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. What I have here are various types of B units from year . And my brothers. Popular products. 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. One case of C-Rations contained 6 rations. when opening in Internet Explorer, it has some overlapping. THE C-RATIONS I ATE IN VIETNAM IN 1970 WERE DATED 1943 THATS 27 YRS OLD AND 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. Beat the heck out of what we scrounged up to eat with our counterparts. This would include various survival items and rations. It was a luck of the draw right after we went through the gas obstacle coarse at basic training. Water was critical. Right? We would get a hot meal maybe onced a month. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. 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. Canned meals for use in the field. I was a crechief on Hueys who resupplied you guys. Wow brings back a lot of memories. Of course it was not their faults, soldiers , at first and second to be fair they needed to go home with their families. Use the removed lid to cut 4 thin slices from the biscuit, toss the unused biscuits. A second or B unit might include peanut butter and crackers, chocolate, gum, cigarettes, salt, pepper, and sugar, among other items. I was always thankful that there was a medic around after I ate the Spiced Beef. USMC 2/9 DA NANG , DONG HA, I think the onions were gone in a matter of a few days. About C-Rations. yes i remember . (LogOut/ 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. Despite the new name, the MCI was still popularly referred to by the troops as "C-Rations" (or "Charlie rats"), which it resembled in nearly all respects. Hated Ham and Lima beans. A few of the troops didnt like to drink beer. 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 I want to thank all the men and women who served in Vietnam. We were at the end of the supply line so we ate a lot of C-rations. I found that these meals are easy and quick to prepare and they rehydrate []. Never heard of that version before. Semper Fi. 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. just outside of Da Nang, we were working with the KMC. Thank you for your time. Thanks for your interesting accounts, and for your service. B9719 VIETNAM ERA US Military C Ration Spoon in plastic bag IR19A - $16.35. description of C-Rations used in Vietnam: The small cans included in the meal were ideal for making a stove. I would start out with a half gallon portable bladder and it was gone by afternoon. recovered jeep. 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. The ham and eggs were inedible. Do you remember your special recipes? Army here, 67-70, most of 70 spent in Vietnam. noviopera From shop noviopera. The Vietnamese will sit for hours with a homemade fishing pole fishing. Each usually consisted of a can of some basic course, a can of fruit, a packet of some type of dessert, a packet of powdered coca, a small pack of cigarettes, and two pieces of chewing gum. Even though America gov. I do remember about a week after I was out in the field we received a case of onions by mistake. Had to have Tabasco sauce for the C rats. When out on missions, infantry units were re-supplied with food, water, ammunition, clothes and other items by helicopter every three to five days. Moak got the drab olive can as a Marine helicopterpilotoff the Vietnamese coast in 1973. 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. 2.) 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. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Viet Nam most of 68. As I recall, only about 30% of the soldiers in my platoon did not smoke. Smoking in the services came under attack in the 1980s. Most used their canteen cups, which nested on the bottom of 1 Qt. Check my other listings for different quantities. New Reproduction C-Rations Available. I carry my P38 that i had in Vietnam on my keychain. German military outfitter Bausenwein is offering brand new, reproduction C-rations. Used extensively during World War II. I appreciate the education you help to provide and for keeping it real for those like myself who have never had these experiences. Brings back a lot of memories. When I had my first taste of LRP Rations I thought it was food for angels. The container itself had 2 compartments. This stove was satisfactory, but did not allow enough oxygen to enter which caused incomplete burning of the blue Trioxin heat tablet, causing fumes which irritated the eyes and respiratory tract. The 10-in-1 Ration included packages with 10 cigarettes each. When I told my idea to my wife,she looked at me and said,baby,youre crazy ! And thats how we started Crazy Jerrys sauce company in 1989 with our oyster,clam and everything else sauce. Service. Did not see mention of toothpick that you chewed one end for toothbrush ( sucked). lol guess I was not human. Vietnam Equipment VE-547 Choice Vietnam Jungle Boots, size 12. Most of them were manufactured the year I was born, or the next after. God bless you all. While serving in the Central Highlands with the 1/12th Inf. I will call and order. Your email address will not be published. Miss those soldiers from our lives deeply. Menu. In Vietnam I was with Regional and Popular Force troops in Rung Sat Special I delivered beer to you guys. Our company left San Diego with a Navy Band giving us Marines a memorable send off. All individual empty cans and trash were buried prior to leaving the table unless he had another use for one of the cans. MACTHAI advisor here. Ive heard so many stories of my fathers childhood in Vietnam; How hed rush out to the roadside and beg American soldiers for their B-Unit snacks, or how he, along with his brothers and cousins, would rummage through the wilderness in hopes of finding c-ration meals, but I was never quite able to picture the things he described in my mind. Abovecrew members on a UH-1 helicopter deliver C-rations to soldiers in the field during the Vietnam War. Dont have any Cs any more, but still got several P-38s, three still sealed in the brown paper. They were pretty good .Carried a container of onion salt , and garlic salt for the C rations . U.S.A.F. I would save my fruit and pond cake and trad for their rations of beer. Smoking the local product might fool Mr. Charles. 2.03M subscribers Subscribe 129K 9.7M views 6 years ago Check out this full review of a Vietnam War MCI or "C Ration"! When I look at your blog in Opera, it looks fine but 34 watchers Hi mates, good paragraph and fastidious urging commented here, I am genuinely enjoying by these. Staf Sargent Larry Bailey. Ive eaten both and they do indeed taste the same. Military explosives are designed to go through combat. Havent heard that in eons. I mixed the cocoa powder, coffee powder and creamer in hot water for a tolerable beverage. Thanksgiving and Christmas 1967 saw one beer per guy allotted to the troops. The Armycolonelpopped open an old military C Ration can of pound cake from 1969 at his retirement ceremony, and dug in. Marines were not great cooks, but they were inventive. I thought that smoking American cigarettes was a big mistake. Loved the article brought back a lot of memories. Never know when you may have to open a can of crackers! Man do I remember C rations. Sold by kragsr4c07 in Great Falls Buy Now! But, Nuac mam still sucks ass! $50: VE-1125 Vietnam Grenade Carrier. The standard ration pack issued to infantrymen in Vietnam was the Australian Combat Ration (One Man). Almost never saw heat tabs , we called them c tabs they didnt want us to have flames. Always enjoyed the meals when I was out in the field. Might you, or anyone else have an idea? When we were operating our radio nets in the outback wilds of Fort Riley, KS, wed put our He vowed to hang on to it until the day he retired, storing it in a box with other mementos. A whole heat tab had to be used. Gun Pilot, B3, the co co package. Thanks for summing up all the C-ration experiences. It does take one way back. My story is written in letter form with letters to the characters father, to Walter Cronkite and to some other people. I came from Landisville PA in Lancaster County that was only 12 miles from Lititz. In the field 90% of my tour. C Ration Cigarettes (1 - 3 of 3 results) Price ($) Any price Under $25 $25 to $100 $100 to $250 . Never ate either one of these meals while in country. 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 ! l drove a 5 ton dump and heated meals for everybody on the manifold a hot can of SOS in your belly goes a long way towards boosting your spirits. C-Rations are commercially prepared meals, used in the field and at times when hot meals were not available. 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. A small chunk of C-4 explosive could also be substituted for the Trioxin tablet for faster heating. In Thailand, sriracha sauce was even better than Tabasco. Grab a small loaf of bahn-mi or baguette from the village baker with a can of boned chicken gently heated on the V-100 manifoldThat and a ba-moui-ba brewnot bad. 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. Hot or room temp, either way I always got a major bought of heart burn shortly after consuming the spiced beef. Im also interested in the mail service during this time period. 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. Three of us hailed a cab & that older gent stopped & bought us a six pack. 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. Bill McD Through some investigation he found the manufacturer of it was Sara Lee. Nate Hill, Pres, TAC Tankers Assn. Once lit it would put out a decent flame..my favorite was spiced beef.but had to be served hot.cold it sucked. I remember the first c-ration meal we received. Helicopter Pilot. Issued as one boxed ration per person per day. 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. Also sometimes we added the sugar, creamer, and coffee park in the coco package adding a little water mixing it up. Ur full of it Old Marine. In addition to the two carboard parts, you will need four cigarettes & two pieces of foil. No heat tablets before Vietnam. Who could ever forget about C-Rations? Fine. 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. 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. Every thing else not to bad. I would like to extend a huge THANK YOU to you, and every single veteran for your honor, your valor, and for sharing what little you had with my father and our family. You did what you had to do and made it home to an undeservedly rough reception. ;~) I was a helicopter crew chief in 1967 with the 25th Infantry out of Cu Chi. Left the nam brought one home should have seen the looks I got. You could buy cases of beer and soda too. Twelve different menus are included in the specification. We took them camping, my sister wanted corn dogs, which the bears ate as they passed thru our camp. The only drawback was that hot water was needed to make the meal edible, however, the weight of extra water was offset by the lightweight meals. Stumbled across this interesting site. 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. I did that too but I wondered sometimes if a 7.62 round could ignite it. I could not find a meat and beans recipe. It smells good, Moak said as he put a handful in his mouth. OK, now that your memory is refreshed, do you remember how you cooked your C-Rations. 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. 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. What do you think? SO, GOD BLESS YOU ALL. Tasted like TNT from the powder charge. C-Rations FSN 8970-577-4513 Specification MIL-M-35048 First procured in 1961, the Meal, Combat, Individual (MCI) weighed just under 2 pounds and was produced in 12 different menus. I was barely more than a toddler during the Vietnam war, and am a non- veteran. 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. Within shouting distance of us was a huge Marine Mess. . Ad vertisement from shop noviopera. In 1975 they stopped putting cigarettes in rations which raised hell with US troops everywhere. l would buy and eat them today if someone was to make em. C-packs also contained cartons of Cigaretts, M&Ms and other favorites, Give me pears or apricots any time. all were palatable, but the peaches were outstanding. Cigarettes, once considered crucial to American fighting men, have sadly gone the way of the daily rum ration. c-4 was the best for heating, some 4th inf. taste of C-rats in 1975 in basic training at Fort Polk La. Semper Fi. Yes of course the C-Rations survived the bears. The Food Service Officer (Canadian Major) thought she got a deal on them. Corporal. Any leads would be greatly appreciated! Dec 18, 2011. Anyway, you made my day this morning. Dan DMZ M/co 1969 USMC Hill 461 Sieara Rock Pile , Stud, LZ MAC chopper down! I have so much respect & admiration for them. I will always remember that time 1967-68 Well, my friends, let me refresh your memory and tell you everything you need to know but have forgotten about those wonderful meals. vet 69-73 does any one have a recipe for meat and beans? These reminiscences take me back. 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. I drew ham and eggs. As the Doughboys went to France, the ration changed. 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! But themilitarydiscourages eating from old rations. In the aviation community wed take a can of biscuits, poke holes in it, pour some JP4 into it, and voila a stove!! If somebody liked Lucky Strikes, Parliament, Chesterfields or Pall Malls, they would never run out. C-rations featured options that included a variety of entrees, like spaghetti and meatballs, turkey loaf, ham and eggs, etc. $90 VE-545 Can Opener from the C-Ration Crate. My friend was in Vietnam and loved the pound cake. i was in from 1966 to 1972. i never ate a c ration that was younger than me. When were cigarettes removed from C rations? Today Gover keeps a . Tay Nihn..68 Nui Ba Din. Elements of a United States Military Meal, Combat, Individual ration, as served in Da Nang, South Vietnam during the Vietnam War, 1966 or 1967. They came sealed in foil . Upon further review it becomes clear that the lists of "things" have a much deeper meaning and carry an abundance amount of . 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. Yes they did in WWI, WWII and right up to Vietnam. Many boxes of C's had WWII dates, but the smokers still smoked the cigarettes from those old boxes. Daddys description was not very glowing! 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. Zone (450 sq miles of mangrove). Read about all of these, noticed that none of you brothers mentioned using the tin of peanut butter as a stove. Currahee. Yes they did in WWI, WWII and right up to Vietnam. That was the beginning of the Tet Offensive and the hot meals were few. 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. Well not like from our great restaurants. Forty years later, Henry A. Moak, Jr., still loves his pound cake. Thought it was really good. You did a great job with this. The popular brands like Winston, Marlboro, Kools and Salem were always in short supply and benefited the non-smokers who used them to barter. All those you show here was my usual meals at the jungle in Vietnam. My father used to grumble about C-rations from his service in WWII, also, so it was interesting to read this site. Always let the FNGs learn a lesson the hard way. I REMBER C-RATS I LIKED POUND CAKE AND RANGER PUDDINGDENNIS 4TH INF DIV 69-70, So cool, i love your post, I am from Vietnam. Anything a dog wont eat should not be consumed by a human. 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). 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. meal eggs always looked greenish . It was great when someone got a care package from homewe all shared. PHU BAI, CAMP CARROLL, NAM 66/67. 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 MCI was intended as a modest improvement over the earlier canned Type C or C ration, with inclusion . George Newport dynamite and dirt merchant Combat Engineer. 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. As an infantry unit our year was pretty much the same as yours. Original Vietnam era US Military C Ration white plastic Spoon.From C Ration 382314172092. They Tried! Its even a little moist, he said, wiping his mouth. Thank you for the information on the sauces. Best dessert was peaches & pound cake, but you had to trade for stuff. I dont recall eating many of the meals warm. Turkey packed in 30 weight motor oil was the worst. ONE ORIGINAL!! Ron Perron It would burn hotter and was much better for heating water. Moak got the drab olive can as a Marine helicopter pilot off the Vietnamese coast in 1973. I was the in house inspector at Granite State packing from 72 until 75. Shop with confidence. The 1st Inf Div was not allowed beer in the field due to some previous incident. Hey me too other good ones were Beans and Balls Beans and Dicks Beef and Potato couldnt eat the egg thing spaghetti could not be cooked in the can, it would just rise up as a blob, cold top and burned bottom Ive got peaches, whos got the pound cake, I saved my ham & lima beans until we returned to the rear, then put the on the stove, boiling hot with a little hot sauce made me happy, Wow, how did we survive. 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! Since your audience is mostly nam vets, Id guess ALL OF THEM remember c-rats. 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. Remember c rats well . Fox 2/7 Marines 0311 June 1969/June 1970. Thanks for your. Sitting in a bunker with a m60 in the monsoons I try to forget. 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. 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. 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). During World War II, C-Rations included a cigarette packet of nine cigarettes. It was reported in the media that each soldier in Vietnam had a hot meal each day. During the 1960s C-ration cigarettes were identical to the sample packs of four that tobacco salesreps handed out to the public. During the 1960s C-ration cigarettes were identical to the sample packs of four that tobacco salesreps handed out to the public.