US ration Know as a Sock ration? Any Info?

[OLETROOP]

I obtained a very unique ration a year or so ago and I am trying to find more information on this ration, It is called a SOCK RATION and it was used in Early Viet Nam by the MACVSOG units. I have verfied that it is what it is by a couple of my friends who I work with at the Airborne Special Operations musem here in Fayetteville who were MACVSOG in the early 60's. They say that they ate these rations and the reason they are called sock rations is because of the sock like pack that they come in. They also told me that they would just tie the ends together and carry them on the shoulder or on their ruck.

The ration contains 6 small packs and each pack (as I was told) contains, chocolate bar, cereal bar, freeze dried meat bar, coffee, gum. The bars are much like the survial ration bars. There was only 6 menus and their is one of each in the sock. My friends also told me that these were replaced with the 1ST pattern LRRP raions. I am attaching a picture of the sock ration and if anyone has any information on this ration please let me know.

[housil]

Did you read this?

[OLETROOP]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I know who the dogtag is and I will call him and see if he can tell me more.

[Treesuit]

Wow,

That is very interesting, never seen or heard of them before. Not to mention reading about them. Are there any pictures of what the inside contents look like? How about info from Natick Labs in their archives? I'm sure something might have been written or maybe produced in a memo or technical paper.

[housil]

Are there any pictures...

Remember the movie "Hamburger Hill"?!
You can see them at their frames.
I allways though they used their socks with c-rations cans but didn´t know why

[Treesuit]

Housil,

I think in that movie the C-rations beeing stuffed into ordinary wool socks that is what is being portrayed from their rucksacks. I was wondering if there was any pictures of this ration being utilized in a photo or tech manual. That would give us a little more background and actually see how they were made.

[OLETROOP]

In Viet Nam many soldiers did carry c-rations in socks on the outside of their rucks, the c-rats fit perfectly in them. I did not do this as when we walked point they would get caught on things and sometimes if you had more than one sock they would hit each other and make a noise.... Not a good thing! LOL
I have looked all over for some information about this ration and not able to find anything except what was given to me here on this site. I relied on my old MACVSOG friends for their recolection. I have not opened one of the packets to see what is inside it, I did pay an arm and a leg for this and that is why I now limp. I have wanted to many times but being it is kinda rare I thought it best to leave it alone. I looked in the Archives at the Airborne Special Operations musem here and was not able to find anything about these rations, no pictures, articles..nothing.

I bet eating one of these would make an interesting review!

[Treesuit]

Oletroop,

Okay, I kind of tried to do a Google and MSN search but came up with nothing myself. I was wondering if those friends of yours at the Special Operations Museum would know how to look up info from the CISO program or CIA files, since CISO was run by the CIA in Okinanwa, or was it a separate program?
I would imagine that maybe Natick Labs would have something buried in their archives. I say that becasue most of the rations involved during that time came from Natick or had something on the drawing board. That is why I mentioned that on a earlier post. It's that during a trial or testing phase there has to be some report generarted that mentioned what works, what doesn't, and what needs to be changed. I'd say as a last resort try the National Archives.

[OLETROOP]

Thanks, I'll do some research there and see if I can find anything.

[DangerousDave]

I have seen a pic, in one of my plethora of books. The soldier fills a standard issue GI OD sock, with his field stripped issue C's/MCI cans into sock. Usually for a long range recon mission. I also have a pic of myself field-stripping my issued MRE's in 1983, 1985, 1988-90. Thats when I had to exit stage left, after injuring myself on a mountain at Camp Dawson, WV.