Talk:C-ration
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[edit] C-rations: a memoir
I suppose this article is accurate in the sense that it makes the best sense possible from the gibberish in a US Army field manual. But, as an infantry veteran of Vietnam (1968-1969 9th Infantry) I can say that it really doesn't describe Cs very well.
A case of C-rations contained 12 boxes, each one represented a meal. So, a case had enough food for four men for a day, or one man for four days. Each case consisted of a carboard box, about the size of a case of beer, which was slid inside a cardboard sleeve. The whole case was bound with baling wire so the inner case wouldn't slide out of the sleeve. We used the three-pronged flash supressor on an M-16 rifle as a wrench to twist the wire and cut it. Otherwise we would not have been able to get at the rations inside.
Meals came in several different menus. There were two general layouts for a meal: the entre in a large can - about the size of can of Campbell's concentrated soup; the entre in a small can - a little larger than a small can of tuna. Of course some of the menus were more desirable than others. Ham and eggs were nearly inedible, most soldiers would rather go hungry than try to choke down that slimy, yellowy-gray mass. Other menus were better, none were delectible.
Some of the large-can meals were: Meatballs and beans. These were ordinary canned beans packed with meatballs to give the meal some heft. Spaghetti and meatballs. This was pretty similar to ordinary supermarket canned spaghetti. Beans and franks.
The small-can meals had a can about the diameter of a typical tuna can but somewhat higher, maybe two inches. Inside were patties of various meats. All these meals were acceptible. Some of these were: Ham, sliced, cooked and canned, water added. Pork. Turkey.
The large can meals came with a small can treat. Some of these were poundcake, crackers and cheese, crackers and peanut butter or jelly. The small can meals came with a large can treat. Some of these were fruit cocktail, canned peaches etc. It was considered especially lucky to draw a pair of meals with pound cake and fruit cocktail which were then eaten together.
The crackers and cheese, peanut butter,or jelly treats consisted of a outer can holding four or five crackers and an inner can filled with one or another of the various spreads. The trick was to open the outer can upside-down so the inner can could be removed without first removing all the crackers - we didn't have particularly clean hands. The inner can was then opened so the contents could be scooped out with the crackers.
In the mornings before moving out of our RON (remain overnight) position, we had to destroy anything of value to be left behind. This included food. We would build a fire from the cardboard C-ration cases. We'd punch a hole in any ration can to be left behind and toss it into the fire. The hole allowed steam to escape. Occasionally someone would throw in a cracker can with an unpunctured peanut butter/jelly/cheese inner can. The inner can would, of course, explode from steam build up spattering anyone around with the molten contents. This was termed a 'peanut butter claymore' and was considered very funny.
C-rations were monotonous. We ate them every day while we were in the field, which was almost always. I never got a hot meal delivered in the field despite what the Army says. Cs would be acceptible on an occasional basis, say a civilian on a weekend camping trip, but for everyday fare they were terrible.
Peter70.253.173.49 (talk) 14:36, 20 March 2008 (UTC)
