98 the LEMCO Cha Rang Valley 66 67. We would punch a few holes in the top of the can using a P38 and add a small amount of water and heat it for a bit with a piece of C4. It was illustrated by Fred Rhoads. I can't find my links right now, but a little bit of searching should turn them up pretty easily. It was often supplied by water trailer or inflatable bladders from helicopters (called water buffaloes) because they were black rubber, and placed on a Gerry built wooden stand surrounded by sandbags to prevent shrapnel or small arms fire from penetrating and emptying the water. Gentlemen, I was wondering if you ever ate at a local shack/stall in town or did you ever go fishing? Great article, I was USMC 1966/67 Vietnam. noviopera From shop noviopera. The ham and eggs were inedible. I remember that there were no hot meals and you learned the hard way what each unit in the box contained. 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. The absolute worst, in my opinion, was the ham & eggs, chopped. made it somehow. WWII US Army Marine Corps K- Ration inner wax box ration Dinner ad vertisement by noviopera. It was a great job. Everyone like cake after that. 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. Vietnam War C-Ration Cigarette Pack Lucky Strike Repro Opens in a new window or tab. 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. Every thing else not to bad. In 1975 they stopped putting cigarettes in rations which raised hell with US troops everywhere. Scottie Hill CW4(Ret) Ret. Since Cs were pre-cooked, they didnt need to be heated up, but it helped. I never went away hungry! The Meal, Combat, Individual ( MCI) was a United States military ration of canned and preserved food, issued from 1958 to 1980. Oh man, I love your story. Semper Fi. 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). If somebody liked Lucky Strikes, Parliament, Chesterfields or Pall Malls, they would never run out. Explore Vietnam C Ration Cigarette with all the useful information below including suggestions, reviews, top brands, and related recipes,. What do you think? 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. You were the unsung heroes of Army aviation. Vietnam War Pin Badge Reproductions. Bill McD I was at minimum weight then. great footlocker or combat field pack display item. 2.03M subscribers Subscribe 129K 9.7M views 6 years ago Check out this full review of a Vietnam War MCI or "C Ration"! 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. In the aviation community wed take a can of biscuits, poke holes in it, pour some JP4 into it, and voila a stove!! shows storage age and wear and is still sealed. Enjoy! In the field 90% of my tour. Gen. Walter S. McIlhenny. German military outfitter Bausenwein is offering brand new, reproduction C-rations. Should you have a question or comment about this article, then scroll down to the comment section below to leave your response. Pall Mall, Luckies, Winston, Salem and Benson & Hedges Menthol were five of the brands found in Vietnam era field ration packets. I ate C rats in Korea in 1960-61, and in Vietnam 65-66. Smoking in the services came under attack in the 1980s. (Obviously some supply sergeant made himself a bunch of money.) So, I have no military or Nam stories to tell, darn it! of my hand did not care about cut hand But mad till this day I always wanted or traded for boned chicken or turkey, because if I remember correctly they were made in Saint James MN. They were the best canned peaches Ive ever had. Vietnam (1961-75) Collectibles; Militaria; Vietnam (1961-75) Original Period Items; Other Vietnam War Orig. Serving in the Marine corps the beef stew in cans, cold,! 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. Anyone able to help me out? A whole heat tab had to be used. Typical commercial brands issued in the cigarette rations in Vietnam were: Camel, Chesterfield, Kent, Kool, Lucky Strike, Marlboro, Pall Mall, Salem, . George Newport dynamite and dirt merchant Combat Engineer. THEY WERE STILL GOOD. As an infantry unit our year was pretty much the same as yours. This establishment made Beans and Meatballs in Tomato Sauce shipping thousands of cases a month out. Also read a lot about their c-rat experiences too. Dont forget to stir before putting over fire. While there me and a buddy were starved one night so we go to the helicopter pad and find loads of empty cases of c rats, we start searching after about 10 minutes my buddy finds a can, lights up his zippo and with his southern twang says Michael, I cant hardly believe someone left a can of ham and M F ers behind. Well, my friends, let me refresh your memory and tell you everything you need to know but have forgotten about those wonderful meals. With its flip-top box, Marlboro was the most popular brand in Vietnam, despite COMUSMACV General Creighton W. Abrams' penchant for cigars, a preference dating back to his World War II service as a tank battalion commander. Honestly, the scrambled egg chunks or beans and weenies werent bad cold, but the rest needed to be heated in order to be palatable. 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. 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. It does take one way back. 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. I got my first Not to bad either! Left the nam brought one home should have seen the looks I got. MACTHAI advisor here. But I read as much as I can get my hands on about what it was like to have served in those times. 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. 1967 Vietnam c-rations box being opened for the first time in 43 years. Brought back lots of memories. I got a flashback Ill never forget those days Sometimes I would eat the pineapples, bananas or coconuts if I could get them. Smith Bravo Co. 2nd Plt 1st Bn 1st Mar Rgt 1st Mar Div, Old memories Military C-Ration Peanut Butter Can Unopened Cinderella Foods Inc Dawson Ga $13.00 $17.05 shipping 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. It let off a whooshing sound as the pressure seal broke. Give me pears or apricots any time. Hated Ham and Lima beans. 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. 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. These things have left a deep impression on him, and he recalls to those memories fondly, despite the trying period his country was facing during that time. Nov 16, 2013 at 2338hrs, Being an MACV Advisor C-rations always tasted good when ever we had a chance to beg some. Its chief use was to hold several ounces of insect repellant, which we then set afire and used in place of a heat tab, which were in short supply. I found this very interesting vet 69-73 does any one have a recipe for meat and beans? Spicy Beef, One of my favorite meat dishes in a case of Cs. Move away from the Chopper and light with matches from C-rat. $90 VE-545 Can Opener from the C-Ration Crate. 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. 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. 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. i was in from 1966 to 1972. i never ate a c ration that was younger than me. Since your audience is mostly nam vets, Id guess ALL OF THEM remember c-rats. Thank you in advance! and more. 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. Really putrid stuff, For anyone who was there I was with VF213 flying Demons, flying hydraulic leaks! The dilemma here is that water is required for these and at almost three pounds per quart; the extra weight is a consideration. I liked the Cs better. My dad died in Vietnam in 1965. Welcome Home my brothers & Sisters. In 1968-69 I ate c-rations that were older than I was. I was the in house inspector at Granite State packing from 72 until 75. 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. The section on C-rations brought waves of memories of those days. This isnt Larry Craft from Pittsburgh, is it? I always enjoyed the pears and it went great with the pound cake. HI ED- nam 69-70- remember c-rats well. The military teaches you to be a thief . C-rats. Brand New. We had would get rations of beer and soda dropped off often in the jungles. Very well written and important for us who did not serve due to age ( too young) to learn about this, Excellent; Each menu contains: one canned meat item; one canned fruit, bread or dessert item;one B unit; an accessory packet containing cigarettes, matches, chewing gum, toilet paper, coffee, cream, sugar, and salt; and a spoon. 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. took the fire extinguisher and use it to get our cokes cold. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); My c-rations in 1965 that I ate in Vietnam were dated 1945 being 20 years old ! Marines were not great cooks, but they were inventive. Id buy several cases in an instant. "Peanut butter and crackers was the best," Orbell said. Non-smokers were known to swap the C-rats cigarette. 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..). Nuac mam.gag. I was in Vietnam with the Marines from 68-69. Do you remember your special recipes? My father was in the Korean War and war in Vietnam, near the end of his 20 year military service in the US Army. My two favorites were green eggs and ham and yes, ham and lima beans. ;~) Vietnam Equipment VE-547 Choice Vietnam Jungle Boots, size 12. View history. Since I didnt smoke, the cigarette 5-packs (except Chesterfields, which nobody wanted) came in handy for that. Your email address will not be published. Really love your stories. to a pack. I did that too but I wondered sometimes if a 7.62 round could ignite it. I dont recall eating many of the meals warm. Original Vietnam era US Military C Ration white plastic Spoon.From C Ration 382314172092. Matches The suggestion of including matches was done at the same time as the inclusion of the cigarettes. We got a hot meal in the jungle only after a firefight. Excellent, brought back some good memories. Other then that, fantastic blog! meal eggs always looked greenish . USA & International; Australia; Canada; France; Germany; Italy; I served in Co. B, 1/12th, 1st Air Cav I 1967-68. It`s the meal that had the pound cake. 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. At topa C-ration with P-38 can opener. Everybody liked Pound Cake, but there was only (1) box per case that had it. Hey Fred, I was with the same unit as you except I was in B Company, August of 69 through June of 70. Funny story, Buzz. Once I got some pancakes that had been stuffed down an elephant rubber. 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. You did what you had to do and made it home to an undeservedly rough reception. But, Nuac mam still sucks ass! Thank you for the information on the sauces. DD345 - Liberty Pass. Usually the coffee, sugar and creamer had to be worked over with a bayonet pommel to reconstitute it into powder. Thank you so much. Yes they did in WWI, WWII and right up to Vietnam. USMC. Ive eaten both and they do indeed taste the same. You are describing a military mess kit, but they were not used by most GIs in Viet Nam. The Army colonel popped open an old military 'C' Ration can of pound cake from 1969 at his retirement ceremony, and dug in. At An Khe and Bong Son. I was a crechief on Hueys who resupplied you guys. 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 ( ? The brothers always would trade for Menthols. This is the officialQuartermastersdescription 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. Four can openers are provided in each case of 12 meals. 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. Beans an winnies the best.ham and eggs always green no way I would eat it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 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. It tasted like the congealed fat from a canned ham. It smells good, Moak said as he put a handful in his mouth. Back in 1958 while flying the Pacific we had only Cs for flight lunches on aerial Tankers. Used to put them on the voltage regulators to heat. There wasnt a USMarine anywhere near Saigon. Within shouting distance of us was a huge Marine Mess. As a historian, these are important details as even food technologies change. 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. Great. Levine named the threats as mold and deadly botulism if the sealing on the food has been broken, which isnt always visible. Medevac. about fruit cocktail. 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. Your email address will not be published. Ill never eat C-Rations again, but I can remember when I was glad to have them. 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. C-Rations varied considerably through their 20 plus year service. $45: VE-1225 Vietnam Boxed lock and keys. We were at the end of the supply line so we ate a lot of C-rations. Dan DMZ M/co 1969 USMC Hill 461 Sieara Rock Pile , Stud, LZ MAC chopper down! I do! 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. $50: VE-1123 Vietnam period shoulder bag for machine gun . Pound cake was one f the favorites in my platoon. 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! Listing is for 1x Pin Badges, please specify the design at checkout or a random ones will be sent out. The Armycolonelpopped open an old military C Ration can of pound cake from 1969 at his retirement ceremony, and dug in. 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. 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. never gave that a thought until now. I was a cold war veteran spending my 3 years in Germany, but we were issued them for field trips, alerts and exercises. Cigarettes were bad for your health along with bullets. God bless you all. There was also a separate "tobacco . Check my other listings for different quantities. Must have been super hot. 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! Staf Sargent Larry Bailey. Spent almost 2 yrs in Northern I corps. The only thing I miss was the instant coffee with the creamer and sugar. I really enjoyed Meat balls & beans. Living in Florida, for years I kept a couple of cases of Cs on hand as part of my hurricane supplies. My dad knows what its called in Vietnamese, but has no clue what it is in English. I miss the guys I hope all are doing well. Im writing a book which is fiction loosely based on my real experience for ages 10-14. My story is written in letter form with letters to the characters father, to Walter Cronkite and to some other people. Chrissy Kevin. I have the greatest respect for the grunts they did it with ingenuity and a lot of common sense. wished Id known that neat way of PBJ. Also sometimes we added the sugar, creamer, and coffee park in the coco package adding a little water mixing it up. Saved the coke for when we would be by the tanks or APCs. 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. Marvin J. Wolf, author of Abandoned In Hell, The Fight for Vietnams Firebase Kate.. Need Easy, Nutritious Food While Blacktail Deer Hunting. Even though America gov. Ahh, comfort food in the middle of the jungle. got there 170 pounds left at a 110 pounds. General Delivery Silver Springs Fl.34489 USA And to you Vietnam soldierswelcome home sincerely wished to you all. Did not see mention of toothpick that you chewed one end for toothbrush ( sucked). I came from Landisville PA in Lancaster County that was only 12 miles from Lititz. I think the onions were gone in a matter of a few days. You, and all veterans have my utmost respect and admiration. Issued as one boxed ration per person per day. Twelve different menus are included in the specification. Abovecrew members on a UH-1 helicopter deliver C-rations to soldiers in the field during the Vietnam War. recovered jeep. 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. crispy critters burn victims CS 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. To you and to all the crew chiefs and gunners, from the bottom of my heart, I say thank you. A stove was usually carried in the back pack or cargo pocket and used repeatedly until the metal began to fail. Balance food to be heated on bent over lid and can while fire heat main course. Everyone I knew always had a John Wayne (P-38) can opener on his dogtag chain and a plastic spoon in his pocket. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. In addition to the two carboard parts, you will need four cigarettes & two pieces of foil. C-packs also contained cartons of Cigaretts, M&Ms and other favorites, Ahh, comfort food in the middle of the jungle. Missed the initial one 4 years ago. Vietnam C Rations and Stuff Cigarette Coupons Free Printable Free Coupons By Mail Newport Cigarettes Nostalgia Marlboro Cigarette Vintage Metal Signs Okinawa American History Vietnam War - included in each C-Ration; great for batering if a non-smoker Military Life Military History Military Food Veterans United Military Signs Military Ranks When were cigarettes removed from C rations? During the 1960s C-ration cigarettes were identical to the sample packs of four that tobacco salesreps handed out to the public. On rare occasions when allowed piled stones put tab in middle for stove. 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. I would save my fruit and pond cake and trad for their rations of beer. The desserts and the B units got better, too. A couple of days later our friend David called and told us that there was a problem with the sauce. Heres a few of the photos from my page: http://1-22infantry.org/pics4/richard.htm. Even for me being a FNG they were a treat but I didnt appreciate them as much as the old timers did. The dehydrated pork and beef hockey pucks were supposed to be the big thing but the dried fruit was the best part. . 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. 2.) You could take a rats head off at 20 feet with them. The one in the marines was stationed in ChuLai. In the fall of this year I will be in a paramedic program. from United Kingdom. The first and last time I ate that meal. 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. Thanks for summing up all the C-ration experiences. I agree almost entirely with you assessment of taste and quality and preferences, with one exception: I was a combat photographer with the First Air Cav, and made it my personal mission to photograph an op from each of our original 8 infantry battalions , all of our artillery battalions, and the engineer and cavalry units, plus every company in the Aviation brigade. 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. Excellent piece and very true in every respect. A Marine tank commander serving in Vietnam in 1968 noted his unit was frequently supplied with older stocks of C-rations, complete with early 1950s dates on the cans. I have so much respect & admiration for them. That was the beginning of the Tet Offensive and the hot meals were few. Cigarettes disappeared from rations in 1975, but their legacy was a . 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. Only down fall was it was instant heart burn. That part didn't last long after the war, as the dangers of smoking cigarettes became more widely known. In an effort to keep things fair, Ive witnessed squad leaders dumping cases of C-Rations upside down (hiding the name of the meal) and mixing them up to give everyone an equal chance of selecting a popular meal. 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! Ad vertisement from shop noviopera. Tellander Sgt USMC. Going through a box of memorabilia a couple days ago. FOR SALE! Great detail Great Job from an old army Grunt. Welcome back. Well presented and will share with fellow Vietnam veterans and family. Reblogged this on Cherries A Vietnam War Novel and commented: Heres a blast from the pasta favorite article by visitors posted over 4 yrs. Open can of peaches with P-38. I got out of the field with 12 days left and went to Song Be. I was barely more than a toddler during the Vietnam war, and am a non- veteran. yes i remember . 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. In 1966 during the Vietnam war Brig. L/Cpl P.T. Got to Nam in July 68 an assigned as a pilot way down in the Delta. Mostly they were awful but I was lucky. Ah! I wanted to see more of his brave journey. But it was usually raining. I get a lot of the cans of fruit cake. 4.5 out of 5 stars (128) I was a helicopter crew chief in 1967 with the 25th Infantry out of Cu Chi. $40.00 WW2 German Patronenkasten 88 Ammunition Crate $150.00 WW1 German Patronenkasten 88 Ammunition Crate $150.00 WW1 British and Commonwealth Biscuit Ration Crate $90.00 We would get a hot meal maybe onced a month. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Most of them were manufactured the year I was born, or the next after. It had a flavor I can not duplicate to this day. Fine. Free shipping for many products! Cigarettes were eliminated from rations in 1972. I always wanted to be in the military but because I about cut my foot off as a kid, I could not get in. Packages of 20 cigarettes each are the same as the regular civilian packs and were sold in US Army operated PX stores. Sir, thank you for your service in Vietnam and for the insightful information you provided in this article. Same when I came out of the field and started eating mess-hall chow regularly. Most of us knew there were others who had it harder than than we did. On the way we had C-Rats, I liked the Ham and Lima beans, they were easy to trade for as a lot of guys like you did not like them. My dog would not eat the ham and lima beans. Smoking the local product might fool Mr. Charles. The new menu (late 1968 onward) included good stuff like beans & weenies. 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).
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