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Do you remember "C" rations? If so, what was the worst and best?
- Thread starter marine2541
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GatorFarmer
Member
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C-ration C rations came out in 1938 and were issued in WW2. Postwar they were technically the Meal Combat Individual.
K and D rations existed, and were issued alongside, C rations in WW2. Some units and areas - such as troops in Burma - seemed to only get K rations. Ks were more a "survival/combat" ration, whereas a C ration was supposed to take the place of a mess hall meal.
The Quartermaster department has a couple of free booklets that they make available that go into loving detail about all this stuff, and the capsule history is contained in the book about MREs that they give out to anyone who cares to ask. It's strange but oddly compelling reading to follow along with when Skittles were first used as a side item.
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I stand corrected.
I did not know that they existed in WW II. I have seen a lot of K-rations in the collector market, but never any WW II C-Rats. I guess they ate 'em all.
I worked with a lot of ARVN troops on my tour. I saw K-rats on their bases from WW II. They would not eat them if ANYTHING else was available. I have no idea if we gave them to them during the war, or if they were leftover from WW II.
SmithEC
Member
There has never been a C-rat or MRE made that I did not like. I really liked the ham and eggs. The only negative is that it came in such a small can. The spaghetti was my favorite. The only problem with it was trying to stir the spaghetti in the can while cooking it over a heat tab.
The genius that figured out that it would be a good idea to include a small bottle of Tabasco in each MRE should probably be nationally recognized. Their birthday should be a holiday, or something.
.
The genius that figured out that it would be a good idea to include a small bottle of Tabasco in each MRE should probably be nationally recognized. Their birthday should be a holiday, or something.
.
BOB THE PALINDROME
Member
I believe Ham & Lima Beans, also known as Ham & Motherf--kers, were universally loathed. As to my favorite--it would have to be ham slices.
Take a can of ham slices and find/beg/acquire some pineapple jam. Carefully remove the ham slices and then replace putting a layer of jam between each slice. Heat and serve!
Pound cake was my personal all time favorite of anything that came out of a green can!!!!!
Anyone else use C-4 to heat water for coffee? Anyone else use the C-4 out of the back of claymores?
Take a can of ham slices and find/beg/acquire some pineapple jam. Carefully remove the ham slices and then replace putting a layer of jam between each slice. Heat and serve!
Pound cake was my personal all time favorite of anything that came out of a green can!!!!!
Anyone else use C-4 to heat water for coffee? Anyone else use the C-4 out of the back of claymores?
Two notes:
In 1960 at Quantico, VA, I had my first exposure to C rats. They came in a "shoebox" w/ three meals for the day.
Included was a full pack of cigarettes, in my case a pack of Luckies in a green and red packet.
This green and red pack was discontinued in 1942 and changed to the familiar red/white bullseye pack w/the slogan "Luckies go to War"
The hamburger was lovingly referred to as "ground mouse"
During 1967-68 in 1st Amtrac Battalion at Cua Viet, RVN it was widely known that to eat the apricots that came in some C-rats was a guarentee of incoming artillery.
The place is probably still littered with unopened apricots.
Semper Fi
In 1960 at Quantico, VA, I had my first exposure to C rats. They came in a "shoebox" w/ three meals for the day.
Included was a full pack of cigarettes, in my case a pack of Luckies in a green and red packet.
This green and red pack was discontinued in 1942 and changed to the familiar red/white bullseye pack w/the slogan "Luckies go to War"
The hamburger was lovingly referred to as "ground mouse"
During 1967-68 in 1st Amtrac Battalion at Cua Viet, RVN it was widely known that to eat the apricots that came in some C-rats was a guarentee of incoming artillery.
The place is probably still littered with unopened apricots.
Semper Fi
Jeepnut
Member
cmort666
Member
I last ate MREs in '84 at Fort Irwin while field testing the anti-mine plows and rollers. The "beef bar" was COMPLETELY inedible without water. It was akin to trying to eat a sharpening stone. Supposedly they've changed the meals somewhat since then, but they're somebody else's problem now.
dlstewart01
US Veteran
eggs & ham - worst heating then up with C-4 did not help.
pound cake & peaches - best.
Lrrp rations (long range reconnaissance patrol) were pretty good when we could get them. This was in Vietnam 1969.
pound cake & peaches - best.
Lrrp rations (long range reconnaissance patrol) were pretty good when we could get them. This was in Vietnam 1969.
cmort666
Member
No, I'm talking about the '84 vintage MREs. Several things required water, including the "beef bar" and the fruit cocktail, which was like styrofoam without adding water.
Gov't Cheese
Member
Ham & Eggs with the spaghetti a close second for the worst.
cmort666
Member
The best way to heat C-rats, at least when you didn't need to hide your location, was to puncture the cans, put them back in the box and set them on fire. I learned to do this from some prior service guys at Infantry Officer Basic Course in '80. It always worked like a charm.
Spotteddog
Member
I recall comic Ron White saying about how his dog Sluggo after eating his new wife's cooking started licking his butt. When his wife asked why, he said "I think he's tryin' to get the taste out of his mouth".
Jeepnut
Member
Yeah, they were JUST like styrofoam...but kinda' filled the gap when trenching along. Tasty little morsels..LOL. And crunchy too.
Thankfully though, times have changed. So have the MRE's.
OFT
Member
The ham & eggs unheated on a cold day. One look and you just lost your appetite.
The worst was the Corned Beef that our chow hall made into SOS. Came out of the can like wood chips.
Loved them-the smokes could be a little rough. Loved LRRP rations even more. Could live on MREs forever. And T-rats were yummy too. Only C I had a problem with was sphagetti with meat-It was dark and I pulled out a three inch square piece of buffaloe hiney. Yick-I ate the rest though.
CH47gunner
US Veteran
Ah yes, C-rats.
Favorites were Beef & Potatoes and Beany Weenies. I'd eat the Lima Beans & Ham also. Least fav were the Eggs & Ham.
We'd do pretty much the same as Paladin, open the top of the can and put it next to the combiner transmission. Wait about 10 minutes & it'd be hot enuf to eat.
Nice thing about being aircrew was when it got to be around lunch time, we'd just grab a case of C's out of the internal load & take what we wanted. Then toss the rest in a Mini-gun can for munchies.
We took a couple of rds. coming out of an LZ and my Crewchief started hollering over the intercom. I looked over & he was covered with red/orange stuff and he thought he was hit bad. Turns out two of the rds. had hit his M60 and one of them had exploded the can of spagetti he had clipped to his gun. He didn't think it was all that funny.
Bruce
Favorites were Beef & Potatoes and Beany Weenies. I'd eat the Lima Beans & Ham also. Least fav were the Eggs & Ham.
We'd do pretty much the same as Paladin, open the top of the can and put it next to the combiner transmission. Wait about 10 minutes & it'd be hot enuf to eat.
Nice thing about being aircrew was when it got to be around lunch time, we'd just grab a case of C's out of the internal load & take what we wanted. Then toss the rest in a Mini-gun can for munchies.
We took a couple of rds. coming out of an LZ and my Crewchief started hollering over the intercom. I looked over & he was covered with red/orange stuff and he thought he was hit bad. Turns out two of the rds. had hit his M60 and one of them had exploded the can of spagetti he had clipped to his gun. He didn't think it was all that funny.
Bruce
ldausmc1369
US Veteran
Peaches and pound cake! Ham and mothers - UGH! Cold spaghetti at 3:00 AM. Instant cofee, UGH!
jlrhiner
US Veteran
I agree on the ham and mothers, someone would have to beat me. In 75-76 they were dated early 50's. We'd heat them by putting a dent in the side of the can, and heating them over a pinch of C4. When the dent popped out, they were ready.
