I was just reading the newsletter of 6-29-11 and saw a number of stories on C-Rations. So I thought I would throw a couple of stories of mine in as well.
In 1963 we were on a Med cruise and it was a joint Nato excercise. About a week in the field. Most of our meals were prepared and served out of a field mess hall. At night it was supposed to be secured, but not from Marines. Many of us would infiltrate the mess area and carry off some choice goodies, like peaches etc. One morning we could see about 6 cases of something left out in the middle of a field about 300 yards from the mess area. Close inspection revealed what was left and why. 6 cases of powdered eggs. In our C-Rats at that time we found green Lucky Strikes and my own personal favorites, Chesterfields. Like how old were those rations, WWII??
C-Rations could be very good, if you doctored them up with tabasco, minced garlic, and certain spices. In some of the different menus there were John Wayne cookies (only he could ever eat one) and crackers that were so brittle that just picking them up disintergrated them. There was a blue heat tab sealed in a foil package that was used to cook the entree. The usual proceedure was to make an 'oven' by pushing 4 spent blank cartridges into the ground, placing the heat tab in the middle, lighting it, and putting the can on top. One very windy, rainey day, 6 of us were very tightly gathered in a circle cooking our meals. Unfortunately for us, and a guy right out of ITR on his first trip into the real field, he had an accident. HE!!! had placed 4 live blanks into the ground for his stove. Needless to say when his ham and limas showered the rest of us he was promptly on a run for his life. But that is the Marine Corps way, "Those things that do not kill us, only strengthen us".
Sgt. Dwight T. Lang PMI MCRD PISC 62' – 66' Member of The John Basilone Honor Platoon See reunions page for 9-25-11