I was on Google looking up information on c-rat socks as this is a new term that I just learned and that is how I arrived here. Yes they did in WWI, WWII and right up to Vietnam. Typical commercial brands issued in the cigarette rations in Vietnam were: Camel, Chesterfield, Kent, Kool, Lucky Strike, Marlboro, Pall Mall, Salem, or Winston. Balance food to be heated on bent over lid and can while fire heat main course. wished Id known that neat way of PBJ. Original Vietnam era US Military C Ration white plastic Spoon.From C Ration 382314172092. I was the in house inspector at Granite State packing from 72 until 75. The local food in Thailand deserves its stellar reputation. Gen. Walter S. McIlhenny. There are several websites dedicated to US military combat rations that show all the brands. 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. They were the best canned peaches Ive ever had. ;~) A couple of days later our friend David called and told us that there was a problem with the sauce. Great site thanks for the memories. Great. You brought back a lot of memories. 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). 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. God bless you all. Due to health concerns, cigarettes were eliminated from the accessory packs in 1975. Very interesting. It tasted like the congealed fat from a canned ham. Turkey packed in 30 weight motor oil was the worst. The "Honcho Club". A stove was usually carried in the back pack or cargo pocket and used repeatedly until the metal began to fail. While serving in the Central Highlands with the 1/12th Inf. 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. What do you think? Never told 2nd Lts about the hazards of heating an un-opened can. Used to put them on the voltage regulators to heat. 2nd tour, NO problem, LOACH pilot and home every night if I didnt get shot down! I wanted to see the reality of what the soldiers had to endure. Cigarettes were eliminated from rations in 1972. Even for me being a FNG they were a treat but I didnt appreciate them as much as the old timers did. Where can I buy this rations ?I like this food too much. It was a luck of the draw right after we went through the gas obstacle coarse at basic training. . OK, now that your memory is refreshed, do you remember how you cooked your C-Rations. Technically, the C-ration of the Vietnam-era was a different thing than the World War II C-ration, but troops still called it a "C-rat," and it was very similar in packaging and content. Cigarettes were bad for your health along with bullets. Man do I remember C rations. "Peanut butter and crackers was the best," Orbell said. t004. These reminiscences take me back. 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. 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. Must have been super hot. Im writing a book which is fiction loosely based on my real experience for ages 10-14. yes crissie it was a mess kit one side flat other side had two compartments and you had silverware so to speak. It let off a whooshing sound as the pressure seal broke. I mixed the cocoa powder, coffee powder and creamer in hot water for a tolerable beverage. The blue heat tabs emitted a gas that would burn your eyes and c-4 was harder to locate for us. In 1968-69 I ate c-rations that were older than I was. Click Here for web printable Marlboro Cigarettes from C-Ration Accessory Pack. The desserts and the B units got better, too. all were palatable, but the peaches were outstanding. We had c-rats (MCIs) in basic and in Germany on FTX until about 83, then we got MREs over there. Thank you for taking the time to read this. I want to thank all the men and women who served in Vietnam. to a pack. In 1975 they stopped putting cigarettes in rations which raised hell with US troops everywhere. It was such a shock to my system that I had diarrhea for a week! $100 VE-546 Choice Vietnam Jungle Boots, size 12. Kevin. 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). You did a great job with this. Loved the lerps when we could get them. I was raised on Spam in South Dakota and Minnesota since Spam is manufactured in Minn. To this day I enjoy Spam sandwiches!! ago. meal eggs always looked greenish . Everyone like cake after that. Popular products. But, Nuac mam still sucks ass! Id buy several cases in an instant. Im also interested in the mail service during this time period. A few of the troops didnt like to drink beer. Stumbled across this interesting site. unopened vietnam c-ration accessory pack with cigarettes. So the food on a paper A second or B unit might include peanut butter and crackers, chocolate, gum, cigarettes, salt, pepper, and sugar, among other items. It consisted of three meals sealed in a plastic bag together with items such as a can opener/spoon, matches, toilet paper, etc. 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. Our company left San Diego with a Navy Band giving us Marines a memorable send off. I think I was one of a few who actually liked ham and Limas. Hi, No heat tablets before Vietnam. WWII US Army Marine Corps K- Ration inner wax box ration Dinner ad vertisement by noviopera. Reblogged this on Cherries A Vietnam War Novel and commented: Heres a blast from the pasta favorite article by visitors posted over 4 yrs. 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. C-Rations varied considerably through their 20 plus year service. 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. The C-ration (officially Field Ration . Marines were not great cooks, but they were inventive. I remember having to eat my C-Ration meal cold because we were either on the move or rushed to leave in the mornings. i was in from 1966 to 1972. i never ate a c ration that was younger than me. Yuck. Medevac. My dad died in Vietnam in 1965. Heres a few of the photos from my page: http://1-22infantry.org/pics4/richard.htm. Hill 55 out of DaNang. 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 Same when I came out of the field and started eating mess-hall chow regularly. made it somehow. He vowed to hang on to it until the day he retired, storing it in a box with other mementos. What brands of cigarettes were in C-Rations? Food was of secondary importance. It was illustrated by Fred Rhoads. the outer layer of clear plastic is starting to delaminate from the brown plastic. When I look at your blog in Opera, it looks fine but Due to health concerns, cigarettes were eliminated from the MCI accessory packs in 1975. Thanks Freddy Wright. Ur full of it Old Marine. Reproduction WW2 German MP40 Transit Case $350.00 WW2 K Ration Heavy Duty Cardboard Packing Box (10 in 1, K Ration, Heffenreffer Beer.) Going through a box of memorabilia a couple days ago. SO, GOD BLESS YOU ALL. Sitting in a bunker with a m60 in the monsoons I try to forget. On rare occasions when allowed piled stones put tab in middle for stove. My two favorites were green eggs and ham and yes, ham and lima beans. All individual empty cans and trash were buried prior to leaving the table unless he had another use for one of the cans. These meals came in a case containing 12 meals. During the 1960s C-ration cigarettes were identical to the sample packs of four that tobacco salesreps handed out to the public. Actually, I has been liking and still remember those good smell and tasty of those Military canned food. I miss the guys I hope all are doing well. When out on missions, infantry units were re-supplied with . 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 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. 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. 1966-67 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. Ah! Explore Vietnam C Ration Cigarette with all the useful information below including suggestions, reviews, top brands, and related recipes,. USA & International; Australia; Canada; France; Germany; Italy; always seemed to get to to the carton last an last was trash eating. I was with the 173rd Airborne/2ndBn 503rd Infantry. Posted by webmaster webmaster has not yet written their Bio. Each menu contained approximately 1200 calories and consisted of: One canned meat course One canned fruit or cake Had to have Tabasco sauce for the C rats. 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 know heat tabs were around but c4 burned hot and fast. 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. Living in Florida, for years I kept a couple of cases of Cs on hand as part of my hurricane supplies. The new menu (late 1968 onward) included good stuff like beans & weenies. There were times I ate the Cs and the dates were from the Korean years. I carry my P38 that i had in Vietnam on my keychain. I appreciate the education you help to provide and for keeping it real for those like myself who have never had these experiences. When I first got to Vietnam and was assigned to an infantry battalion in the field, I started eating Cs three meals per day.