a lot of B S to me. BTW, I did some shows with Justin Wilson in New Orleans. I got pretty good at stealing C4 to cook with , and those LRRP rations . Three of us hailed a cab & that older gent stopped & bought us a six pack. These were the times that made it ok. Thank you in advance! It let off a whooshing sound as the pressure seal broke. My favorite was, Ham & Eggs Chopped. Larry, as a young WO1 pilot just reporting to Nam, making and using the crew chief stove was one of the first thing my crew chief taught me to do. Menu. Toward the end of my tour, we began having access to the freeze-dried LRRP meals. It`s the meal that had the pound cake. Development began in 1938 with the . Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Vintage K Brand Rabbit Family Ration Patch Logo Snapback Trucker Hat Cap USA at the best online prices at eBay! The components of the MCI were the M - "Meat Unit", the B - "Bread Unit", and D - "Dessert Unit". I would have beer almost every day. On rare occasions when allowed piled stones put tab in middle for stove. Great detail Great Job from an old army Grunt. | dng sng c. Never saw anyone eat pound cake without spitting it out. As the Doughboys went to France, the ration changed. C-rations combat rations. THE C-RATIONS I ATE IN VIETNAM IN 1970 WERE DATED 1943 THATS 27 YRS OLD AND In the field 90% of my tour. so what did you feed your dog in nam? Id buy several cases in an instant. $100.00 Vintage Complete Sealed Vintage Complete Sealed Vietnam Era Us C Rations Accessory Packet Wspoon Vintage Complete Sealed Vietnam Era Us C Rations Accessory Packet Wspoon. I remember the first time we got to sample some Cs just after we went threw the gas obstacle back in basic training. Beans an winnies the best.ham and eggs always green no way I would eat it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was a high-speed radio operator (MOS 062) during the peacetime years 1955-58, after Korea and before Vietnam. Dec 18, 2011. The ration was very heavy, weighing 5 lbs . This stove was satisfactory, but did not allow enough oxygen to enter which caused incomplete burning of the blue Trioxin heat tablet, causing fumes which irritated the eyes and respiratory tract. $100 VE-546 Choice Vietnam Jungle Boots, size 12. The ham and eggs were inedible. Even for me being a FNG they were a treat but I didnt appreciate them as much as the old timers did. Give me pears or apricots any time. Once I got some pancakes that had been stuffed down an elephant rubber. We just sold out all of our products in February 2018 except for this hot sauce,which we are going to sell as private label. As an infantry soldier in Vietnam, C-Rations was my sole source of nourishment for at least 300 of the 365 days I served in-country. We, the Army Inspectors, condemned them all. Bill McD No heat tablets before Vietnam. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Ur full of it Old Marine. We had C Rations to eat while in the Pentagon Oct 21st 1967 while the war protest march was going on. I have an entire case of unopened C rations from 1969 for sale on Ebay right now. You, and all veterans have my utmost respect and admiration. My favorite meal was SPICED BEEF and GRAVY with crackers and cheese. I was with the First Air Cavalry, (67-68) when we moved the whole division from An Khe to what eventually became Camp Evans, (we called it Tombstone, because we were camping in a Vietnamese cemetery) The first brigade of the 101st Airborne was under the operational control of the Cav at that time. Honestly, the scrambled egg chunks or beans and weenies werent bad cold, but the rest needed to be heated in order to be palatable. They were the best canned peaches Ive ever had. Cases of C-Rations are assigned and split among a squad of soldiers theres an ample supply to cover three meals per person 4.5 pounds of canned wet food for each days adequate nourishment. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. We were at the end of the supply line so we ate a lot of C-rations. l would buy and eat them today if someone was to make em. Matches The suggestion of including matches was done at the same time as the inclusion of the cigarettes. I destroyed my taste buds eating my Moms cooking. A plastic spoon. . We got a hot meal in the jungle only after a firefight. about fruit cocktail. Original Vietnam era US Military C Ration white plastic Spoon.From C Ration 382314172092. If somebody liked Lucky Strikes, Parliament, Chesterfields or Pall Malls, they would never run out. Left the nam brought one home should have seen the looks I got. You are describing a military mess kit, but they were not used by most GIs in Viet Nam. Gentlemen, I was wondering if you ever ate at a local shack/stall in town or did you ever go fishing? 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 . took the fire extinguisher and use it to get our cokes cold. It would burn hotter and was much better for heating water. The Armycolonelpopped open an old military C Ration can of pound cake from 1969 at his retirement ceremony, and dug in. I also still have my P-38. 34 watchers Cs provided a good snack during night-time flight line work. This is the food US soldiers ate when deployed in the Vietnam War.. I was a dog handler in Vietnam 67-68. We took them camping, my sister wanted corn dogs, which the bears ate as they passed thru our camp. Yuck. The C-ration (officially Field Ration . Mass-2 Marine attached to the 3rd Marine Div. Elements of a United States Military Meal, Combat, Individual ration, as served in Da Nang, South Vietnam during the Vietnam War, 1966 or 1967. God bless you and I hope that this note finds you well, Sir. I always wanted to be in the military but because I about cut my foot off as a kid, I could not get in. Always cigarettes, toilet paper and matches. I dont recall eating many of the meals warm. The first and last time I ate that meal. and "M" (meat) units, each menu contained an accessory packet, fruit, and cigarettes. wished Id known that neat way of PBJ. Abandoned my country, Vietnam, in 1975, but that did not make me hating them. As an infantry soldier in Vietnam, C-Rations was my sole source of nourishment for at least 300 of the 365 days I served in-country. One case of C-Rations contained 6 rations. Ive read some books by Vietnam vets and it was also mentioned how to use a c-rat can for the m60. We have a great picture of my father, brother and i with our pup tent set up in the back yard cooking C-Rations on my dads small portable 1 can cook stove. 10 days later gulfort, mississippi.. jus lemme have a p38.. Back in 1958 while flying the Pacific we had only Cs for flight lunches on aerial Tankers. So I gave my last Cs to a Boy Scout Troop and switched to freeze-dried packets (civilian version of MREs) . were dog rations and c rations the same thing? These meals came in a case containing 12 meals. Zone (450 sq miles of mangrove). We called our can openers a JOHN WAYNE or P38 it had a small hole in it and we would put it on our dog tags. Smoking in the services came under attack in the 1980s. As an infantry unit our year was pretty much the same as yours. Despite the new name, the MCI was still popularly referred to by the troops as "C-Rations" (or "Charlie rats"), which it resembled in nearly all respects. 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! The Meal, Combat, Individual (MCI) was the name of canned wet combat rations issued by the United States Armed Forces from 1958 to 1980, when it was replaced by the Meal, Ready-to-Eat (MRE). It was a common thing to trade C rations for cigarettes. Camel Cigarettes C-Ration Vietnam Era Vietnam 2 Quart Canteen M1967 Cover Mint 1972 Air Defense Artillery Guidon 1st of the 59th Sleeping Bag Carrier Strap Assembly Vietnam era Vietnam Era Flyers Kit Bag 1972 Vietnam era 1968 Lubricating Oil Tin O-190 Vietnam era 1971 Medium Weapons Oil Bottle Vietnam era 1969 Rifle Bore Cleaner Moak got the drab olive can as a Marine helicopter pilot off the Vietnamese coast in 1973. The only thing I find myself craving from time to time was the instant coffee with of course dry creamer and sugar although I think it was making it in one of the C ration cans that gave it that special flavor. Vietnam War Pin Badge Reproductions. 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. Voilatoasted cheese sandwich. yes i remember . The accessory pack with each meal was sealed in a foil pouch. I ate C rats in Korea in 1960-61, and in Vietnam 65-66. Moak got the drab olive can as a Marine helicopterpilotoff the Vietnamese coast in 1973. C rations boxes contained three meals for each of eight men. USMC. One SP was intended to meet the requirements of 100 men for one day, but we usually saw one SP per platoon (30 men) every two to three weeks. Only once was stupid enough to eat the WHOLE LRRP ration at onne, swells up pretty big after the water goes down! . Photo via Wikipedia. yes crissie it was a mess kit one side flat other side had two compartments and you had silverware so to speak. Today Gover keeps a . I could not find a meat and beans recipe. Loved the lerps when we could get them. I was a cold war veteran spending my 3 years in Germany, but we were issued them for field trips, alerts and exercises. When we shut down to eat we would use our really long pliers to hold the meal as the ship was running down. Also read a lot about their c-rat experiences too. i was in from 1966 to 1972. i never ate a c ration that was younger than me. In 1922, the ration was reorganized to consist of 16 ounces (450 g) of meat (usually beef jerky ), 3 ounces (85 g) of canned corned beef or chocolate, 14 ounces (400 g) of hard bread or hardtack biscuits, coffee and sugar. Got to Nam in July 68 an assigned as a pilot way down in the Delta. Every once in awhile they would send us out real food and some Beer and coke. 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. It does take one way back. (Ham and eggs) they were the worst. I just wanted to give you a quick heads up! Four can openers are provided in each case of 12 meals. t004. I liked the Cs better. ham and turkey loaf and the peanut butter, our c rats came in a white case I remember the date on them then was like 20 years old in 1968, I liked the sterno heater, they were much better warm than cold. In Vietnam I was with Regional and Popular Force troops in Rung Sat Special (LogOut/ 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. My dad knows what its called in Vietnamese, but has no clue what it is in English. The C-Ration, or Type C ration, was an individual canned, pre-cooked, and prepared wet ration. The one in the marines was stationed in ChuLai. He dared anybody gutsy enough to join him, and retired Lt. Gen. Paul T. Mikolashek, who was theU.S. ArmyEurope commander when Moak served overseas, took an even bigger piece. I do remember about a week after I was out in the field we received a case of onions by mistake. Anyone able to help me out? The military teaches you to be a thief . I was an US ARMY Veterinary food inspector from 1967 to 1987. Had to have Tabasco sauce for the C rats. I lived on peaches & pound cake for breakfast with hot chocolate. You could buy cases of beer and soda too. Steve Miller It was great when someone got a care package from homewe all shared. Twelve different menus are included in the specification. Always let the FNGs learn a lesson the hard way. Popular products. After a formal retirement ceremony, dozens of friends and relatives joined Moak in the Pentagons Hall of Heroes as he opened the can to cheers. My story is written in letter form with letters to the characters father, to Walter Cronkite and to some other people. I was with the 15th Aerial Port Sq 1968-69, Da Nang. Most of us knew there were others who had it harder than than we did. The Vietnamese will sit for hours with a homemade fishing pole fishing. Kindest regards. That was the beginning of the Tet Offensive and the hot meals were few. Serving in the Marine corps the beef stew in cans, cold,! 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. Thanks for your. Tellander Sgt USMC. Who could ever forget about C-Rations? It was illustrated by Fred Rhoads. Crash fire. You can live a long time on just water, so I do not recall being hungry. The Meal, Combat, Individual (MCI) was the name of canned wet combat rations issued by the United States Armed Forces from 1958 to 1980.