Army Chow Anyone?

And to think one of my grand sons is 11. When he comes to visit I ask him if he'd like "Army Food" for a meal and he gets all excited and yells "YEAH". So to the dungeon we go, selecting whatever from the case. Then we have a small party, pulling out all the packets and him deciding which he's going to eat and which to reject. He really likes it.
 
rburg said:
And to think one of my grand sons is 11. When he comes to visit I ask him if he'd like "Army Food" for a meal and he gets all excited and yells "YEAH". So to the dungeon we go, selecting whatever from the case. Then we have a small party, pulling out all the packets and him deciding which he's going to eat and which to reject. He really likes it.
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Sounds like my son when he was that age. No bigger treat than an MRE from the local surplus store. Fast forward to now. He's been in the Army 11 years. The MRE novelty wore off in a big hurry.
 
During Dessert Storm, one Sunday after Church my 4 kids wanted "Army" food for lunch. So 4 MRE's were set out. Some of it was pretty good stuff. I got home about the time they finished. I walked up to the table and picked through the remnants. I Took 2 small squares of cracker (biscuit) squeezed peanut butter on it and slathered BBQ sauce from the Beef Slices on it. I popped it in my mouth approved it for my pourposes and made 4 more, placed each before my beloved children and commanded "Eat". A loud chorus of "I ate and am not hungry" resounded in the kitchen. Like the loving father that I am I said, "I don't care. Eat!" I wouldn't allow them up from the table until they ate. after a few minutes (which seemed to take forever) the youngest popped his in his mouth and was done. I ask him what he thought it tasted like. He said, kind of like nothing and I agreed with him and the others ate theirs.I then explained; There will come a time when you don't want to eat. You are too something, too sick, too tired, too sad, too something to eat. but you must eat to live or get better.Remember this poor lesson and eat. They were POed at me for days. But in 1999, my second son was in the crucible phase of boot camp and had walking pneumonia (and been allowed to report to sick call, but chose to continue). They got 1 MRE a day, he remembered "The Lesson" and would cut open the packets and lick them clean and moved on to other Marines' trash and cleaned them out. One of the guys called him an animal. He replied he got 35 calories they missed. Buy the 3rd day they were all doing the same. Ivan
 
I actually liked the old C-Rats. Maybe not fine dining, but for the most part pretty good. I even liked the eggs and ham. Never was much for the lima beans, but would eat 'em.
Anybody here ever light the oil floating on top of the peanut butter to warm your coffee?
 
Grayfox said:
I actually liked the old C-Rats. Maybe not fine dining, but for the most part pretty good. I even liked the eggs and ham. Never was much for the lima beans, but would eat 'em.
Anybody here ever light the oil floating on top of the peanut butter to warm your coffee?
Click to expand...
never tried that but I am sure it would work! The peanut butter was was a quick snack when humpin' I took all I could get my hands on.;)
 
Grayfox said:
I actually liked the old C-Rats. Maybe not fine dining, but for the most part pretty good. I even liked the eggs and ham. Never was much for the lima beans, but would eat 'em.
Anybody here ever light the oil floating on top of the peanut butter to warm your coffee?
Click to expand...

The chopped eggs and ham were my favorite I also liked the lima beans. in fact the only one I didn't much care for was the beef and potatoes as the potatoes were made from something from a stone quarry.

terry
 
I was a field medic for a while in the Army before I was selected for nursing school. My guys treated me like I was a king, in fact, I used to chuckle every time I heard the Roger Williams song "King of the Road" because that's how my guys used to treat me. I always had the "shotgun" seat in the best jeep, if I got to the C-rat case late and didn't get the best meals, somehow my food got switched out for the best meals, etc. When they called me "Doc", it was with genuine warmth and respect. Man, I miss those days.

Regards,

Dave
 
GI grits and GI gravy,
Gee I wish I'd joined the Navy!

The coffee in the Army, they say is might fine,
It looks like muddy water and tastes like turpentine...

Lol, the coffee actually was condensed and from a can. Just add boiling water and pour in a mermite.
 
ChuckS1 said:
Not "real Army" field rations unless it has John Wayne bars. ;)
Click to expand...

Don't forget the cigarettes. :cool:

We were eating C rats in the Seabees in the '70s. The peanut butter would be handy if you needed to plug a leak in your boat. Luckily the crackers were robust enough to spread it.

Trade for your Beef w/spiced sauce! :D


Hands down best .mil chow hall I ever ate at was Lowry AFB in Colorado.

Worst was 29 stumps. Don't know how you make bacon crispy AND greasy but they did it. Tasted horrible as well.
 
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Reminds me of how I came to acquire some... vices so to speak...

No real need for a P-38 on my key ring any more, yet I still have one with each set of keys.

Now I'm hungry
e4y6emuq.jpg

...did I mention having some vices?


Sent Using Tapatalk
 
I got introduced to Vegemite when in New Zealand: foul and unnatural substance. They like to died laughing when I told them that.
 
Vegemite is a Kraft product, it is a soup base like beef or chicken bullion. It is a little softer and not as salty as the others. When it was first marketed it was a flop in the US, so they shipped it down under. The Aussies were to how to make soup out of it, but the Aussies never follow directions, and the rest is history- twister, demented sick history. :) :) Ivan
 
When I was a boy, my father acquired a small pile of c-rations. I was able to eat them - just barely. I understand the fare has improved considerably. Thank you for posting.
 
Old TexMex said:
Vegemite, Vegemite,
Smells like tar, black as night
It don't look good and it don't taste right...
But hold your nose, mate
And 'ave a bite.

It's made from the yeast of brewery vats and plenty of salt.
Never, ever goes "bad". Shelf life of forever.:o
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Almost sounds like your describing Lutefisk.... Yukkkkkkkkk. However, a friend of mine in calif--collects rations fro around the worldand has tried vegimite--says not to try it uness you have a death wish.
 
I had a breakfast MRE I bought at a gun show about 20 years ago--it really was pretty good.I still have the bottle of tobasco sauce somewhere?? anyway,ive always heard people who amit to hating powdered eggs. I tried them and though not superb--but stil--not bad at all.

Favorite Army meal: My dad always liked to cook: **** on a shingle.
 
Pork and beans for breakfast. Damn if that doesn't sound British.
I'm not sure anyone really knows what Vegemite actually is. It's certainly not identifiable from it's appearance or taste. When I tried it in Australia back in '91 while on a tour. Our bus driver saw me pick up a pack of it. ( like a little foil butter pat.) He asked me if I had ever tried it, I replied that I hadn't. "Dont' use very much." He warned. I'm glad he did. Ugh. Notice that as long as that product has been around, it's not sold here in the U.S. There's a good reason for that. Nobody would eat it.
 
Ivan the Butcher said:
Vegemite is a Kraft product, it is a soup base like beef or chicken bullion. It is a little softer and not as salty as the others. When it was first marketed it was a flop in the US, so they shipped it down under. The Aussies were to how to make soup out of it, but the Aussies never follow directions, and the rest is history- twister, demented sick history. :) :) Ivan
Click to expand...

My only try on Vegemite was a little Kraft brand container, just like the one they put jelly in. I never thought I woulld try to eat anything made by Kraft that I didn't like.
Well I have now!
Over the years, I have eaten a fair amount of Air Force boxed in-flight rations.
They used to look quite a bit like C rations.
 
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