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. The "Honcho Club". I liked the Cs better. $40 : VE-1124 Mortar carrier's shoulder pads, to support the metal barrel. Well not like from our great restaurants. Forty years later, Henry A. Moak, Jr., still loves his pound cake. I was with the 173rd Airborne/2ndBn 503rd Infantry. I wish that cigarettes were never part of those C-rations. Tay Nihn..68 Nui Ba Din. Meatballs and beans! I drew ham and eggs. When I first got to Vietnam and was assigned to an infantry battalion in the field, I started eating Cs three meals per day. Listing is for 1x Pin Badges, please specify the design at checkout or a random ones will be sent out. Brand New. While on this maneuver I celebrated my birthday by having grape jelly with my pound cake. During the 1960s C-ration cigarettes were identical to the sample packs of four that tobacco salesreps handed out to the public. ago. 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. I mixed the cocoa powder, coffee powder and creamer in hot water for a tolerable beverage. Hill 55 out of DaNang. Thanks again. 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. Toilet paper and mosquito juice in band on our steel pot to keep them dry. in Nam and why I dont like fruit cocktail to this day.In the last part of my tour, it was pecan roll and coffee. I was 13. It would swell up and we wood take it away from the exhaust port until it went back to its original size. all were palatable, but the peaches were outstanding. 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. Dont forget to stir before putting over fire. You are describing a military mess kit, but they were not used by most GIs in Viet Nam. Id buy several cases in an instant. Dont have any Cs any more, but still got several P-38s, three still sealed in the brown paper. I was the in house inspector at Granite State packing from 72 until 75. In Thailand, sriracha sauce was even better than Tabasco. The Meal, Combat, Individual ( MCI) was a United States military ration of canned and preserved food, issued from 1958 to 1980. a b -1-a unit was the topstobasco was the best.didnt have much time to cook in the 4th inf .but there were times ! Once lit it would put out a decent flame..my favorite was spiced beef.but had to be served hot.cold it sucked. Pork Slices Ingredients: They were the best canned peaches Ive ever had. To eating our faithful C rations. Thanks for your service. Some of the meals werent too bad, especially if somebody from home sent Heinz-57 Sauce or Hot Sauce to doctor them up. New Reproduction C-Rations Available. . Loved the lerps when we could get them. The C-Ration, or Type C ration, was an individual canned, pre-cooked, and prepared wet ration. We just heated ours with a ball of C-4, i.e., after opening the can. In 1925, the meat ration was replaced with canned pork and 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 I found this very interesting canteens inside a canvas or nylon cover attached to web gear or ruck sacks, or the actual cans that C rations were canned. The ration was very heavy, weighing 5 lbs . Not to bad either! fruit cocktail about to down it and a 60mm blasted my can out It smells good, Moak said as he put a handful in his mouth. The accessory pack with each meal was sealed in a foil pouch. 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. God bless you all. A small chunk of C-4 explosive could also be substituted for the Trioxin tablet for faster heating. My last CO also liked them. Do you remember your special recipes? So I gave my last Cs to a Boy Scout Troop and switched to freeze-dried packets (civilian version of MREs) . The military teaches you to be a thief . Pall Mall, Luckies, Winston, Salem and Benson & Hedges Menthol were five of the brands found in Vietnam era field ration packets. 2.03M subscribers Subscribe 129K 9.7M views 6 years ago Check out this full review of a Vietnam War MCI or "C Ration"! "Peanut butter and crackers was the best," Orbell said. Last time I tried to replace my Cs the price had gone out of sight. I do recall being thirsty. And one day I plan on working as a flight RN / EMT-P as well as continuing to either work or volunteer as a firefighter. This isnt Larry Craft from Pittsburgh, is it? $79.95 Vietnam Us Army $45: VE-1225 Vietnam Boxed lock and keys. The brands I remember are: Marlboro, Winston, Camel, Pall Mall, Old Gold, Raleigh, Salem, Kool, Chesterfield, Newport & Lucky Strike . I always enjoyed the pears and it went great with the pound cake. Hot BBQ beef. always seemed to get to to the carton last an last was trash eating. 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. Some of the guys cannot stand to watch me eat one. description of C-Rations used in Vietnam: The small cans included in the meal were ideal for making a stove. Typical commercial brands issued in the cigarette rations in Vietnam were: Camel, Chesterfield, Kent, Kool, Lucky Strike, Marlboro, Pall Mall, Salem, . Cs provided a good snack during night-time flight line work. It tasted like the congealed fat from a canned ham. I have the greatest respect for the grunts they did it with ingenuity and a lot of common sense. Agree pound cake slice it mix choc sugar creamer make icing. 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 ( ? 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. This establishment made Beans and Meatballs in Tomato Sauce shipping thousands of cases a month out. USMC 2/9 DA NANG , DONG HA, An afternoon like this was a celebration, unfortunately, it only happened about once or twice a month. I really enjoyed reading these replies about c-rations and your experiences in Vietnam. 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. I wanted to see the reality of what the soldiers had to endure. HI ED- nam 69-70- remember c-rats well. C-rats. FOR SALE! I had 2 brothers in the military, one in the marines, one in the army. I was the lucky one that LIKED ham and Lima beans! My last CO loved them. And how did those taste? 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. Posted by webmaster webmaster has not yet written their Bio. This was so insightful to read! I say all and families because a Military person has or had people waiting for them and worrying about them. If I admit to actually liking and trading for ham & lima beans, does that imply Im strange beyond? Voilatoasted cheese sandwich. Most of us knew there were others who had it harder than than we did. The first and last time I ate that meal. It was a luck of the draw right after we went through the gas obstacle coarse at basic training. Sometimes I auction off a pack of cigarettes and the highest bidder will give me a whole C-Rat meal. I would save my fruit and pond cake and trad for their rations of beer. 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. Going through a box of memorabilia a couple days ago. You did a great job with this. 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! You can live a long time on just water, so I do not recall being hungry. Ill never eat C-Rations again, but I can remember when I was glad to have them. Development began in 1938 with the . I think the onions were gone in a matter of a few days. about fruit cocktail. Only down fall was it was instant heart burn. Vietnam Us Army Usgi C Ration Boxes Sold by militarydepotga in Woodstock Buy Now! The daily ration of 3 meals provides approximately 3600 calories." There were 4 choices of meat in each B group. I miss the guys I hope all are doing well. Interesting article but a really dumb question? Military explosives are designed to go through combat. 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 ! 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. I want to thank all the men and women who served in Vietnam. Most were tossed because they didnt want to clean them or carry the extra bulk in favor of the canteen cup which fit around the canteen and in the pouch plus it made no noise while you were walking around compared to the rattle of the utensils in your mess kit. Thank you so much. Great. the military mess kit also comes with a military fork, knife and spoon. We had C Rations to eat while in the Pentagon Oct 21st 1967 while the war protest march was going on. Im also interested in the mail service during this time period. Got to Nam in July 68 an assigned as a pilot way down in the Delta. They loved hearing how Tabasco Sauce made even C-rats mostly palatable. MACTHAI advisor here. Always cigarettes, toilet paper and matches. The 4 meals I remember are 1- chopped ham and eggs 2 beans and wieners 3- ham and lima beans 4- beefsteak and potatoes. Twelve different menus are included in the specification. 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. Used extensively during World War II. 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. Thought it was really good. Answer (1 of 10): I served in the Regular Army, Feb. '61- Feb. '64 and saw many brands of 5 cigarette packs in the C-Rations that we were issued. But I read as much as I can get my hands on about what it was like to have served in those times. Very interesting. I remember that there were no hot meals and you learned the hard way what each unit in the box contained. All those you show here was my usual meals at the jungle in Vietnam. Excellent piece and very true in every respect. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Also read a lot about their c-rat experiences too. Anyone able to help me out? 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. USA & International; Australia; Canada; France; Germany; Italy; I am a VA RN and a volunteer wildland firefighter / EMT-B. the outer layer of clear plastic is starting to delaminate from the brown plastic. I thank each of you for all you have done and all the countless sacrifices you made. Marines were not great cooks, but they were inventive. Vietnam (1961-75) Collectibles; Militaria; Vietnam (1961-75) Original Period Items; Other Vietnam War Orig. Trying to spread the word to potentially interested people. would love to find a rec for them now When I was in there were four: apricots, pears, fruit cocktail and peaches. 4th infantry, Great article. The K-ration, developed by University of Minnesota physician Ancel Keys, provided three complete and balanced, 3,000-calorie meals in compact packages. 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. Free Sample first six chapters of Cherries both Written and Audiobook, Author interview War & Life: Discussions with a Veteran, Feasting on the Frontlines: The Vietnam War Discussing Food History, A brief history of coffee in the US military | We Are The Mighty, A brief history of coffee in the US military. Although the meat item can be eaten cold, it is more palatable when heated. after this became the way of doing it. Actually, I has been liking and still remember those good smell and tasty of those Military canned food. A whole heat tab had to be used. I was there during the transition from C-Rats to MREs during the early 80s. Shop with confidence. Good article. vet 69-73 does any one have a recipe for meat and beans? Your email address will not be published. Ron Perron It was great when someone got a care package from homewe all shared. Blocks of c 4 began to be available, this spared claymores. When we shut down to eat we would use our really long pliers to hold the meal as the ship was running down. if so, what was the dogs favorite meal? A generation full of Peace&Love did not belong in Vietnam ever! My story is written in letter form with letters to the characters father, to Walter Cronkite and to some other people. We were supplied by air drops and you ran to the pallet to get the best c ration unit. I do not smoke so I save the small pack of cigarettes. Stumbled across this interesting site. I got out of the field with 12 days left and went to Song Be. 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. Medevac. Used to put them on the voltage regulators to heat. In the fall of this year I will be in a paramedic program. 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. I always made it in a c rat can. Thanks for this article and thanks all American officers and soldiers in the field of VN war. meal eggs always looked greenish . Ive been missing those Olive can food image and its opener tool. It was intended to be issued to U.S. military land forces when fresh food (A-ration) or packaged unprepared food (B-Ration) prepared in mess halls or field kitchens was impractical or not available, and when a survival ration (K-ration or D-ration) was insufficient. Though it had been given a new name, the MCI was in essence still the canned C ration of prior years. Dear Chrissy, At topa C-ration with P-38 can opener. Smith Bravo Co. 2nd Plt 1st Bn 1st Mar Rgt 1st Mar Div, Old memories Did you see how expensive they are on Ebay? I collect all of the C-Rats rejects and I have plenty to eat. 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. He vowed to hang on to it until the day he retired, storing it in a box with other mementos. needs p38 please, thank you!my last original.took leave three yrs ago..jeep became stolen Bill McD Pour out all of the heavy syrup, and 3.) Currahee. wished Id known that neat way of PBJ. Sounds like a lot of B S to me. Free shipping for many products! Our company left San Diego with a Navy Band giving us Marines a memorable send off. https://charliecompany.org/2012/04/20/c-rations/ Reply With []. Oh, the memories. What brands of cigarettes were in C-Rations? 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. C-Rations are commercially prepared meals, used in the field and at times when hot meals were not available. 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 Living in Florida, for years I kept a couple of cases of Cs on hand as part of my hurricane supplies. Beef and Rocks, Scrambled Rubber Eggs, Chili, Applesauce, and Shit Disks. The components of the MCI were the M - "Meat Unit", the B - "Bread Unit", and D - "Dessert Unit". Heres a few of the photos from my page: http://1-22infantry.org/pics4/richard.htm. Photo via Wikipedia. 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. 34 watchers Missed the initial one 4 years ago. With this type of stove only half a Trioxin heat tab was needed to heat the meal and then the other half could be used to heat water for coffee or cocoa. Everyone I knew always had a John Wayne (P-38) can opener on his dogtag chain and a plastic spoon in his pocket. Cigarettes disappeared from rations in 1975, but their legacy was a . If you lucked into the peach can, you could trade it for almost anything. Oh man, I love your story. It would explain a lot of the stupid decisions Ive made over the years. Vietnam C Ration Cigarette : Top Picked from our Experts Also sometimes we added the sugar, creamer, and coffee park in the coco package adding a little water mixing it up. 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. Im writing a book which is fiction loosely based on my real experience for ages 10-14. I was always thankful that there was a medic around after I ate the Spiced Beef. 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. the cigarettes are sold as a 50 year old collectible and are not intended for consumption. It? I remember the first time we got to sample some Cs just after we went threw the gas obstacle back in basic training. Did not see mention of toothpick that you chewed one end for toothbrush ( sucked). A whole heat tab had to be used. SO, GOD BLESS YOU ALL. I would start out with a half gallon portable bladder and it was gone by afternoon. 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 flew as a Crewchief on a UH-1C Gunship. It was reported in the media that each soldier in Vietnam had a hot meal each day. DD345 - Liberty Pass. I got pretty good at stealing C4 to cook with , and those LRRP rations . The 10-in-1 Ration included packages with 10 cigarettes each. Ive read some books by Vietnam vets and it was also mentioned how to use a c-rat can for the m60. $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. 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. Smoking in the services came under attack in the 1980s. L/Cpl P.T. Other then that, fantastic blog! I got a flashback Ill never forget those days Sometimes I would eat the pineapples, bananas or coconuts if I could get them. In and around Quang Tri with side trips to Hue, Khe San & Dong Ha. Ur full of it Old Marine. Great walk down memory lane. But themilitarydiscourages eating from old rations. P-38! Since Cs were pre-cooked, they didnt need to be heated up, but it helped. Nate Hill, Pres, TAC Tankers Assn. I was a helicopter crew chief in 1967 with the 25th Infantry out of Cu Chi. My two favorites were green eggs and ham and yes, ham and lima beans. You don't want soldiers in war zones endangering their health! We would either just add sugar pack and eat. 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. 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. (LogOut/ 2. and heat a canteen cup of water and it provided you with quick hot water or c rations. My dad knows what its called in Vietnamese, but has no clue what it is in English. It tasted like delicious warm and moist cake fresh from the bakery. Everyone like cake after that. U.S.A.F. When absolutely necessary, Id empty the water and spoon in a can of cheese, melting it together with a ball of C-4. never gave that a thought until now. Life-saving use of rations! 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. At times we actually had to buy cases of C-rats in Phan Thiet where there was a thriving black market. 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. Never ate either one of these meals while in country. to a pack. Any leads would be greatly appreciated! Since I didnt smoke, the cigarette 5-packs (except Chesterfields, which nobody wanted) came in handy for that. Beans an winnies the best.ham and eggs always green no way I would eat it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 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. We had to heat them on the engine block of a truck or the exhaust grill of a tank. You were the unsung heroes of Army aviation. 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. THEY WERE STILL GOOD. 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. 4.) 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. You did what you had to do and made it home to an undeservedly rough reception. "The bread was awful. There was a reason they were called Ham & Motherfuckers. That was when I had the idea to start my own sauce company. It was just what I needed. Remember c rats well . 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.
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