Ad vertisement from shop noviopera. We were supplied by air drops and you ran to the pallet to get the best c ration unit. Brand New. Sorry 11Bs I always took my favorite out first. 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. We always had plenty of rice. Army here, 67-70, most of 70 spent in Vietnam. The only thing I miss was the instant coffee with the creamer and sugar. As a Army pilot, I knew this well. ago. Meals such as beef stew, spaghetti and meatballs, chili and others were a wonderful diversion from the mundane canned food we were subjected to. great footlocker or combat field pack display item. Great walk down memory lane. Not sure how the armor units split their meals. Fishing? I had a couple bites but couldnt get the rest down. 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. There was a reason they were called Ham & Motherfuckers. Toward the end of my tour, we began having access to the freeze-dried LRRP meals. I was with the 173rd Airborne/2ndBn 503rd Infantry. Greg Dearborn says: Serving in the Marine corps the beef stew in cans, cold,! Used to put them on the voltage regulators to heat. Im writing a book which is fiction loosely based on my real experience for ages 10-14. At times we actually had to buy cases of C-rats in Phan Thiet where there was a thriving black market. I want to thank all the men and women who served in Vietnam. Tastes just like it always did, Mikolashek mumbled with a mouthful of cake as Moak laughed and clapped. I destroyed my taste buds eating my Moms cooking. Stand tall and thank you for your service. Cigarettes, once considered crucial to American fighting men, have sadly gone the way of the daily rum ration. C-Rations are commercially prepared meals, used in the field and at times when hot meals were not available. guy came by and collected all our heating tabs said they caused cancer. I WONDER IF HE DIED FROM AGENT ORANGE. I would save my fruit and pond cake and trad for their rations of beer. I always enjoyed the pears and it went great with the pound cake. The ration had to contain meat, bread, canned fruit, and some kind of dessert. Most used their canteen cups, which nested on the bottom of 1 Qt. I remember having to eat my C-Ration meal cold because we were either on the move or rushed to leave in the mornings. I thank each of you for all you have done and all the countless sacrifices you made. Photos of dissected original pack & other info is included in the pdf file. We had to heat them on the engine block of a truck or the exhaust grill of a tank. If you lucked into the peach can, you could trade it for almost anything. Great articlebrings back many memories of the bad old days. Vietnam (1961-75) Collectibles; Militaria; Vietnam (1961-75) Original Period Items; Other Vietnam War Orig. Good article. ONE ORIGINAL!! Everybody liked Pound Cake, but there was only (1) box per case that had it. THEY WERE STILL GOOD. The ham and eggs were inedible. The line units were pulled out of the field on occasion, usually about once a month for three days, to enjoy home cooking, barbecues and ice-cold beer and soda a reward we always looked forward to. I got pretty good at stealing C4 to cook with , and those LRRP rations . Twelve different menus are included in the specification. I lived on peaches & pound cake for breakfast with hot chocolate. shows storage age and wear and is still sealed. For the new guys flying for the first time, we never let them know how to do it. The local food in Thailand deserves its stellar reputation. Pall Mall, Luckies, Winston, Salem and Benson & Hedges Menthol were five of the brands found in Vietnam era field ration packets. . B9719 VIETNAM ERA US Military C Ration Spoon in plastic bag IR19A - $16.35. Use the removed lid to cut 4 thin slices from the biscuit, toss the unused biscuits. Put 1 slice on the bottom of the 2 cans with attached lids. Best dessert was peaches & pound cake, but you had to trade for stuff. Cut the canned roll in half, spooning the can of cheese inside, put back in can, fold over the can top, put back in c-rat box and light the box on fire. 10 days later gulfort, mississippi.. jus lemme have a p38.. We would do the same process one more time and it would be ready to eat after you wiped it down to get as much black exhaust crap off and open it with your P38. "Peanut butter and crackers was the best," Orbell said. lol guess I was not human. Anything a dog wont eat should not be consumed by a human. Three? Plate. My older sister, younger brother and I could only imagine what those canned meals tasted like. This was so insightful to read! Yes I remembered those olive canned food because my dad, VNs regime Officer before 1975, let me tried > canned of chocolate in foil, cake, peach, M&M, shredded pork ( ? All those you show here was my usual meals at the jungle in Vietnam. We sometimes ran out of C-rats, especially when we couldnt get resupply because the runway on our LZ was damaged by mortar attacks. , Just looking at a can of Ham and MFers makes me wanna puke. Did you see how expensive they are on Ebay? I flew as a Crewchief on a UH-1C Gunship. The one in the marines was stationed in ChuLai. You are describing a military mess kit, but they were not used by most GIs in Viet Nam. Thank you in advance! I think the onions were gone in a matter of a few days. During the 1960s C-ration cigarettes were identical to the sample packs of four that tobacco salesreps handed out to the public. I will call and order. I cannot tell you how happy I am to have stumbled across your post! Tasted like TNT from the powder charge. | dng sng c. $40 : VE-1124 Mortar carrier's shoulder pads, to support the metal barrel. Yes of course the C-Rations survived the bears. Very interesting. Shop with confidence. The short story, "The Things They Carried," written by Tim O'Brien (1990), appears to be an unpretentious narration that list the tangible items carried by the soldiers while fighting in the Vietnam War. The ration was very heavy, weighing 5 lbs . Not to bad either! Move away from the Chopper and light with matches from C-rat. The 1st Inf Div was not allowed beer in the field due to some previous incident. Anyway, you made my day this morning. USA & International; Australia; Canada; France; Germany; Italy; Thanks for your. A better stove was created by simply using the can opener end of a church key (a flat metal device designed to open soft drink and beer containers with a bottle opener on one end and can opener on the other commonly used before the invention of the pull tab and screw-off bottle top) to puncture triangular holes around the top and bottom rims of the can which resulted in a hotter fire and much less fumes. Moak joked earlier this week that he hoped the can wouldnt explode. (LogOut/ The 10-in-1 Ration included packages with 10 cigarettes each. C-rations featured options that included a variety of entrees, like spaghetti and meatballs, turkey loaf, ham and eggs, etc. Once lit it would put out a decent flame..my favorite was spiced beef.but had to be served hot.cold it sucked. Smoking the local product might fool Mr. Charles. Well presented and will share with fellow Vietnam veterans and family. There was always enough for seconds, but most of us passed as our shrunken stomachs have already overextended from a single helping of this gourmet meal. When out on missions, infantry units were re-supplied with food, water, ammunition, clothes and other items by helicopter every three to five days. 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. lemon aid powder was good with some descent tasting water, [] https://charliecompany.org/2012/04/20/c-rations/ [], [] freeze dried meals Ive tried over the years didnt taste much better than the C rations I ate in the military. The C-ration (officially Field Ration . Now I know why I lost 40 LBs. 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. Four can openers are provided in each case of 12 meals. Interesting article but a really dumb question? I was an US ARMY Veterinary food inspector from 1967 to 1987. Back Each meal was in its own cardboard box, which contained the individual items sealed in cans. While serving in the Central Highlands with the 1/12th Inf. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Every thing else not to bad. Through some investigation he found the manufacturer of it was Sara Lee. Water was critical. My father used to grumble about C-rations from his service in WWII, also, so it was interesting to read this site. The C-Ration was replaced in 1958 with the Meal Combat Individual (MCI). C-Rations varied considerably through their 20 plus year service. It was a great job. Excellent, brought back some good memories. C $19.38. Cs provided a good snack during night-time flight line work. When I was in AIT training, I can remember eating the fortified chocolate wafers made at the Wilber Chocolate factory in Lititz, PA. Excellent piece and very true in every respect. But it was usually raining. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for VINTAGE VEITNAM ERA MILITARY " C" RATIONS PACK OF CIGARETTES UNOPENED at the best online prices at eBay! So the food on a paper At the time no one wanted the egg A plastic spoon. recovered jeep. However, brilliant military minds said we could not eat there and our 12 hour shifts were intense preventing us from taking a journey to the other side. Vietnam War Pin Badge Reproductions. I had 2 brothers in the military, one in the marines, one in the army. Never know when you may have to open a can of crackers! My dad knew few young kind and handsome American colleagues that I admired and impressed at that time. 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. Free shipping for many products! vet 69-73 does any one have a recipe for meat and beans? $45: VE-1225 Vietnam Boxed lock and keys. Found four P38s still in the brown paper wrapping that I brought back from Nam in Dec. 72. and heat a canteen cup of water and it provided you with quick hot water or c rations. Other then that, fantastic blog! I was 13. Oh man, I love your story. My Vietnamese would give me a rice ball, or a cooked and salted ballof chicken, or some fish with Nuoc Maum sometimes I carried a can of chili when I could get it at the PX in Saigon. This is the food US soldiers ate when deployed in the Vietnam War.. In 1976 I found the notebook in some old Marine stuff I was going through and I finally got to make the sauce,and it was pretty darn good. 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. Thought it was really good. Ham and eggs were definitely the worst.with the consistency of the congealed fat from a canned ham but ham & mothers referred to ham & lima beans. If I admit to actually liking and trading for ham & lima beans, does that imply Im strange beyond? As I recall, only about 30% of the soldiers in my platoon did not smoke. Its even a little moist, he said, wiping his mouth. I delivered beer to you guys. Staf Sargent Larry Bailey. These reminiscences take me back. Moak got the drab olive can as a Marine helicopterpilotoff the Vietnamese coast in 1973. Vietnam Us Army Usgi C Ration Boxes Sold by militarydepotga in Woodstock Buy Now! So, I have no military or Nam stories to tell, darn it! Would turn to soup. Only hot meal was the last morning for chow. Ha, ha! As an infantry unit our year was pretty much the same as yours. Coffee, tea and hot chocolate were plentiful and everyone had a stash. It was illustrated by Fred Rhoads. Each ration was composed of a B-unit and a M-unit; total weight was approximately 7 pounds. Blocks of c 4 began to be available, this spared claymores. 4.5 out of 5 stars (128) Within shouting distance of us was a huge Marine Mess. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Never ate either one of these meals while in country. would love to find a rec for them now We were at the end of the supply line so we ate a lot of C-rations. Issued as one boxed ration per person per day. I got ham and eggs. I came from Landisville PA in Lancaster County that was only 12 miles from Lititz. Cigarettes disappeared from rations in 1975, but their legacy was a . He jokingly staggered back a few feet and loudly cleared his throat, while one person yelled out, Eeww, gross!. C-ration cans inside our huge transmitter, and after a couple hours sending messages back and forth we could remove those cans and enjoy a delicious hot meal e.g., my favorite, Ragout of Beef. Close to Mom!s chocolate cookie mix before she put on the cooking ban to bake. 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. Warrant officer. (Ham and eggs) they were the worst. Went back a few months ago, the whole country has changed. If somebody liked Lucky Strikes, Parliament, Chesterfields or Pall Malls, they would never run out. My dear father was stationed in New Guinea as a U.S. Army medic during World War II, and from him I learned what C rations were. 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. Abandoned my country, Vietnam, in 1975, but that did not make me hating them. Beef and Rocks, Scrambled Rubber Eggs, Chili, Applesauce, and Shit Disks. 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. Welcome back. Packages of 20 cigarettes each are the same as the regular civilian packs and were sold in US Army operated PX stores. He vowed to hang on to it until the day he retired, storing it in a box with other mementos. I liked Ham and M..f That meant I always had plenty to eat. Silly me ! yes i remember . The coffee, sugar, creamer and hot cocoa came in paper envelopes. My first thought was that Crap,weve killed someone,but thankfully the only problem was that every bottle had been stolen off the tables,and he wanted to know if we would make him some more,which we did,and they were also stolen. 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 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. Technically, the C-ration of the Vietnam-era was a different thing than the World War II C-ration, but troops still called it a "C-rat," and it was very similar in packaging and content. Missed the initial one 4 years ago. I was a cold war veteran spending my 3 years in Germany, but we were issued them for field trips, alerts and exercises. Old Marine. It replaced the earlier C-ration, which it was so similar to . The "Honcho Club". got there 170 pounds left at a 110 pounds. Bill McD 1966-67 We already carried 4 5 quart canteens to keep hydrated until the next resupply. We would take the white bread can open a tiny hole in it and put a few drops of water in ithold it over a ball of C-4 to instantly steam itopen the can cut the bread add peanut butter and jelly, and wow warm peanut butter and jelly sandwich on hot bread. I really enjoyed Meat balls & beans. 1960s US GI Vietnam era C-Ration PLASTIC SPOON Brand New $14.95 klink-one (11,878) 99.9% Buy It Now Free shipping 125 sold Sponsored Vintage Vietnam era unopened Combat C Rations B1 B2 B3 Unit Crackers & Candy Brand New $45.00 southern-surplus2016 (1,355) 100% or Best Offer DD345 - Liberty Pass. Thanks for this article and thanks all American officers and soldiers in the field of VN war. I liked the Cs better. Who could ever forget about C-Rations? C-rations combat rations. taste of C-rats in 1975 in basic training at Fort Polk La. $79.95 Vietnam Us Army There are several websites dedicated to US military combat rations that show all the brands. The Meal, Combat, Individual ( MCI) was a United States military ration of canned and preserved food, issued from 1958 to 1980. They were pretty good .Carried a container of onion salt , and garlic salt for the C rations . This establishment made Beans and Meatballs in Tomato Sauce shipping thousands of cases a month out. The MCI was intended as a modest improvement over the earlier canned Type C or C ration, with inclusion . Thank you for the information on the sauces. I got a flashback Ill never forget those days Sometimes I would eat the pineapples, bananas or coconuts if I could get them. I liked ham and limas. Message me for more detailed photos and orders in bulk. Also read a lot about their c-rat experiences too. Read about all of these, noticed that none of you brothers mentioned using the tin of peanut butter as a stove. 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. Funny story, Buzz. Vietnam War C-Ration Cigarette Pack Lucky Strike Repro Opens in a new window or tab. $40 . The small cans included in the meal were ideal for making a stove. Being from MN was my home connection. I was barely more than a toddler during the Vietnam war, and am a non- veteran. I got out of the field with 12 days left and went to Song Be. 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. That part didn't last long after the war, as the dangers of smoking cigarettes became more widely known. Always let the FNGs learn a lesson the hard way. Thanks for your service. if so, what was the dogs favorite meal? In 1966 during the Vietnam war Brig. 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. yes crissie it was a mess kit one side flat other side had two compartments and you had silverware so to speak. You could boil a canteen cup of water with a pea-size ball of it in 30 seconds. Dont have any Cs any more, but still got several P-38s, three still sealed in the brown paper. after this became the way of doing it. I miss the guys I hope all are doing well. Free delivery for many products! I am a VA RN and a volunteer wildland firefighter / EMT-B. Because there were several "vintages" of C's issued to the Marines and Seabees in Vietnam, more than 4 items may be listed in the B groups as well as the brands of cigarettes included in the accessory pack. I was with the 15th Aerial Port Sq 1968-69, Da Nang. It would swell up and we wood take it away from the exhaust port until it went back to its original size. $50: VE-1123 Vietnam period shoulder bag for machine gun . Back in 1958 while flying the Pacific we had only Cs for flight lunches on aerial Tankers. You did a great job with this. I have the greatest respect for the grunts they did it with ingenuity and a lot of common sense. Crash fire. While on this maneuver I celebrated my birthday by having grape jelly with my pound cake. Cigarettes were eliminated from rations in 1972. These were the times that made it ok. Never saw anyone eat pound cake without spitting it out. As a historian, these are important details as even food technologies change. Life-saving use of rations! Tellander Sgt USMC. Was in army boot basic in 1980 Jan I Remer those c and b rations still have my P38 on my Dog tags from boot camp. The Vietnamese will sit for hours with a homemade fishing pole fishing. Although the meat item can be eaten cold, it is more palatable when heated. Loved the article brought back a lot of memories. Non-smokers were known to swap the C-rats cigarette. What I have here are various types of B units from year . 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. Enjoy! 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. Turkey packed in 30 weight motor oil was the worst. Upon further review it becomes clear that the lists of "things" have a much deeper meaning and carry an abundance amount of . Never told 2nd Lts about the hazards of heating an un-opened can. The C-4 was safe to use as long as it wasnt compressed or using too much at one time. Pleasure speaking to you. Miss those soldiers from our lives deeply. Moak said he wasnt worried about getting sick from any bacteria that may have gotten into the old can, because it looked sealed. When we shut down to eat we would use our really long pliers to hold the meal as the ship was running down. . My last CO also liked them. A must have item for your helmet display, uniform or gear. Smith Bravo Co. 2nd Plt 1st Bn 1st Mar Rgt 1st Mar Div, Old memories Sounds like a lot of B S to me. The last two I couldn`t eat and they found botulism in the beans and I almost starved . Brought back lots of memories. It tasted like the congealed fat from a canned ham. 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 $50: VE-1125 Vietnam Grenade Carrier. I do recall being thirsty. Saved the coke for when we would be by the tanks or APCs. 34 watchers Vietnam Era C-Ration Cigarette Pack www.hardscrabblefarm.com The photo above shows the components of the cigarette pack. 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 ate C rats in Korea in 1960-61, and in Vietnam 65-66. I know, stupid MF but what the heck, its just ham. I always made it in a c rat can. Its characteristics emphasize utility, flexibility of use, and more variety of food components than were included in the Ration, Combat, Individual (C Ration), which it replaces. If I remember correctly, we used heating tablets in our stove to heat a can of whatever (no ham and lima beans for me) well I guess that qualifies as a hot meal. So many times I got something other that ham & Lima so I made out in the bargain department. Kindest regards. I think I was one of a few who actually liked ham and Limas. The standard ration pack issued to infantrymen in Vietnam was the Australian Combat Ration (One Man). Scan of original thanks to Dave Stieghan.