Very hot and humid Sunday morning here in Northern Illinois, which got me to thinking (as it often does) about the weather in that land so far away so long ago. I remember that nothing tasted really good because of the heat, except for the care packages my mom and dad sent from home. If I had to choose a favorite C-ration entree, it would probably be the cinnamon nut roll. I remember having them quite frequently in the morning, especially at Con Thien. (I accomplished that by volunteering to get the C-rations for our squad, which gave me first choice of all those culinary delights.) I'd make several perforations in the top of the can with my P38 and ever so carefully add a drop or two of water. I'd then heat the can with a small piece of C4. The result was a warm, steamed cinnamon nut roll that tasted heavenly with a cup of C-ration coffee.
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I won’t say that it sounds delicious, but it doesn’t too bad either. I’m like a goat. I’ll eat just about anything.
Peaches were the treat for me. When we were at Con Thien, I developed a taste for ham and limas. I would dress it up with crushed up crackers, that small can of "cheese," and hot sauce. I must admit that I will on occasion whip up a version today.
Young guys tolerate that kind of abuse better than us older folks Steve.
It's really amazing what we endured physically in malaria-ridden jungles on poor diets and steady exertion, without even considering that people were trying their best to kill us.
But I know you agree that older guys who went through that adventure when young can outlast older guys that didn't. "Outlast" not just physically but especially when mental toughness is needed. You only learn that the hard way but the lessons are good ones.
And you're right about bonding. Nobody gets us but us.
Alan says; ". . . no matter which end of the can you hack open with your P-38, you get a layer of congealed nastiness . . ." that was exactly my experience with Ham and Limas. When we had the time, we took to heating it in water--if we had water--in our helmet. That melted the grease and then we could open the can. Then some hot sauce worked pretty good. The trick was in having the time to heat it, which we didn't have when on patrol.
Beans and Weenies weren't bad. Felt about right considering we were kind of on a camping trip. That's what it was, right?
Everybody complained about Ham and Lima Beans, but I thought they were OK, sort of what you'd expect when you open a can marked "Ham and Lima Beans".
The only meal that really disappointed me was Spaghetti. You open a can with that name and you expect a meaty sauce, some good pasta and a touch of Mediterranean spices.
Instead no matter which end of the can you hack open with your P-38, you get a layer of congealed nastiness covering some limp noodles and a taste that only the lowest-bidder on the canned-spaghetti government contract can give you...
Pound Cake though, that was nice. It actually tasted pretty good and had a lot of heft. And, as Steve pointed out, it's good to start your day with a pastry that pairs well with warm C-ration coffee heated in an old fruit can over a bit of C4.
Apricots and Fruit Cake -- 'cuz like it or not that's all I ever got. Oh well, it sure beat Ham and Limas.