Come'on cooks, tell us the scoop. Hell, not only did it work, I can only remember taking "one dump" during the entire 8 weeks of basic training. I realize I was young and terrified, but there is something sinister that went on back in the 50's.....
"ol Army Cooks": Did you use saltpeter?
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USAF385
US Veteran
Ah poor thing
. I recall guys having similar issues during basic.I'll admit, the stress of the intense new environment got to me too. It took me all the way until the 2nd night to visit the can.
I remember a lot of guys were jealous of me. Every night after lights out I'd pay a visit to the latrine. Like clockwork. Others couldn't go if their life depended on it.But anyway.. as for the rumored saltpeter... who knows. Besides.. what's that got to do with dumps?
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fiasconva
Member
We had the same rumors in AF basic back in '71. The T.I. answered it this way..." You think I'd eat this **** if it had saltpeter in it???" That was good enough for me.
I thought it might have been another "side-effect"!Ah poor thing
But anyway.. as for the rumored saltpeter... who knows. Besides.. what's that got to do with dumps?
USAF385
US Veteran
Ah.. we never had the... latrine issue.. rumored to be a side effect of saltpeter. I always thought it was nerves. I know it took my brother a while to er... take a load off.
BLACKHAWKNJ
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Any problems with dumps and their infrequency in Basic has more to do with the difference between the number of calories consumed and the number burned off. Plenty of Marines have told me that a recruit who is too thick around the middle will have his caloric intake closely monitored by a DI and woe betide the recruit who thinks he will make up the difference with CARE packages from home; I have heard similar tales from Army veterans-"No bread, no potatoes and no desserts". I heard the saltpeter story in my day (BCT, 1967)
for that matter I heard it in the Boy Scouts. I went through BCT in newer style barracks
with 2 and 6 man rooms and doors on the toilet stalls, I did spend time in WWII vintage barracks with ZERO privacy, in the pre-gay liberation era an individual with a "woodie" in the presence of nothing but other males would have come under a lot of suspicion. And I wonder if the saltpeter story became a convenient cover story for those who lacked "prowess" to begin with.
for that matter I heard it in the Boy Scouts. I went through BCT in newer style barracks
with 2 and 6 man rooms and doors on the toilet stalls, I did spend time in WWII vintage barracks with ZERO privacy, in the pre-gay liberation era an individual with a "woodie" in the presence of nothing but other males would have come under a lot of suspicion. And I wonder if the saltpeter story became a convenient cover story for those who lacked "prowess" to begin with.
Hi:
Yes the Military Cooks did put "Saltpeter" in the food, mostly in the Desserts.
The "Saltpeter" used by the Military Cooks was slow acting. Mostly it didn't take effect
until 50 years later.
Jimmy
Yes the Military Cooks did put "Saltpeter" in the food, mostly in the Desserts.
The "Saltpeter" used by the Military Cooks was slow acting. Mostly it didn't take effect
until 50 years later.
Jimmy
Bob R
US Veteran
I don't know about the military, but saltpeter is what gives corned beef its reddish color.
That's why I make my own dull grey corned beef!
bob
That's why I make my own dull grey corned beef!
bob
DavidA
US Veteran
It is beginning to kick in now.
Only one guy sported any wood in basic and that was towards the end of it. Our Drill Instructor Sgt Jones have him hell for it to.
Speaking of wood and high stress situations. On one of the last days of basic we had to get another physical. Our Drill Instructor herds us all into a small room puts us in formation and tells us to strip down to our skivies. We do and mind you we haven't even seen a woman in weeks. Several minutes later the door flies open and in steps one of the most beautiful well built swabbie corpsman in the Navy. She starts and one end of the line works her way down to my end. She is listening to heart beats and breathing. All this time I'm am and sure the rest of the guys are sweating bullets. All I'm thinking about is please please don't pop wood. I swear by the time she got done the room was 200 degrees and we were all ready to pass out.
Speaking of wood and high stress situations.
On one of the last days of basic we had to get another physical. Our Drill Instructor herds us all into a small room puts us in formation and tells us to strip down to our skivies. We do and mind you we haven't even seen a woman in weeks. Several minutes later the door flies open and in steps one of the most beautiful well built swabbie corpsman in the Navy. She starts and one end of the line works her way down to my end. She is listening to heart beats and breathing. All this time I'm am and sure the rest of the guys are sweating bullets. All I'm thinking about is please please don't pop wood. I swear by the time she got done the room was 200 degrees and we were all ready to pass out.GatorFarmer
Member
Potassium Nitrate, aka Saltpeter, is a diuretic, though no longer widely used for that purpose. It's sometimes used by those who cure their own meat and is used to make black powder.
It is not however added to food in the military or prisons, despite rumors to the contrary. While rumors still persist to this day, at least in the Navy, part of what my wife does as a PMT is to inspect the dining facilities. Quite a bit of work goes into making sure that military and government dining facilities are clean and that the food is properly cared for and fit (more or less) for humans, much more so than in private commercial establishments.
It is not however added to food in the military or prisons, despite rumors to the contrary. While rumors still persist to this day, at least in the Navy, part of what my wife does as a PMT is to inspect the dining facilities. Quite a bit of work goes into making sure that military and government dining facilities are clean and that the food is properly cared for and fit (more or less) for humans, much more so than in private commercial establishments.
Neighbor cooked in the Army. He claimed they used powdered eggs for feeding 5000 people and would throw in a couple dozen whole eggs shell and all. The griper's would then say "they are not powdered Joe found a shell in his, just Army cooks". FWIW frequently officers ate much better meals.
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