VietNam 1970, we had been having connect with the VC off and on for a couple of days; so when it became time for our resupply choppers to come in—they didn’t. Grunts understand, all too well, that choppers can be shot down with a lucky hit from an AK-47 or PRG round. Also, Cpt. Darling was finding a supply of water from local wells and such but it was the lack of C-Rations that was the bigger concern. Again, any grunt will tell you that you only carry what you actually plan to eat anything else was too heavy. If a chopper didn’t come in on schedule, it didn’t take long to run out of food. Which is what happen to us on this particular occasion.
Well, we’re Marines and we might fight with each other from time to time but share our last drop of water and in this situation whatever food we had. i was humping the radio for “Red” the third squad leader. We got into position that evening, some of guys had a can of whatever they saved from the last supply run but not much. Red got the squad together reached into his pack and brought out a can of sardines in mustard sauce that he had gotten from home.
He open it up and pass the can around for each of us to take a bite of sardines and someone had C-Ration crackers (not the best but who cares). I didn’t even know what the stuff was—never ate it before. But you know what? That was one of the best meals I had ever eaten!
I have since talked with friends about that experience who usually respond with “I wouldn’t touch the thing let only eat it”. I just tell them that they don’t know what being hungry is like. I doubt they know what they might do or eat if they were. Red’s action of sharing what he had has stayed with me over all these years. To this day, giving to the community food bank and working at them has been very important to me. I knew hunger until “Red” shared his last can of sardines with all of us. Hence the Marines motto Semper Fi—Always Faithful—to each other and the Corps.
Footnote: My favorite meal was to take the chicken noodle soup and pour the liquid out. Save the meatballs from another meal and put them in with the noodles. Then get some ketchup from one of guys and put it into the noodles. Meatballs, and noodles in ketchup sauce—MMMM—well maybe not anymore…..
Sgt Grit wants to hear from you! Leave your comments below or Submit your own Story !
Partway into my TOD (68′),I received a letter from home asking if there was anything special that I needed or, would like sent in my care package “Canned condensed soup!!” Next package had a variety of canned soups! Shared with all! Gone in no time! Hmm,Hmm,Good!! Harry
Your ‘favorite’ meals sounds interesting, at least, if not good. But, I don’t remember chicken noodle soup in C-rats from that time.
In 68′ we had chicken noodle. Sometimes we would mix the chicken noodle with the boned chicken.Called it “Chicken Stew” Harry
When I was at Gio Linh we had a Sgt Randy Sholose that would mix a couple boxes of c rats in his helmet heat it up and split with the guys that threw in their c’s. Out Sgt D L King always turned the cases over also and DL always picked last. I’ll NEVER forget that guy.
Leadership by example! Does not get any better.
You guys will never believe this story. While at Gio Linh there were also 40 Army up there. One of the Army guys named Freddie ??? a Sgt. felt sorry for us Marines because all we got were C-rates. So he stole a truck ( Army ) and 4-5 of us drove down to Dong Ha. There was this supply depot that we drove through loading up the truck will case after case of canned food. How he did this with out any paper work I have no idea. When we got back to Gio Linh, DL could not believe it. He was pissed but happy. That Freddie guy was a great person. Once or twice a month the ARMY would fly up hot meals in big metal boxes for those guys and Freddie always called us over.
HAM AND “MOTHERS” GOTTA LOVE EM
Felt sorry for the poor “Mother ” that ended up with “Ham and Mothers” We always opened the case of “Rats” upside down so no one had a choice of their favorite.Most times we could trade with someone but, hardly ever if you got stuck with the “Ham and Mothers” I was lucky with my choice most times but, not always.Mixed with water and a lot of pepper!! Harry
We did the same thing with turning the case up down. We would try to remember where certain meals where located. Was there a corn beef meal or did it look that bad? Also, I seem to remember that more then a few of the C-Rat were dated from the 40’s and 50’s or age is starting to work against me. Hot Sauce with the ham and eggs meals—I sure that’s what ruin my taste buds.
I do remember meals dated from the 50,s Do not remember corn beef or hot sauce in the meals,not to say there was’nt I just do’nt remember! Remember ham slices and my fav “Beans and Weenies” Harry
Are you the same Harry from Pa. ???? If so I had my hearing on the bladder cancer. What a joke. The girl asking me the questions could not have been more than 30 years old. She said my medical records showed I only had the cancer once. I told her I had it twice and I was not leaving till she found it in there for a second time. Finally she did. Then she said I would hear something in 2 months. My hearing was in Oct. it is now Jan and I have not heard a thing. What a joke. Thanks for the heads up Harry. If anything becomes of this I will let you know.
The chicken noodles came with sliced peaches and pound cake that everyone wanted. when possible I would trade the chicken for the spiced (?) beef and keep the cake and peaches since I have never liked chicken. To this day I keep several small cans of sliced peaches in my refrigerator. When going through a ville we would pick green peppers to add a little spice to the meals.
…….nam ’69…..doc………..mom would send me root-beer kool aid, I’d put that in my canteen.
we didn’t get resupplied for week, was completely out of food except for our condiments…..all we talked about was food. we made hot sauce soup to stave off the hunger…..hot water with hot sauce sprinkled in……..killed the appetite for a minute. when we finally got resupplied we had to hump down to the bottom of the hill to get the chow, wouldn’t or couldn’t drop on our position. all the way down and back up I’m thinking……Marines, always gotta do it the hard way! never opened the case upside down cause I wanted the spaghetti and meatballs……so sue me!
When I was in the field, 57-60 my favorite was Ham & Lima Beans, then Beans & Wennies.
In 1967, we were in the Highlands, the weather got bad, we were socked-in for several days, choppers could not fly, to resupply us, or pull us out. We had more water than we would ever need, due to the rain, but ran out of food, we found a garden, where there was a few sweet potatoes, still in the muddy ground, we took and ate those little suckers, and they damn near killed us, it was probably the worse case of the sh–s, and belly aches, most of us had ever had When we did get resupplied, we not only welcomed the C-Rats, but the little role of sh– paper, inside!
Ham and Mothers.. had to trade the jelly that came in that box for the tin of cheese that came with another meal. Scrape out the grease and mix in the cheese makes for a heck of a good meal. Also went about 7 days without resupply. My squad shared all we had left in those last few days before resupply. Can remember vividly passing around a cracker so each could at least have taste. Had to fill canteens from local wells….so many little things swimming around in just a cap full, that I used up to 5 halizone (sp?) (iodine) tabs in a canteen full. Went down like syrup especially with the daily ration of salt tabs!! To this day, I don’t like drinking plain water without lemon, lime or something more appealing in it!! SEMPER FI my brothers and sisters.. (Nam 66-67 and 69) H-2-5, E-2-1, and again to H-2-5.
69 Nam,does any one remember the CP packages when resupplied on company operation,what was in them?
Yes we got CP packages. All I remember was the foot powder and the Pall Malls. That was my brand of smoke and no one else wanted them so I had them all to myself. We got a CP package every several months. When I extended and went to 11th Marines down south I never saw them again.
Hey Sgt.Sisson, Sorry to hear about your problems with VA. I do,nt understand why,since bladder cancer was added to the presumptive list (toxic water @ Swamp Lagoon ) you should not have to get a C&P exam ,if that is what you are referring to as hearing,even if you filed agent orange or suzy rotten crotch it should not matter. did you ever contact DAV to be your service rep (ie. power of attorney) ? Best decision I ever made.I would probably still be fighting with VA if it were not for DAV.If the powers that be would get their behinds off their hands we would have more agent orange presumptive added to list.Keep the pressure on. I am at the VA hospital every Monday with my group I’ll ask around and see if I can find out anything. This thing sounds FUBAR! Harry
Hi Harry. I am having someone from VFW in the Federal building 16th floor doing all my paper work. Plus a lady from congressman Doyles office. To tell you the truth I do not know the name of the hearing, I was just told to report to Aspinwall for a hearing. I’ll keep you posted as to what is going on.A good friend of mine ( Green beret ) has this person from VFW working for him so I used the same person. They got him 100% for agent orange.
Sounds good. Sorry about the FUBAR comment ! Harry
You should not say sorry about the FUBAR comment. YOU WERE EXACTLY RIGHT. Just wish I would have thought to say it.
At the end of ’66, while in Nam, I celebrated my 21st birthday with a can of Ham and Mothers. Sitting in the monsoon rain and a nasty case of the sh**ts, the last thing I needed was Mothers. I must say all the birthdays since then have been much better. When it comes to sharing, my mother would from time to time send me some cookies packed in popcorn inside a two pound coffee can. All the guys loved them. When I was on R & R a can of this type arrived. When I returned to my unit the first thing I did was went to that gift from home only to find it empty. When I asked the guys about it they said it arrived the day I left for R & R and they said what would Ron want us to do with this? They were right, they ate them..
After having to eat C Rations,I never bitch about food or the person serving it.
My best C-rat meal took some time to collect. Meatballs & Beans, mash up the meatballs add a touch of water, when hot(heated with small bits of C-4) then add Hickory smoked cheese, crush up 3 crackers, add Tabasco to taste(sent from home or a PX run), this was a massive feast. Nothing like C’s. My first C was in ITR ham and eggs chopped, I still remember the taste. Good memories.
We had stopped for a few days at an old ruined Cathedral in the middle of no-where, Thua Thien province. I was a fairly new Doc to “C” company, 1/4 in May of ’66. The rain was a constant torrent and some old trenches and small bunkers from the ARVN were soon underwater, miserable for most of us, damned dangerous for those who were shortly trapped inside those mounds of bamboo and mud. One of these Marines had liberated a large can of hamburgers from an engineer unit’s ‘kitchen’ a day earlier. Someone else volunteered the tin lid from a home package. Then came the generous donations of the canned cheese and canned bread (Lord how I hated that bread!) Heating the tin box lid over a small fire, the burgers fried in their own fat , then the cheese was added on top. Each tin of bread was sliced in half awaiting the best damned cheeseburgers I believe any of us would ever have in our lives! My Marines were a generous bunch. As for Ham & Mothers, every now and then I still whip up a batch for myself, but there are no other takers who are brave enough to share them. Sad.
Chuli 1965-66 Gulf 2/4. Take the ham out of the ham and mother’s ,rinse off all the grease on the ham.,set aside. Take the ham and eggs chopped,open both ends push out the contents and slice 1/4”. Open a can of beef stew with potatoes, remove the potatoes and rince off the potatoes. Get your mess kit bottom with the handel and heat over an empty c rat can with some c-4 if you got it . Add a little lard from the ham & mothers in the mess pan,fry the potatoes,add the ham,add the slices of eggs chopped,toast some sliced canned bread loft for toast and add peanut butter. The Breakfast of Champions. All of the above will only take place if your not receiving incomeing artery and small arms fire ! Semper Fi PS who remembers Operation Starlite August 18 1965 .
We had Korean war vintage C-rats at ITR in ’69. Was impressed by what a tin of 17 year old peanut butter looked like. All of the oil separated and rose to the top while the “peanut” stuff sank to the bottom and turned into granite – that stuff was useless. Love the spaghetti and meatballs though.
Meatballs and beans
I think the CP rations were what we knew as PX rations or issue during the Persian Gulf War. The first ones we got had cigarettes, cigars, and chewing tobacco, as well as candy, writing paper, pens, playing cards, etc. The later ones didn’t have tobacco products. Each box was for 100 men. It was nice to get them. I took some over to a friend’s battalion who wasn’t getting them. It was like Santa had arrived!
February 1984, I turned 25 y/o while in Beirut, Lebanon. My Grandmother sent over a box FULL of home-made Cinnamon Rolls! You know, the really gooey kind, they were packed in popcorn. Well we threw them into the field range at the cooks tent for about 5 -10 min. and all 100 of those cinnamon rolls found their way down the throats of my maintenance platoon and were just a memory in less than 10 minutes. They kept begging that I ask for more, but we pulled out a few weeks later and headed home shortly after.
May of 1965 my Platoon of Marines were so hungry as we had been eating “Cs” since moving out on 327. It was hot, dry, and humping the Tuy Loan all day and night then back up 327, spending the night at that old French Fort, at it’s base, we were hashed. The company had a cook that had been enjoy the night life, and the lassies of Da Nang too much, and he needed help. He was referred to me for some reason. I told him I could help him out with his problem, but that I would like 4 gallons of Fruit Cocktail. One for each squad, and one for the Platoon CP, and anyone that had the watch. It only took one day to get the desired goods and my Marines were thankful for the fruit cocktail.
I find it interesting that when the subject is chow (C’s or otherwise) everyone has a favorite or a special recipe. Speaks to the high priority that ground pounders attach to food (especially while in the bush)!!
I can recall being the Cpl of the Guard while in An Hoa for showers and resupply. We sat on the line talking about food or the first thing we were going to eat when we got home for most of the night. I think there people who would be suraise to learn what men will talk about under these circumstances. Don’t you?