SHOCKING Vietnam War Meals Soldiers SURVIVED On

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[Marka]

I was in the 5th Special Forces Group serving out of A-401, IV-CTZ-4 with the Mobile Strike Force. Every company of indigenous troops were commanded by 2 SF NCOs. In my case I had joint command of the 43rd Company with 112 Cambodian soldiers. We would deploy on 30 day long combat missions. We are what our Cambodians ate. One meal a day after setting up our perimeter for the RON (rest over night). I could only stomach the rice. It came in a plastic bag with a red line. You’d fill the bag with piss warm canteen water, wait 20 minutes then open the bag and consume the pasty rice. Once after three weeks while I was sending in my nightly SITREP Greg told me to add two steaks to the paragraph 9 (supply). The following afternoon the work Huey landed and the crew chief started kicking off ammo and water. Before leaving he waved to get my attention and tossed a plastic bag at me containing the two steaks. Greg opened a claymore to extract some C-4 to start a small fire. It was the best steak and rice I ever had.

[bigbuck]

To all the Vietnam veterans thank you for your service and welcome home

[BigBear]

I was in Vietnam for 18 Mo's = 2 Birthdays... My parents sent me a couple of Real Polish Smoked Kielbasa's made in the neighborhood (New York Mills, NY) Polish Store; for each of my birthdays. Me and my buddies cooked those up... Man, you can't imagine how good they were!!! The guys never had anything better in their whole lives!

[At-]

My take on military meals has always been "keep your standards low and you will never be disappointed". If it tastes like crap, you expected it. If it tastes good, you are pleasantly surprised. It is what it is. It's not a home cooked meal...

[jimcaufman]

I was in a helicopter company in the 1st Cav 67 to 68. When TET of 68 started we moved to a firebase north of Hue. It was cold, wet and nothing but mud. The supply system was maxed out with essentials. Ammo of all kinds was in short supply. We got a box or two of "C" a day. I lived in a tent with a mud floor. After a while we started getting "better" food. Everything came in a gallon cans (B-Rations) and was cooked in a field kitchen. Can you say hot plate warmed by burning fuel. The problem with this system was there was never enough and the choices were limited. We would get boned chicken for a week or two followed by boned turkey followed by beef and finally a month of SPAM. Three meals a day. Our cooks were over worked with not only fixing meals but pulling guard duty, flying as door gunners, filling sandbags and building bunkers. I was not a coffee drinker, so it was Cool-Ade. True to the modern Army supply system we would be issued one flavor for a couple weeks followed by another. No one ever referred to it by its flavor but its color. Green, purple, red etc. No ice or refrigeration so it was warm. To heat water, we lite C-4 plastic explosive on fire. Worked well but be careful you could blow a finger or hand off if you did not know what you were doing. No showers and a 4 hole out house for a couple hundred men. No booze, women, PX, laundry, movies, TV or clubs. Oh, the only way to see an American woman was to get shot and go to the hospital. In 4 months, I went from 175 to 120 pounds, look like death warmed over and was holding up better than most. I am now 77 and have not been camping singe 1968, do not allow SPAM or Cool-Ade in the house and always have at least a 100 rolls of toilet paper in the house all the time. Would I do it again? Hell yes, I was an 18-year-old helicopter pilot supporting the finest division in the Army.

[edmedlin]

Hell, I was there. I was a grunt in the field in the 1st Cav. We got 2 Cs and 1 LRRP ration per day. We carried 3-5 days food and water (Plus a lot of ammo). That meant you were supposed to get resupplied after 3 days, but you might need to stretch it a couple more days. The chow was OK, nothing shocking about it. the "hot meals" we got once in a while actually sucked. Tough, stringy roast beef, greasy gravy, soupy mashed potatoes. Probably some guys in the rear had good chow, but we never saw that. BTW, I still resent it when someone says "Thank you for your service." I was treated like crap when I came back and still have an attitude about that. So don't be thanking me "for my service"'; you could have enlisted and done your duty as well.

[alancranford]

One quibble--the C-ration, K-ration, Air Force flight rations and MCI were issued three boxes per day/one box per meal. The WW2 C-rations didn't have a spoon--the soldier had his mess kit spoon. The K-rations and early MCI (and Air Force flight rations) were provided with flat wooden paddles to use as spoons. Late MCI had a white plastic spoon. Early MRE's were also issued three bags and had the white plastic spoons, later replaced by long-handled brown plastic spoons. Spoons were important!

I appreciate the difficulties getting the right vintage visuals. Early C-ration cans were gold colored, with late WW2 and Korean and early Vietnam ration cans painted green. I was an Air Force brat and sometimes the C-rations came down my way in the Sixties, replaced by flight rations. I started my 27-year military career when I enlisted in the Marines in 1974, and I retired from the Nevada Army National Guard in 2010--I had breaks in service going to college and other adventures which means there were some years I wasn't in uniform during those 35 years. Older rations were at one time sold as surplus but I'm guessing that the danger of food poisoning from expired rations put a halt to that sometimes in the Seventies--old C-rations and even MCIs found their way to the surplus market. Carrying 24 hours of rations with WW2 backpacks (issued in boot camp) was a chore--fortunately that usually was just two MCI meals and we' Marine recruits would be issued two MCI's at the one hot meal from a field kitchen during our two-weeks of infantry school. I can only imagine where the WW2 Soldiers and Marines put their 48-hours of rations (12 large cans plus accessories) when hitting the beaches during amphibious assaults. Paratroopers got K-rations, a bit more compact and lightweight.

I grew up as a poor boy and was happy to have anything to eat--I probably would have consumed dog food without complaint under field conditions. Others were more discriminating, but it was probably more presentation than the actual food. When the wind was in the wrong direction, the fragrant latrines could ruin appetites--real battlefields might have unburied rotting corpses. The battle areas were noisy even when battles were not in progress. The dining room was outdoors and shared with insects and small critters. Bathing was a luxury--everybody reeked! You had no table and sat on the ground unless you made something. If it rained, your dinner got it, or you could hide under a poncho. Mood lighting--the less said, the better. And you might have only a moment to gulp down cold rations because you were halted on the march, or you were detailed for camp chores or guard duty or just wanted to get as much sleep as possible. I was lucky--nobody shot at me and interrupted my meals.

By the way, "your welcome" for "thank you for your service" on behalf of those who served but are no longer with us. Among those who served are my aunts, my uncles, my father and two brothers. At least my Air Force veteran sisters are still around to talk to.

[rogertemple]

My dad and uncles were in WW 2 or Korea said that military
ration foods were horrible but you either eat them or starve
have a great week and thank you.🇺🇲🥪🍔🍕🌭🇺🇲

[williamrichards]

It wasn’t one box of “C” rations a day, it was one box per meal.

[raywhitehead]

Most of the rations I got, were Korean war era made. But when your hungry its all good. Loved the early morning coffee.

[jacobishii]

Best way to thank a vet isnt with words its with your dont want to be thanked, makes a lot of us uncomfortable.Take these rights and freedoms use them, celebrate them and protect them like we did

[loverhood]

My uncle was on standby for Vietnam but wasn't called up Military foods changed a lot now. Brilliant video....God bless😢😢😢😢😢 all the guys who never made it home

[jonlewis]

Chopped ham and eggs were my favorite! I could always come up with a surplus. A lot of the guys would just give them away, and I was the guy they would give them to!

[jerrygoller]

Life was good when one of your meals had pound cake and another had peaches. It just didn't get better than that. USMC Infantry. 1966, '67, '68.

[wallyssalas]

Believe it or not, I miss those C Ration cans. They are part of the memories we forever hold in our minds. Most of us Vietnam Veterans, anyway.

[mpb]

The LRPs were honest Mountain House meals. Very high quality backpacking food.

[tazkrebbeks]

To all of you Brave men and women who served in Vietnam.
Thank you for your service and God bless each and everyone of y'all.❤

[LeeSpessard]

Highly nutritious, fortified and satisfying. Most GIs went for beans and franks. Next was meatballs and baked bean. I ate them all. Ham and limabeans always smelled a little bit like an old mattress burning.

[wolfgangholtzclaw]

the Ham and Eggs I hated until one time it was all I had and I was starving. Now I miss it! My ultimate favorite was Spaghetti in the can. My least favorite spiced beef in gravy... tasted good always gave me heart burn. Didn't like beans and weenies, but I ate them. liked the sliced peaches, I felt the pears were a rip off. Now I make spaghetti at home in bulk, so it lasts for two months. My recipe mirrors the army consistency and flavor. I am proud of my spaghetti for that very reason. Loved C Ration Spaghetti.

[georgegarcia]

I never saw any M&Ms in C rations.