Used to put them on the voltage regulators to heat. 4th infantry, Great article. The absolute worst, in my opinion, was the ham & eggs, chopped. I liked ham and limas. VE-1226 Cigarette case from the 67TH TAC Recon Wing. Does anyone still make C-Rations? | Page 2 | Survivalist Forum I have great memories of C-Rations. Most of them were manufactured the year I was born, or the next after. Old Marine. Ahh, comfort food in the middle of the jungle. Gentlemen, I was wondering if you ever ate at a local shack/stall in town or did you ever go fishing? 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. 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. C $19.38. Would turn to soup. Almost never saw heat tabs , we called them c tabs they didnt want us to have flames. Back The C-4 was safe to use as long as it wasnt compressed or using too much at one time. 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. He would flatly refuse to eat canned Spam when I was a young girl, saying it reminded him of those C rations! God bless you and I hope that this note finds you well, Sir. Moat says though he warned his children over the years not to touch his pound cake, he did let them eat some other rations when they were growing up in the 1980s, including canned spaghetti and crackers. Really love your stories. 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. On rare occasions when allowed piled stones put tab in middle for stove. Interesting article but a really dumb question? Only once was stupid enough to eat the WHOLE LRRP ration at onne, swells up pretty big after the water goes down! Left the nam brought one home should have seen the looks I got. Ill never eat C-Rations again, but I can remember when I was glad to have them. Tastes just like it always did, Mikolashek mumbled with a mouthful of cake as Moak laughed and clapped. Vietnam Veteran Keeps Vow, Eats 40-Year-Old CakeFriday , July 24, 2009. It had a flavor I can not duplicate to this day. Marines were not great cooks, but they were inventive. MCI Rations | Hotel 2/5 Vietnam Marines Now I know why I lost 40 LBs. Dont forget to stir before putting over fire. (Obviously some supply sergeant made himself a bunch of money.) Thank you for taking the time to read this. What I have here are various types of B units from year . Gen. Walter S. McIlhenny. As a Army pilot, I knew this well. We, the Army Inspectors, condemned them all. ONE ORIGINAL!! It woul heat a bunch of c-rats. Due to health concerns, cigarettes were eliminated from the accessory packs in 1975. I was there during the transition from C-Rats to MREs during the early 80s. Upon further review it becomes clear that the lists of "things" have a much deeper meaning and carry an abundance amount of . C-Rations | Charlie Company Vietnam 1966-1972 Sounds like a lot of B S to me. $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. I mixed the cocoa powder, coffee powder and creamer in hot water for a tolerable beverage. Mostly they were awful but I was lucky. Only hot meal was the last morning for chow. I drew ham and eggs. "The bread was awful. But I read as much as I can get my hands on about what it was like to have served in those times. 2.) That was like eating the congealed fat from a canned ham. The coffee, sugar, creamer and hot cocoa came in paper envelopes. Open can of peaches with P-38. Tellander Sgt USMC. 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. Viet Nam most of 68. Pork Slices Ingredients: Scan of original thanks to Dave Stieghan. C-rats. Using a John Wayne (a P-38) pierce a series of closely spaced holes around the top and bottom rims of the can. With the water pouring down on us. It was reported in the media that each soldier in Vietnam had a hot meal each day. 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! The cigarettes were even contaminated with bugs ! 34 watchers Less known is that an unlikely snack . In the field 90% of my tour. Must have been around 2006 I was surfing the web trying to find guys I served with and to my surprise I found a website from the unit I served with, 1st bn 22nd inf, 4th inf division. one of the better memories of c rats. 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. Thank you so much. Meal, Combat, Individual ration | Vietnam War | Fandom The VC had no heart pinned down one day took out my last I was with the 173rd Airborne/2ndBn 503rd Infantry. Popular products. We already carried 4 5 quart canteens to keep hydrated until the next resupply. Well not like from our great restaurants. Forty years later, Henry A. Moak, Jr., still loves his pound cake. Original was from a formerly unopened original accessory pack. Not to bad either! This would include various survival items and rations. We had the dubious honor of being the first Army ground unit deployed to VN in early May of 1965 from Okinawa and all enjoyed consuming our fair share of those gourmet C rations. from United Kingdom. ODE TO THE "C" RATION - Mazurland Blog USMC 2/9 DA NANG , DONG HA, shows storage age and wear and is still sealed. I was with the 15th Aerial Port Sq 1968-69, Da Nang. Posted by webmaster webmaster has not yet written their Bio. C-RATIONS - Brownwater Vietnam Veterans Photos of dissected original pack & other info is included in the pdf file. Our squad leader was fairturned all Cs upside down and would mix up..then we would pick..No Fear!! $40 . As I recall, only about 30% of the soldiers in my platoon did not smoke. 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! I liked Ham and M..f That meant I always had plenty to eat. 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. got there 170 pounds left at a 110 pounds. 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. Chrissy 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. Did C-rations have cigarettes? - Quora l would buy and eat them today if someone was to make em. Military C-Ration Peanut Butter Can Unopened Cinderella Foods Inc Dawson Ga $13.00 $17.05 shipping I do recall being thirsty. 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. Even then I ate one like an apple but the fellows that had been there longer made c rat stew and threw in the onions. From Sylmar, CA. My favorite C-ration dish was created as follows: 1.) If you lucked into the peach can, you could trade it for almost anything. made it somehow. Do you remember your special recipes? Mass-2 Marine attached to the 3rd Marine Div. Toward the end of my tour, we began having access to the freeze-dried LRRP meals. Thank you for the information on the sauces. c rations cigarettes: Search Result | eBay We had c-rats (MCIs) in basic and in Germany on FTX until about 83, then we got MREs over there. There was also a separate "tobacco . Blocks of c 4 began to be available, this spared claymores. Check my other listings for different quantities. Patrick Douglas Erb was there from Oct.20,1970-March 15,1971. 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. Elements of a United States Military Meal, Combat, Individual ration, as served in Da Nang, South Vietnam during the Vietnam War, 1966 or 1967. My story is written in letter form with letters to the characters father, to Walter Cronkite and to some other people. Vintage K Brand Rabbit Family Ration Patch Logo Snapback Trucker Hat C-rations featured options that included a variety of entrees, like spaghetti and meatballs, turkey loaf, ham and eggs, etc. They are not any where near as sensitive as civilian explosives. vet 69-73 does any one have a recipe for meat and beans? When I had my first taste of LRP Rations I thought it was food for angels. Brand New. I Opened Some C-Rations From The Vietnam War And This Is What Happened 1 empty C-Ration box 1 toilet paper pack 1 book of matches 1 plastic spoon 1 P-38 can opener Open all 5 cans with the P-38 leaving the lids slightly attached on 2 biscuit cans. 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. Pall Mall, Luckies, Winston, Salem and Benson & Hedges Menthol were five of the brands found in Vietnam era field ration packets. Moak said he wasnt worried about getting sick from any bacteria that may have gotten into the old can, because it looked sealed. (LogOut/ Each complete meal contains approximately 1200 calories. Going through a box of memorabilia a couple days ago. Hi mates, good paragraph and fastidious urging commented here, I am genuinely enjoying by these. 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. I lived on pound cake and chicken noodle soup cooked with a pinch of C4. Keeping the Troops in the Field. Part 1: Rations - Australia`s Vietnam War We had would get rations of beer and soda dropped off often in the jungles. Havent heard that in eons. Summary Of The Things They Carried By Tim O Brien | ipl.org You did a great job with this. I think I was one of a few who actually liked ham and Limas. Nov 16, 2013 at 2338hrs, Being an MACV Advisor C-rations always tasted good when ever we had a chance to beg some. Jerry. A small chunk of C-4 explosive could also be substituted for the Trioxin tablet for faster heating. 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 Vietnam War Pin Badge Reproduction - x1 | Grelly UK 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. Yes they did in WWI, WWII and right up to Vietnam. 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. 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 came from Landisville PA in Lancaster County that was only 12 miles from Lititz. I too was in Berlin during the cold war. Pingback: A brief history of coffee in the US military | We Are The Mighty, On the tug Agnes Foss we hauled a lot of C-rations around the coast and up rivers. They loved hearing how Tabasco Sauce made even C-rats mostly palatable. We got a hot meal in the jungle only after a firefight. Warrant officer. The next thing I got was the MREs. Sorry 11Bs I always took my favorite out first. guy came by and collected all our heating tabs said they caused cancer. I WONDER IF HE DIED FROM AGENT ORANGE. C-Ration: Development began in 1938 and was completed between 1941 and 1945. Click Here for web printable Marlboro Cigarettes from C-Ration Accessory Pack. When I was in AIT training, I can remember eating the fortified chocolate wafers made at the Wilber Chocolate factory in Lititz, PA. Bay State Militaria - For Sale Kindest regards. 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. Medevac. Coffee, tea and hot chocolate were plentiful and everyone had a stash. I cannot tell you how happy I am to have stumbled across your post! Broight back some memories for me from my year in the bush. 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. Just askin, BTW: I grew up in New Orleans and knew many of the McIlhenny family. You can live a long time on just water, so I do not recall being hungry. That part didn't last long after the war, as the dangers of smoking cigarettes became more widely known. the outer layer of clear plastic is starting to delaminate from the brown plastic. 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..). One case of C-Rations contained 6 rations. Meal, Combat, Individual (MCI) | MRE Info Reunion 2006 Grand Lakes O The Cherokees,OK, Audie Murphy Presidential Medal ofFreedom, https://charliecompany.org/2012/04/20/c-rations/, http://1-22infantry.org/pics4/richard.htm, Army C Rations: 21 Cool Facts - Citizen Soldier Resource Center. Really putrid stuff, For anyone who was there I was with VF213 flying Demons, flying hydraulic leaks! Everything was always better with Tabbasco Sauce to spice it up. C Rations, Invdividual Combat Meals Case of 12 Meals. Im also interested in the mail service during this time period. Ive eaten both and they do indeed taste the same. Matches The suggestion of including matches was done at the same time as the inclusion of the cigarettes. Smith Bravo Co. 2nd Plt 1st Bn 1st Mar Rgt 1st Mar Div, Old memories It? C-Rations used in Vietnam This is the official US Quartermaster's description of C-Rations used in Vietnam "The Meal, Combat, Individual, is designed for issue as the tactical situation dictates, either in individual units as a meal or in multiples of three as a complete ration. Very interesting. 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. 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. Move away from the Chopper and light with matches from C-rat. I have the greatest respect for the grunts they did it with ingenuity and a lot of common sense. Military explosives? Original Vietnam era US Military C Ration white plastic Spoon.From C Ration 382314172092. c rations cigarettes for sale | eBay Listing is for 1x Pin Badges, please specify the design at checkout or a random ones will be sent out. Give me an address and Ill send you one. Remembering Vietnam: Heating C-Rations with a Pinch of C-4 The brothers always would trade for Menthols. Smoking in the services came under attack in the 1980s. 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! (LogOut/ or four? And how did those taste? General Delivery Silver Springs Fl.34489 USA There were times I ate the Cs and the dates were from the Korean years. 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. 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. THE C-RATIONS I ATE IN VIETNAM IN 1970 WERE DATED 1943 THATS 27 YRS OLD AND 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. I was 13. You could boil a canteen cup of water with a pea-size ball of it in 30 seconds. Cigarettes. I can't find my links right now, but a little bit of searching should turn them up pretty easily. Some of the guys cannot stand to watch me eat one. I am a VA RN and a volunteer wildland firefighter / EMT-B. The "Honcho Club". needs p38 please, thank you!my last original.took leave three yrs ago..jeep became stolen Typical commercial brands issued in the cigarette rations in Vietnam were: Camel, Chesterfield, Kent, Kool, Lucky Strike, Marlboro, Pall Mall, Salem, or Winston. This is a very nice Vietnam Era Survival Kit & Ration Packaging collectors set, with great display potential. We sometimes ran out of C-rats, especially when we couldnt get resupply because the runway on our LZ was damaged by mortar attacks. In the aviation community wed take a can of biscuits, poke holes in it, pour some JP4 into it, and voila a stove!! [] the bread and voila a toasted cheese sandwich. Ham and Limas was the favorite for this purpose. The C-ration (officially Field Ration . Vietnam (1961-75) Collectibles; Militaria; Vietnam (1961-75) Original Period Items; Other Vietnam War Orig. I ate a years worth 199LIB 11b20 September 69 September 70. And at 75 years old, thats a blessing. I really enjoyed Meat balls & beans. Brings back a lot of memories. Well, with aSTOVEyou made, right? I got to Vietnam in July 1967. Left out the crew chief version of a stove. So I gave my last Cs to a Boy Scout Troop and switched to freeze-dried packets (civilian version of MREs) . It replaced the earlier C-ration, which it was so similar to . 4.) Heres a few of the photos from my page: http://1-22infantry.org/pics4/richard.htm. 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. The first and last time I ate that meal. My last CO loved them. 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. TM 21 1965. Glad to be on my way back to Goliad, TX so many of my buds were not so lucky. We went through East Germany on the Autobahn to Holiefields in Weat Germany for a training mission. But, Nuac mam still sucks ass! 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. unopened vietnam c-ration accessory pack with cigarettes. Military explosives are designed to go through combat. Yes they did in WWI, WWII and right up to Vietnam. 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. What is wrong with me? 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. I never went away hungry! I lived on peaches & pound cake for breakfast with hot chocolate. Thanks for your service. Nuac mam.gag. Ron Perron the military mess kit also comes with a military fork, knife and spoon. At topa C-ration with P-38 can opener. As I remember our C rats were marked 1941 &42. b9719 Vietnam era US Military C Ration Spoon in plastic bag IR19A C-Rations - vietnamgear.com This establishment made Beans and Meatballs in Tomato Sauce shipping thousands of cases a month out. I say all and families because a Military person has or had people waiting for them and worrying about them. Ah! 3-1969 to Feb 1970. During the 1960s C-ration cigarettes were identical to the sample packs of four that tobacco salesreps handed out to the public. I grew up in Pensacola,and lived on tabasco sauce for my oysters and everything else, and while in Nam I came up with an idea for my own hot sauce for eating c rations with,and wrote it down in a notebook we kept our call signs and frequencies in. Vietnam War Pin Badge Reproductions. canteens inside a canvas or nylon cover attached to web gear or ruck sacks, or the actual cans that C rations were canned. Ad vertisement from shop noviopera. My two favorites were green eggs and ham and yes, ham and lima beans. I was at Pleiku AB 67-68 and we used to open up the tin of peanut butter, take a match and light the top layer of oil, and it burned excellent! They came sealed in foil . 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. Hot BBQ beef. Well presented and will share with fellow Vietnam veterans and family. Our company left San Diego with a Navy Band giving us Marines a memorable send off. I liked the Cs better. Cigarettes were eliminated from rations in 1972. Did not see mention of toothpick that you chewed one end for toothbrush ( sucked). Twelve different menus are included in the specification. The blue heat tabs emitted a gas that would burn your eyes and c-4 was harder to locate for us. About C-Rations. C-Ration Pizza - Vietnam Soldier Remember C-Rations? - CherriesWriter - Vietnam War website (LogOut/ Shop with confidence. We had C Rations to eat while in the Pentagon Oct 21st 1967 while the war protest march was going on. And my brothers. The Meal, Combat, Individual ( MCI) was a United States military ration of canned and preserved food, issued from 1958 to 1980. Hey Fred, I was with the same unit as you except I was in B Company, August of 69 through June of 70. Who could ever forget about C-Rations? It was just what I needed. Pleasure speaking to you. Tay Nihn..68 Nui Ba Din. Welcome back. I served in Co. B, 1/12th, 1st Air Cav I 1967-68. Moak joked earlier this week that he hoped the can wouldnt explode. 1 for 5 5 for 20 20 for 40 Keep an . Vietnam War-Stories.com: Phu Bai, Seabees: C-Rations descritpion $50: VE-1125 Vietnam Grenade Carrier. Scottie Hill CW4(Ret) Ret. Remember c rats well . The Meal, Combat, Individual (MCI) was the name of canned wet combat rations issued by the United States Armed Forces from 1958 to 1980. When we were operating our radio nets in the outback wilds of Fort Riley, KS, wed put our 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. Put 1 slice on the bottom of the 2 cans with attached lids. DD345 - Liberty Pass. Water was critical. 1st tour grunt recon, etc. Actually, I has been liking and still remember those good smell and tasty of those Military canned food. CA. You could take a rats head off at 20 feet with them. They have the following menus: Ham & Eggs Ingredients: 82.5% whole egg, 9.3% of pork, onion, herbs, spices, salt, E250, E621, E300/E301, dextrose. I got my first The ration had to contain meat, bread, canned fruit, and some kind of dessert. Typical commercial brands issued in the cigarette rations in Vietnam were: Camel, Chesterfield, Kent, Kool, Lucky Strike, Marlboro, Pall Mall, Salem, . Kevin. I remember that there were no hot meals and you learned the hard way what each unit in the box contained. It was a great job. Corporal. Tasted like TNT from the powder charge. Looked for the fruit cans mostly, but some of the other items were tasty too. 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.