Yes of course the C-Rations survived the bears. Thanks again. The MCI was intended as a modest improvement over the earlier canned Type C or C ration, with inclusion . Blocks of c 4 began to be available, this spared claymores. Reproduction WW2 German MP40 Transit Case $350.00 WW2 K Ration Heavy Duty Cardboard Packing Box (10 in 1, K Ration, Heffenreffer Beer.) Only hot meal was the last morning for chow. I was in Vietnam with the Marines from 68-69. CA. You did what you had to do and made it home to an undeservedly rough reception. 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. great footlocker or combat field pack display item. 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. the military mess kit also comes with a military fork, knife and spoon. As the Doughboys went to France, the ration changed. Thanks for your. guy came by and collected all our heating tabs said they caused cancer. I WONDER IF HE DIED FROM AGENT ORANGE. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Smilesnada but smiles. The menu is comprised of one meat (meatloaf, beef tips, chicken, etc), mashed potatoes, veggies, cake or pie, ice-cold milk, lemonade and steaming, hot coffee. You brought back a lot of memories. Thanks for this article and thanks all American officers and soldiers in the field of VN war. One thing I remember about Cs was the fruit. Photos of dissected original pack & other info is included in the pdf file. I always wanted or traded for boned chicken or turkey, because if I remember correctly they were made in Saint James MN. Read about all of these, noticed that none of you brothers mentioned using the tin of peanut butter as a stove. The first and last time I ate that meal. We learned how to cook rice in an ammo can and that Ham & MFs with greens, heated and served hot over the rice with some kimchee as a condiment was a decent meal. 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. My last CO also liked them. 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. Three? 1st tour grunt recon, etc. USMC. You, and all veterans have my utmost respect and admiration. Now I know why I lost 40 LBs. Fortunately I was able to run down a medic with some antacid. Balance food to be heated on bent over lid and can while fire heat main course. We had C Rations to eat while in the Pentagon Oct 21st 1967 while the war protest march was going on. were dog rations and c rations the same thing? Open can of peaches with P-38. DD345 - Liberty Pass. Using a John Wayne (a P-38) pierce a series of closely spaced holes around the top and bottom rims of the can. Great site thanks for the memories. Our squad leader was fairturned all Cs upside down and would mix up..then we would pick..No Fear!! What is wrong with me? The desserts and the B units got better, too. I think I was one of a few who actually liked ham and Limas. One case of C-Rations contained 6 rations. C-Ration: Development began in 1938 and was completed between 1941 and 1945. During the 1960s C-ration cigarettes were identical to the sample packs of four that tobacco salesreps handed out to the public. . You don't want soldiers in war zones endangering their health! Listing is for 1x Pin Badges, please specify the design at checkout or a random ones will be sent out. Less known is that an unlikely snack . You could boil a canteen cup of water with a pea-size ball of it in 30 seconds. C-Rations were developed in 1938 as a replacement for reserve rations, which sustained troops during World War I, and consisted chiefly of canned corned beef or bacon and cans of hardtack. As a historian, these are important details as even food technologies change. Well, my friends, let me refresh your memory and tell you everything you need to know but have forgotten about those wonderful meals. Vietnam Era C-Ration Cigarette Pack www.hardscrabblefarm.com The photo above shows the components of the cigarette pack. I thought that smoking American cigarettes was a big mistake. Though intended only for use in combat conditions, troops often ate K-rations for weeks on end, and they quickly tired of the monotonous meals. To eating our faithful C rations. Living in Florida, for years I kept a couple of cases of Cs on hand as part of my hurricane supplies. I do! (Obviously some supply sergeant made himself a bunch of money.) Semper Fi. I did that too but I wondered sometimes if a 7.62 round could ignite it. A stove was usually carried in the back pack or cargo pocket and used repeatedly until the metal began to fail. 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. VE-1226 Cigarette case from the 67TH TAC Recon Wing. I did 3 tours 69-71 with Army artillery..Our 1st c rats were stamped 1946 and tasted no differnt than those made in the 60s..Beans and Weenies all the way! $40 : VE-1124 Mortar carrier's shoulder pads, to support the metal barrel. A combination my Italian wife would cringe at. Great article, I was USMC 1966/67 Vietnam. Elements of a United States Military Meal, Combat, Individual ration, as served in Da Nang, South Vietnam during the Vietnam War, 1966 or 1967. Agree pound cake slice it mix choc sugar creamer make icing. Food was of secondary importance. The daily ration of 3 meals provides approximately 3600 calories., 1 Beef w/Spiced Sauce, Halved Apricots, Peanut Butter, B-1 Unit crackers, candy, 2 Tuna Fish, Quartered Pears, Peanut Butter, B-1 Unit crackers, candy, 3 Ham and Eggs, Chopped, Quartered Pears, Peanut Butter, B-1 Unit crackers, candy, 4 Pork, Sliced, Cooked with Juices, Halved Apricots, Peanut Butter, B-1 Unit crackers, candy, 5 Beans w/Frankfurter Chunks in Tomato Sauce, Blackberry Jam, Fruitcake, B-2 Unit crackers, cocoa beverage powder, 6 Beef Slices and Potatoes w/Gravy, Pineapple Jam, Orange Nut Roll, B-2 Unit crackers, cocoa beverage powder, 7 Spaghetti w/Beef Chunks in Sauce, Peach Jam, Cinnamon Nut Roll, B-2 Unit crackers, cocoa beverage powder, 8 Beans w/Meat Balls in Tomato Sauce, Grape Jam, Pound Cake, B-2 Unit crackers, cocoa beverage powder, 9 Beefsteak, Sliced Peaches, Cheese Spread, Cheddar Plain, B-3 Unit crackers, candy, 10 Chicken or Turkey Boned, Cheese Spread, Cheddar Plain, Fruit Cocktail, B-3 Unit crackers, candy, 11 Ham Sliced, Cooked with Juices, Cheese Spread, Cheddar Plain, Fruit Cocktail, B-3 Unit crackers, candy, 12 Turkey Loaf, Cheese Spread, Cheddar Plain, Sliced Peaches, B-3 Unit crackers, candy. Interesting article but a really dumb question? Brought back lots of memories. Bill McD I really enjoyed reading these replies about c-rations and your experiences in Vietnam. I had a couple bites but couldnt get the rest down. Since your audience is mostly nam vets, Id guess ALL OF THEM remember c-rats. The Army also sends out a Sundries Pack or SP for each platoon, containing writing paper, envelopes, blue ink pens, foot powder, toothbrushes and paste, chewing gum, m&ms, Hershey bars, Almond Joy, Mounds, Three Musketeers, Snickers and assorted cartons of cigarettes providing us with many of the simple articles that helped make life a little easier. When I first got to Vietnam and was assigned to an infantry battalion in the field, I started eating Cs three meals per day. "Peanut butter and crackers was the best," Orbell said. The "Honcho Club". 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. or four? Saved the coke for when we would be by the tanks or APCs. I liked the Cs better. Sounds like a lot of B S to me. The local food in Thailand deserves its stellar reputation. C-Rations used in Vietnam This is the official US 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. 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. The Meal, Combat, Individual ( MCI) was a United States military ration of canned and preserved food, issued from 1958 to 1980. Welcome Home my brothers & Sisters. Nov 16, 2013 at 2338hrs, Being an MACV Advisor C-rations always tasted good when ever we had a chance to beg some. Cigarettes disappeared from rations in 1975, but their legacy was a . Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. 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! They were pretty good .Carried a container of onion salt , and garlic salt for the C rations . When I look at your blog in Opera, it looks fine but George Newport dynamite and dirt merchant Combat Engineer. At the time no one wanted the egg God bless you and I hope that this note finds you well, Sir. 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). unopened vietnam c-ration accessory pack with cigarettes. Zone (450 sq miles of mangrove). I got ham and eggs. Hill 55 out of DaNang. Very interesting. You are describing a military mess kit, but they were not used by most GIs in Viet Nam. Pour out all of the heavy syrup, and 3.) c-4 was the best for heating, some 4th inf. When out on missions, infantry units were re-supplied with food, water, ammunition, clothes and other items by helicopter every three to five days. But it was usually raining. P-38! Given the risks we do everything possible to ensure that overly aged rations are not consumed, said Lawrence Levine, a spokesman for the Defense Supply Center in Philadelphia. Abandoned my country, Vietnam, in 1975, but that did not make me hating them. What I have here are various types of B units from year . ate a lot as a kid . Little known or unpopular brands. Left out the crew chief version of a stove. and "M" (meat) units, each menu contained an accessory packet, fruit, and cigarettes. all were palatable, but the peaches were outstanding. Heating the meals and water required a small stove (see article below) with Sterno tabs or C-4 plastic explosive, the later burning very hot and fast preferred for quick meals. 98 the LEMCO Cha Rang Valley 66 67. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. The ration had to contain meat, bread, canned fruit, and some kind of dessert. 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. Issued as one boxed ration per person per day. 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. I do remember about a week after I was out in the field we received a case of onions by mistake. I got pretty good at stealing C4 to cook with , and those LRRP rations . A whole heat tab had to be used. In 1975 they stopped putting cigarettes in rations which raised hell with US troops everywhere. This Nov. 1966 incident happened as his unit left Camp Carroll in the DMZ, walked north, and after two days were ambushed by the NVA and Viet Cong. The K-ration, developed by University of Minnesota physician Ancel Keys, provided three complete and balanced, 3,000-calorie meals in compact packages. I wish that cigarettes were never part of those C-rations. Any leads would be greatly appreciated! In 1975 they stopped putting cigarettes in rations which raised hell with US troops everywhere. Loved the article brought back a lot of memories. 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. TM 21 1965. You could take a rats head off at 20 feet with them. We had would get rations of beer and soda dropped off often in the jungles. Most used their canteen cups, which nested on the bottom of 1 Qt. 1966-67 I would have beer almost every day. Toilet paper and mosquito juice in band on our steel pot to keep them dry. I served in Co. B, 1/12th, 1st Air Cav I 1967-68. I came from Landisville PA in Lancaster County that was only 12 miles from Lititz. noviopera From shop noviopera. If you want to learn more about the Vietnam War and its Warriors, then subscribe to this blog and get notified by email or your feed reader every time a new story, picture, video or changes occur on this website the button is located at the top right of this page. Never ate either one of these meals while in country. We burned and buried the last ones in the system in1986 in the Sinai desert. Original was from a formerly unopened original accessory pack. meal eggs always looked greenish . Must have been around 2006 I was surfing the web trying to find guys I served with and to my surprise I found a website from the unit I served with, 1st bn 22nd inf, 4th inf division. Since I didnt smoke, the cigarette 5-packs (except Chesterfields, which nobody wanted) came in handy for that. You could buy cases of beer and soda too. Love the pound cake especially if you saved the fruit cocktail and ate them together. 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 liked ham and limas. about fruit cocktail. I was hoping you could help me identify a certain piece of equipment that soldiers used to cook/reheat their meals during the Vietnam War. I cannot tell you how happy I am to have stumbled across your post! No heat tablets before Vietnam. Must have been super hot. THEY WERE STILL GOOD. Wow brings back a lot of memories. 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. I grew up in Pensacola,and lived on tabasco sauce for my oysters and everything else, and while in Nam I came up with an idea for my own hot sauce for eating c rations with,and wrote it down in a notebook we kept our call signs and frequencies in. i was in from 1966 to 1972. i never ate a c ration that was younger than me. Each menu contained approximately 1200 calories and consisted of: One canned meat course One canned fruit or cake Thanks Freddy Wright. If you lucked into the peach can, you could trade it for almost anything. Marines were not great cooks, but they were inventive. In the field 90% of my tour. Thanks for summing up all the C-ration experiences. He vowed to hang on to it until the day he retired, storing it in a box with other mementos. I remember the first time we got to sample some Cs just after we went threw the gas obstacle back in basic training. We went through East Germany on the Autobahn to Holiefields in Weat Germany for a training mission. It tasted like delicious warm and moist cake fresh from the bakery. Thanksgiving and Christmas 1967 saw one beer per guy allotted to the troops. You were the unsung heroes of Army aviation. Non-smokers were known to swap the C-rats cigarette. Original Vietnam era US Military C Ration white plastic Spoon.From C Ration 382314172092. Tasted like TNT from the powder charge. When we shut down to eat we would use our really long pliers to hold the meal as the ship was running down. Hi, Reunion 2006 Grand Lakes O The Cherokees,OK, Audie Murphy Presidential Medal ofFreedom, https://charliecompany.org/2012/04/20/c-rations/, http://1-22infantry.org/pics4/richard.htm, Army C Rations: 21 Cool Facts - Citizen Soldier Resource Center. I lived on pound cake and chicken noodle soup cooked with a pinch of C4. (LogOut/ Brand New. Got to Nam in July 68 an assigned as a pilot way down in the Delta. I can only remember seeing cases of C-Rations stacked inside APCs along with several five-gallon containers of water when we came upon them in the jungle. Id buy several cases in an instant. A must have item for your helmet display, uniform or gear. Within shouting distance of us was a huge Marine Mess. I too was in Berlin during the cold war. Even though America gov. The Food Service Officer (Canadian Major) thought she got a deal on them. God bless you all. 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. Smith Bravo Co. 2nd Plt 1st Bn 1st Mar Rgt 1st Mar Div, Old memories We took them camping, my sister wanted corn dogs, which the bears ate as they passed thru our camp. Got some Phillip Morris cigarettes in a dark brown package PM quit using the dark brown package in the late 1940s thats how old some of the Cs were. Levine named the threats as mold and deadly botulism if the sealing on the food has been broken, which isnt always visible. Back Meatballs and beans! It smells good, Moak said as he put a handful in his mouth. Military explosives? Required fields are marked *. I really enjoyed Meat balls & beans. Should you have a question or comment about this article, then scroll down to the comment section below to leave your response. It was reported in the media that each soldier in Vietnam had a hot meal each day. of my hand did not care about cut hand But mad till this day Other then that, fantastic blog! (LogOut/ The brands I remember are: Marlboro, Winston, Camel, Pall Mall, Old Gold, Raleigh, Salem, Kool, Chesterfield, Newport & Lucky Strike . A plastic spoon. Everyone I knew always had a John Wayne (P-38) can opener on his dogtag chain and a plastic spoon in his pocket. I would save my fruit and pond cake and trad for their rations of beer. It does take one way back. General Delivery Silver Springs Fl.34489 USA I was there during the transition from C-Rats to MREs during the early 80s. Though it had been given a new name, the MCI was in essence still the canned C ration of prior years. I always enjoyed the pears and it went great with the pound cake. With the water pouring down on us. I have great memories of C-Rations. Oh, the memories. when opening in Internet Explorer, it has some overlapping. When out on missions, infantry units were re-supplied with . It was such a shock to my system that I had diarrhea for a week! Enjoy! A generation full of Peace&Love did not belong in Vietnam ever! USA & International; Australia; Canada; France; Germany; Italy; We had the dubious honor of being the first Army ground unit deployed to VN in early May of 1965 from Okinawa and all enjoyed consuming our fair share of those gourmet C rations. What brands of cigarettes were in C-Rations? Anyone able to help me out? after this became the way of doing it. These simple treats brought so much joy to my dad; It has sparked a lifelong love in him for them even to this day (the canned peanut butter and fruitcake to be exact). I know, stupid MF but what the heck, its just ham. 2nd tour, NO problem, LOACH pilot and home every night if I didnt get shot down! Might you, or anyone else have an idea? Often got Cs that had been packaged right after the Korean war. Give me pears or apricots any time. 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 . 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. The 4-Pack Cigarettes Package of Toilet Tissue C Ration Packaging. My last CO loved them. We would get a hot meal maybe onced a month. A can opener (called both a John Wayne or a P-38) was needed to open the cans. Usually the coffee, sugar and creamer had to be worked over with a bayonet pommel to reconstitute it into powder. C-Rations varied considerably through their 20 plus year service. Items; Share. I considered serving with the US Armed Forces on countless occasions however I have an old skateboarding injury in my foot and ankle and hardware that came with it that ultimately made me decide to serve domestically. My favorite C-ration dish was created as follows: 1.) It? ago. Then mix a bunch of mosquito repellent in about a half of can.use the rest of the peanut better on the very thick (hard tack) crackers!! I will always remember that time 1967-68 yes i remember . I always made it in a c rat can. And how did those taste? Dont forget to stir before putting over fire. Army here, 67-70, most of 70 spent in Vietnam. When I was in there were four: apricots, pears, fruit cocktail and peaches. Ill never eat C-Rations again, but I can remember when I was glad to have them. I was a helicopter crew chief in 1967 with the 25th Infantry out of Cu Chi. After a short naval round almost blew us away, I smoked too many of those Lucky Strike four packs and suffer today as a result. When absolutely necessary, Id empty the water and spoon in a can of cheese, melting it together with a ball of C-4. Open the cracker can leaving the lid attached, fill half way with dirt, then drain some JP-4 from under the Huey in to the can. | dng sng c. Use the removed lid to cut 4 thin slices from the biscuit, toss the unused biscuits. Greg Dearborn says: 1 for 5 5 for 20 20 for 40 Keep an . ;~) These were the times that made it ok. At topa C-ration with P-38 can opener. All those you show here was my usual meals at the jungle in Vietnam. As a Army pilot, I knew this well. I collect all of the C-Rats rejects and I have plenty to eat. . This is a very nice Vietnam Era Survival Kit & Ration Packaging collectors set, with great display potential. Only down fall was it was instant heart burn. Ham and Limas was the favorite for this purpose. The Armycolonelpopped open an old military C Ration can of pound cake from 1969 at his retirement ceremony, and dug in. The standard ration pack issued to infantrymen in Vietnam was the Australian Combat Ration (One Man). C-packs also contained cartons of Cigaretts, M&Ms and other favorites, A second or B unit might include peanut butter and crackers, chocolate, gum, cigarettes, salt, pepper, and sugar, among other items. [1] Although officially a new ration, the MCI was derived from and very similar to the original C-Ration, and in fact continued to be called "C-Rations" by American troops throughout its production life as a combat ration (1958-1980). PHU BAI, CAMP CARROLL, NAM 66/67. I remember the first c-ration meal we received. DONT HOW THEY PRESEVERED THEM BUT THEY DID A GOOG JOB TSGT CLARENCE C WOODY USAF. Vietnam Equipment VE-547 Choice Vietnam Jungle Boots, size 12. Using a John Wayne (a P-38) pierce a series of closely spaced holes around the top and bottom rims of the can. 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 the fall of this year I will be in a paramedic program. I mixed the cocoa powder, coffee powder and creamer in hot water for a tolerable beverage. I was a cold war veteran spending my 3 years in Germany, but we were issued them for field trips, alerts and exercises. They were the best canned peaches Ive ever had.